Sediment and Tissue

Eurofins has the ability to perform a wide range of analyses on soil, sediment, surface water and tissue matrices. We’ve gained extensive experience in handling the unique situations presented by these types of samples. We can customize our processes to meet your reporting needs.

Contaminated Sediment

Compounds present in sediment may begin to affect benthic organisms at concentrations often lower than conventional analytical methods can quantify. Sediments frequently have a high moisture content (or low percent solids content), which ultimately affect the ability to achieve the low reporting limits required for ecological risk characterization. To remove the water portion from these samples, freeze-drying is a technique that is available. Although time consuming, water content can be reduced by greater than 50 percent.

In support of sediment-sampling programs, Eurofins is accustomed to using Acid Volatile Sulfides/Simultaneously Extracted Metals (AVS/ SEM) for such metals as Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Nickel and Zinc. Additionally, grain size or particle size is run by hydrometer in accordance with ASTM D-422. We also offer Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Method SW-846 9060 or Standard Method 5310B modified (Lloyd Kahn) to meet your specific QAPP requirements.

Tissue Extraction and Analysis

Of particular interest are the levels of PCBs, PAHs and various metals in worms, fish and shellfish (edible portion).

In order to address the issue of pre-extraction preparation, Eurofins has elected to follow Great Lakes Environmental Assessment Section Procedure #31, “Fish Collection Procedure,” for the preparation of fish tissue. Of primary importance is that the submitter defines the portion of the sample for preparation (edible portion or entire animal).

Several homogenization procedures are used to prepare the sample for extraction. These include grinding and blending with food-grade dry ice. The sample is then allowed to sublime for at least 12 hours or until the CO2 has vaporized. We keep the samples frozen during the preparation phase to maintain consistent sample integrity and to prevent layering of the sample.

To adapt the analyses to the organism of interest and therefore provide higher quality data, Eurofins employs a performance-based measurement system (PBMS) approach to method development. Therefore, the analysis is customized to optimize the extraction and analytical procedures.

Eurofins offers lipids analysis to provide clients with all the analytical data necessary to perform food-chain modeling. We use an automated approach utilizing Automated Solvent Extraction (ASE) by SW-846 3545 followed by a gravimetric determination to quantify the fat content. We’ve found this procedure to generate more accurate and reproducible results than the AOAC method, which uses an acid hydrolysis technique before the gravimetric fat determination.