Challenge: The U.S. EPA was testing rivers and lakes for chemical levels. The technician detected above-regulation levels in Lake Somhe, including phenol, toluene, mercury, oils, and more. There are a dozen different factories and pipelines which empty into Lake Somhe, and the EPA needs to determine which of these sources is contributing to the unacceptable chemical levels before doing a more in-depth analysis at the individual site.
The EPA contacted Cole-Parmer to find instruments or tests that can help them quickly and easily determine which sites are causing the problem.
Which test would be most effective for their purpose?
- Recommend a chemical classifier which work similar to a pH paper strip.
- Suggest the technician start with a colorimeter to determine phenol and toluene levels.
- Suggest a gas chromatograph and mass spectrophotometer to determine phenol and toluene levels.
- Have the EPA collect samples from each site and send to an independent testing laboratory.
