SGS Environment Services

SGS ENVIRONMENTALSERVICESCAPABILITY STATEMENT

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MORE THAN 130 YEARS AGO, SGS WAS FOUNDED IN ROUEN, FRANCE, AS A GRAIN INSPECTION COMPANY. SINCE THAT MOMENT, WE HAVE GROWN THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION AND ACQUISITION INTO THE WORLD’S LEADING INSPECTION, VERIFICATION, TESTING AND CERTIFICATION COMPANY.

THE SGS DIFFERENCE

Throughout the early and mid 20th century, we expanded beyond our core offering in agricultural inspection to activi-ties in minerals, oil, gas, chemicals, con-sumer goods and industrial services. By 1980, half of our revenue was generated from services that had not even existed in 1970, adding expertise in automotive, environmental, certification, governmen-tal and life science services.

In 1981, SGS became a publicly traded company on the Swiss Stock Exchange. The 1990s opened up tremendous op-portunity for us as trade barriers fell and new markets emerged.

By the start of the new millennium, a wide-ranging corporate restructuring led to the formation of the ten businesses that are now found at SGS. From our beginnings in 1878 as a grain inspection house, we have steadily grown into our role as the industry leader. We have done this through continual improvement and innovation and by reducing risk and improving the productivity and effi-ciency of our customers’ operations. We continue to look beyond customers’ and society’s expectations in order to deliver market leading services wherever they are needed.

CONTACT

SGS Australia Pty Ltd

10 Reid Rd

Newburn Western Australia WA 6105

P: 61 8 9373 3500

F: 61 8 9373 3556

E: [email protected]

www.au.sgs.com/environmental

OUR NETWORK DELIVERS THE SERVICE YOU NEED

Environmental Laboratory

Dedicated Environmental Staff

Through our network SGS Environmental is able to ensure that you have the local support needed for your project to run smoothly. Using dedicated local environmental personnel SGS can react quickly to your needs.

ROUTINE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The environment is a highly topical affair. Companies are constantly confronted with new laws and regulations and spend a lot of effort to meet environmental require-ments, such as; adaptation of production processes, investments in emission-reducing techniques, and others. The best solution is to acquire the services of a laboratory that is independent of industrial or sectoral organisations, authorities, and pressure groups.

SGS is a laboratory, group or network without commercial ties except those with its clients. We have been working on the analysis of raw materials and the testing of prod-ucts with care and integrity for more than a century. Today, we also apply this philoso-phy for our environmental measurements and analyses.

The accuracy and integrity of our people gives our measurement reports a high value and a wide degree of acceptance aside from the numerous accreditations of our labo-ratories and their technological infrastructure. Our measurement reports are more than valuable, it is a tool to demonstrate that you are operating in a correct and responsible manner.

ACID ROCKS SOILS With Acid Sulphate Soils occuring throughout large areas of Australia it is important that decisions are based on the best data available. SGS, through the Cairns and Perth laboratories, has been involved with Acid Sulphate Soils since 1995 and has closely followed the development of analytical techniques as they have progressed. As the action criteria was developed SGS has focused on ensuring our analysis not only meets the criteria but exceeds it, allowing con-sultants the flexibility to determine when soils were approaching the action limit and not only when they were exceeded.

The location of the Cairns and Perth laboratories places SGS in the centre of the Acid Sulphate Soil landscape and has allowed SGS to acquire vast knowledge of the analysis and types of matrices that are present.

Acid Rock Drainage (ARD), also referred to as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), is the outflow of acidic water from mining operations including waste rock, tailings, and exposed surfaces in open pits and underground workings. SGS is a global technical leader in the field of ARD with years of experience helping mining companies worldwide. Our laboratories offer complete ARD testing services that help predict acidic effluents. We have the technical expertise to provide mitigating strategies and innovative, yet practical solutions to reduce the environmental impact of your operation.

SGS has worked closely with freight suppliers over the years to ensure that samples can reach our laboratories as quickly as possible from all locations na-tionwide. Once at the laboratory results can be turned around as quickly as 24hrs providing consultants with timely and accurate data to make informed decisions.

