The Environmental Health Laboratory (EHL)
EHL, with support from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, provides industrial hygiene no-cost consultations, analytical services, and sample analyses to labor organizations, employers, and workers in Washington State. EHL does not provide industrial hygiene services, but works closely with the UW DEOHS Field Research and Consultation Group and Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic in their assessments of health and safety concerns.
Employers desiring a workplace assessment should contact the Field Research and Consultation Group at frcg@uw.edu
Workers seeking a health assessment should refer to the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic web page.
EHL Consultation services include:
- Advice on sampling media and methods
- Assistance identifying possible exposure hazards in chemical or industrial processes
- Assistance with chemical exposure retrospective assessments
EHL Analytical services include:
- Compressed breathing air analysis for Washington employers, primarily fire disctricts, agencies, and diving contractors
- Method development and validation for new chemical hazards
- NIOSH and OSHA analyses in support of industrial hygiene consultations
- Chemical analysis of non-routine samples for industrial hygiene or occupational medicine assessments
- Materials testing to determine exposure sources
EHL is accredited for breathing air, metals, hexavalent chromium, and crystalline airborne silica analyses through the AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC.
Certificate of Accreditation (Lab ID: 101871)
The Trace Organics Analysis Center (TOAC)
TOAC is supported by research grants and income from fee-for-service analyses. Its primary purpose is to provide analytical expertise and sophisticated instrumentation for UW researchers with a focus on analyses of environmental or personal exposures to toxic chemicals.
TOAC has a broad range of equipment for organic, gravimetrics and inorganic analyses. A select list of instruments can be found on the EHL/TOAC Facilities page.
Instruments are available to investigators who are either knowledgeable in their operation or have been trained by the TOAC staff. Charges are based on an hourly instrument rate. In addition, TOAC staff can operate the instrumentation with charges based on an hourly personnel rate. Clients are responsible for providing their own consumables materials (e.g., columns, solvents and vials), though other arrangements are possible. The facility also has some GC and HPLC chromatography columns available for trial use assuming the work does not damage them.
For inquiries, rate information or an estimate of costs, contact EHL/TOAC directly at ehlab@uw.edu