Soil Testing

Recent decades have seen the rapid development of the society and economy. However, the contradiction between rapid development of economy and the shortage of resources, and the environmental problems in the process of using energy need to be solved. With the improvement of residents' living standard and pressure of the increasing population, the output of municipal solid waste (MSW) is growing with each passing day, which poses a great pressure and threat to the environment urban inhabitants live on. Solids, Sludge and Non-Aqueous Wastes, the primary solid waste of MSW, is becoming a new large source of pollution if it is discharged without useful and effective disposals. Without effective disposals, it could pose a serious threat to environment and ecological system. These solid wastes is a great issue that causes environment problems. In addition, it can also cause human health problems.

We provide a full range of comprehensive Solids, Sludge and Non-Aqueous Wastes testing services to evaluate levels of CO, SO₂, NO, HCl, CO₂, bacteria, organic/inorganic volatile compounds, the chemical composition and other contaminants. The pollutants, municipal solid waste, paper sludge, the products, chemical composition and CO₂ can be studied by the methods of FWO, FR, FTIR and Py-GC/MS. Thanks to the advanced analytical techniques and equipment possessed by Alfa Chemistry , we can deliver fast and consistent data under TG-FTIR, Py-GC/MS, GC-ICP-MS and other analytical methods. No matter what your concern is, we are always ready to help.

Our Solids, Sludge, & Non-Aqueous Wastes Services include:

There are two primary types of solid waste – municipal solid waste (trash or garbage) and industrial waste (a wide variety of non-hazardous materials resulting from the production of goods and products). Conversely, hazardous waste is waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, gases, sludge, discarded commercial products, or the by-products of manufacturing processes. Class 1 wastes are wastes which are regulated by the TCEQ and are potentially threatening to human health and the environment if not properly managed because the constituents and properties this class can include. Therefore, there are special handling requirements for Class 1 wastes. Many tons of industrial residues are generated every month by the industrial activity. According to the regulation standards, a significant portion of this waste is considered class 1 which means this waste must be disposed of in a safe way in order not to pose risk to the human and environmental health.

Alfa Chemistry experts strictly follow TCEQ's guidelines with a wide range of Hazardous Industrial Waste Characterization services to advocate local standards and regulations. We can provide testing services, which become an essential tool to evaluate the environmental impact of chemicals released into the environment, since in these tests the toxicity of the contaminants is measured, taking into account chemical speciation and bioavailability of contaminants, and synergistic or antagonistic effects of the mixture constituents, which is used to determine the most appropriate destination or means of disposal for waste material, according to its classification as hazardous/non-hazardous and inert/non-inert properties. Thanks to the advanced analytical techniques and equipment possessed by Alfa Chemistry , we can deliver fast and consistent data under hydrostatic weighting, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis (EDX), Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and other analytical methods. No matter what your concern is, we are always ready to help.

Our Hazardous Industrial Waste Characterization Services Include:

• Waste treatment technology

• Waste form characterization

• Development of criteria for judging performance of waste forms

• Pursuing new materials for waste immobilization

• Cost/benefit analysis

Microorganisms can produce a wide variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and a significant portion of the VOCs released from soil and litter appear to be of microbial origin. However, nowadays few studies are focused on the production of VOC by soil bacteria and fungi. As a result, we know relatively little about the types and quantities of VOCs released by soil microbes and how VOC production varies across soil types. The production of VOCs by soil microorganisms is likely to have an important influence on atmospheric chemistry, soil processes, and biotic interactions in soil. VOCs, particularly those of biogenic origin, can alter atmospheric photochemistry by reducing hydroxyl (OH) concentrations, increasing tropospheric ozone (O₃), and stimulating the production of organic nitrates in the atmosphere. The presence of specific VOCs in the soil atmosphere can also alter the rates of microbial processes including: nitrification, nitrogen mineralization, denitrification, and methane oxidation. In particular, VOCs produced by soil bacteria have been shown to suppress the growth of specific fungal phytopathogens in soil and may also be able to directly influence the rates of plant growth. These results suggest that VOCs emissions were triggering strong changes in the composition and functioning of soil microbial communities. More studies under field conditions are needed to assess the magnitude of litter VOCs effects on carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Alfa Chemistry supports clients in all stages of soil VOCs test to reduce risk, save time and manage the soil quality. Alfa Chemistry also provides VOCs analyses test of indoor air, outdoor air, drinking water, beverages, food, dust, soil, blood, and urine by the methods of scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, Solid-Phase Microextraction and GC/MS.