DIOXINSDioxins are persistent organic toxic components that nowadays are forming a group of popular environmental pol-lutants. The carcinogenic characteristics of these compounds and the attention they get by the public through crises and accidents, brings awareness around the globe in terms of health concern and ac-tions to be taken to prevent their release in the environment.

Dioxins consist of 210 components, including the PolyChlorinated Dibenzo-Dioxins (PCDD’s) and the PolyChlorinated DibenzoFurans (PCDF’s) of which 17 are considered as being toxic. Dioxins are not intentionally manufactured but are formed as a by product in chemical processes and in uncontrolled combus-tions. As dioxins are unintentionally formed, they have to be differentiated from other very similar components at a very low level, parts per trillion or parts per quadrilion. These are levels which are about 1 000 000 times lower in concen-tration compared to the normal level other environmental components have to be determined.

SGS offers clinical certainty that there are no dioxin risks in your production processes. With a team of highly skilled scientists, our Institute for Applied Chromatography (I.A.C.) analyses traces of dioxin contamination in a wide range of samples by means of innovative and advanced techniques such as HRGC / HRMS. The results of our dioxin analyses are accurate and reliable. We can prove that you are safe!

HYDROCARBON FINGERPRINTINGSGS is able to provide detailed information on petroleum hydrocarbons including; Ageing, Weathering, Product Specification, Hydrocarbon Distribution, Biomarkers, PAH Distribution and unknown Chemicals of Potential Concern. Extensive State-of-the-Art techniques used are various and allow flexibility based on matrix and product composi-tion, resulting in a report as detailed as a forensic-type analysis or a simple product identification. The fingerprint measures the entire range of petroleum products, their additives and derived hydrocarbons as well as the weathering effect by environment when they are released. A mixture of contamination sources can be quantitatively separated by identifying unique chemical markers. The resulting array of data provides detailed information about petroleum products which are present in the sample. De-pending on the matrix and complexities of the sample, a combination of a number of analytical techniques may be utilised. The results obtained will provide highly accurate, reliable information.

ASBESTOS & HYGIENEIn the past, asbestos was used for thousands of products from automotive brakes, friction products, textiles, insulation and many building materials. Now considered carcinogenic, the use of asbestos is strongly regulated or altogether banned. SGS test for the presence of asbestos in suspect building materials and measures the air quality in locations where asbestos-containing materials have been used. Throughout our net-work SGS conducts Asbestos identification in-house by using our accredited identifiers. This enables us to provide an efficient and cost effective service to you.

DRINKING WATER QUALITYMore than 70% of our earth’s surface consists of water. Water is of vital importance to all life on earth. But water is not only of biological importance, it is also essential to our social, societal and economic existence. We analyse your samples with the greatest of care and accuracy for their chemical, biochemical or microbiological quality. The results of our analyses are checked against the requirements set by your organisation or the authorities. Over the course of 30 years SGS has built up an unparalleled reputation in the determining of the quality of water. We have monitored the quality of drinking water in capital cities throughout Australia and are able to meet the stringent limits of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Our expertise includes:

• Analysis of inorganic parameters (anions, metals, nutrients)

• Analysis of organic parameters (solvents, mineral oil, PAH’s, pesticides)

• Sampling of groundwater from deep and shallow monitoring

• Sampling of drinking water

• COD, BOD, pH and conductivity

• Microbiological analyses

• Various analysis packages (drinking and groundwater packages)

MININGSGS has a long tradition as a leading sup-plier of testing and certification services to the mining industry. Services include; the preparation and analyses of a vast array of commodities, financial and tech-nical risk reduction, quality and quantity inspections, pilot-plant programs, on-site laboratories, process improvements and geometallurgical services.Environmental samples that originate from mine sites need to be handled by the laboratory with trust and integrity. The differing matrices that are present around mine sites can cause analytical issues and it is imperative that the testing facility has experience and robust methods in place.

Our environmental laboratories ensure the mining industry receives dependable analytical data enabling them to make the right decisions, at the right time.

MARINE SEDIMENTSTo ensure a healthy marine environment for Australia both today and for the future it is essential that all dredging and sea dumping is performed to regulatory guidelines. SGS is able to partner with you in this process by providing quality analytical data allowing you to make timely and accurate decisions. SGS can ensure the analytical component of your project is performed to the highest standards. By supporting your project onshore SGS allows you to concentrate on the primary project goal. The concerns of sample transport, holding times and sample analysis are all supervised by SGS. By bringing together field support, quality data and industry leading procedures

AIR TOXICSAre the measures you have taken to pre-vent exposure to hazardous substances effective enough? Only periodic checks can give you insight into the quality of working conditions. This work has now been entrusted to SGS for more than 100 years. With SGS, you know you are in good hands. Air Toxics include a wide range of air pollutants that can be found in ambient air. The most com-mon include volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. Major sources of air toxics pollutants include emissions from industrial plants and motor vehicles. It has been found that even at low levels air toxics can be hazardous to the environment and hu-man health. In addition to the analyses of heavy metals and a range of inorganics, SGS Environmental is able to analyse for volatile organic compounds by USEPA TO-15 method. In fact, the Sydney facility was the first to gain NATA accreditation for this method of air toxic analyses in Australia. SGS Environmental can also provides SUMMA canisters for sample collection. A Summa canister is a stain-less steel vessel in which the internal surfaces have been specially passivated using a “Summa” process. This process uses an electro-polishing step followed by chemical deactivation to produce a surface that is chemically inert. SGS Envi-ronmental also performs analysis of air, gas and emission samples in applications such as;

• Landfill and Fugitive Hases

• Ambient air monitoring

• Workplace exposure to volatile/semi-volatile and inorganic com-pounds

• Process & Vent gas monitoring and analysis for impurity gases

• Site boundary monitoring

• Stack gas analysis

• Vehicle exhausts emissions

• Metals in Dust

• Soil Vapour

SPECIALIST SERVICESA specialist “Industrial & Analytical Services” team, within SGS Environmental Servic-es, handles non-routine analytical works. The analytical laboratory, equipped with state of the art analytical equipment, advanced technologies and expertise, has become a leader in many areas including air, land, and water. The successes come not only from technologies, expertise, experience and innovation but the ability in dealing with real world analytical problems and meeting commercial needs. Some of the studies under-taken for various industries:

• Fingerprinting of petroleum and solvents in contaminated soil and water

• Speciation of mercury in soil and the stability studies of mercury leachates for landfill disposal

• Measurement of air dispersion using tracer SF6 – direct measurements at parts per trillionth level

• Sampling and characterisation of accumulated wastes.

• Measurements of climate change fluorinated parameters-SF6, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (CF4, C2F6, C3F8), N2O, CH4 etc.

• Sampling and analysis of PAHs, aldehydes in ambient air.

• Investigation of odour from industrial effluent discharge.

• Ambient air measurements of VOCs by NATA USEPA AirToxics TO14 and TO15.

• Investigation of waste material illegally discarded on land or in aquifers.

• Validation of on-line stack FTIR VOC analyzer by laboratory sampling and analysis.

• Investigation of unknown warehouse odor that caused evacuation.

• Resolving high reported sulfide in complex industrial trade waste.

• Suitability of use of various underground pipes in contaminated land for transport-ing contaminated water.

• Investigation of chemical contamination in bulk chemicals.

• Investigation of unknown deposits in industrial processes.

• Method development for a wide range of non-routine environmental analysis in solid, aqueous and air matrices.

MULTITRACE ANALYSISMultiTrace® is a quick, multi-component analytical screening method that allows a broad analysis of contaminants contained in soil and ground water samples. The 350 target compounds are carefully selected and continuously reviewed, updated and extended to address the present and expected environmental legislation, locally and internationally. In contrast to the conventional approach which is based on sequenced compound specific testing procedures, this methodology incorporates an extensive list of substances mainly micro-pollutants and POPs via an integrated sample processing flow.

MultiTrace® is a real risk assessment tool. All QA/QC method characteristics like validi-ty, accuracy and precision have been investigated thoroughly and successfully validated via an EN-ISO 17025 accreditation scheme. This integrated laboratory testing concept allows a commitment to a short turnaround time of a maximum of 7 working days from laboratory receipt date.MultiTrace® is the SGS smart tool for all your fast, qualitative, quantitative and in depth environmental investigation and research purposes.

SGS Environment Services

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