Alfa Chemistry offers a wide range of Soil Samples Containing VOCs analyses services.

• Solids VOCs

• Drinking water

• Blood

• Food

• Urine

The increase in environmental pollution caused by toxic metals is of great concern because of their carcinogenic properties, non-biodegradability and bio-accumulation. Ingestion of heavy metal contain cadmium causes various types of acute and chronic metabolic disorders such as itai-itai disease, renal damage, emphysema, hypertension and testicular atrophy. Cadmium may be found in wastewater discharges from the electroplating industry, the manufacture of nickel–cadmium batteries, fertilizers, pesticides, pigments and dyes and textile operations. Because of its toxic effects, it is important to develop an effective, fast, precise and accurate method for the removal of the cadmium in environmental soil samples. Mercury is a global pollutant that is emitted to the atmosphere from both natural and anthropogenic sources and deposited in the environment. Mercury retained in soils may be subsequently released to surface waters by forestry practices, like tree harvesting, causing an environmental and human health risk. In the environment, any form of mercury is potentially harmful; however, methylmercury, CH₃Hg⁺, is the most toxic to humans and wildlife. The most currently used instrumental techniques in mercury speciation are based on the combination of gas chromatographic (GC) separation and element-specific detection method, such as atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Even though many sensitive and reliable instrumental techniques are available for mercury speciation, one of the most critical steps in case of solid samples is the isolation of MeHg from the sample matrix prior to the instrumental analysis. In speciation analysis, isolation of analyte should be performed in order to avoid analyte losses, contamination and species transformations. Heavy metal in soil was characterized by FT-IR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Alfa Chemistry offers full testing and research services for heavy metal content in soil, including Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Chromium, Organic chemicals, Asbestos, Biohazards.

• Lead

• Cadmium

• Arsenic

• Chromium

• Organic chemicals

• Asbestos

• Biohazards

Ore minerals and their textures can provide valuable information on the origin and history of a mineral deposit and the sources of the metals within a deposit, the presence of trace elements such as Co, Ni, and Se in pyrite is considered to be a reliable indicator of the metallogenic history of a deposit similarly, and trace elements in sphalerite can be used as tracers of ore genesis. Modern digital mine planning, plant design and mineral processing operations demand detailed characterization of the ore and plant feed. Traditionally, the measurement of these ore characteristics employed the tools of an optical microscope and/or a semi-automated SEM. These methods are time-consuming, costly and frequently produce semi-quantitative results from data sets that are too small to be statistically valid. Thus, the results cannot be used reliably and effectively in digital mine planning and design. Texture resolutions can now be submicron and SEM measurement times have reduced to less than an hour for simple analyses, while previously they required many hours. The modern tools not only increase the speed and accuracy of liberation analysis, but also enhance measurement automation. The key to success for any modern SEM-based mineral liberation analysis system is the close integration of BSE image and EDS X-ray analyses. Integration of the SEM-based quantitative mineral liberation analysis with optical microscope, dual beam systems and X-ray tomography will further enrich the analysis results and the derived user experience. The key to success for any modern SEM-based mineral liberation analysis system is the close integration of BSE image and EDS X-ray analyses. Integration of the SEM-based quantitative mineral liberation analysis with optical microscope, dual beam systems and X-ray tomography will further enrich the analysis results and the derived user experience.

In recent years, with the rapid development of nuclear energy industry and nuclear test all over the world, radioactive waste water and waste residue enter the soil through surface runoff, resulting in radioactive pollution of soil. Soil radioactive pollution refers to the phenomenon that the radioactive pollutants emitted by human activities enter the soil, which makes the radioactive level of the soil higher than the natural background value or the dose limit specified by the national standard, which brings a serious threat to the survival of human beings. Therefore, the investigation of the level of natural radionuclides in soil is an important content in the study of natural radioactivity in the environment. In 1896, French scientist Becquerel discovered radionuclide uranium, human began to really understand radioactive material, and in the following years, scientists discovered other radionuclides one after another. The study of environmental radioactivity in the whole world has experienced two stages: the first stage is from 1950s to the end of 1960s, the second stage from the beginning of 1980s to now.

Soil is an important part of the environment. Soil environmental monitoring refers to the determination of environmental quality (or pollution degree) and its changing trend by measuring the representative values of soil environmental quality factors. Heavy metals in the soil include: lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, copper, zinc, nickel, chromium, selenium, iron, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, antimony, cobalt, silver, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, hexavalent chromium, etc.