The Sanitary Chemistry laboratory is a component of the Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, which is the EPA-designated principal laboratory for NY State, responsible for analyzing drinking water samples submitted by state agencies and local health departments for a variety of inorganic environmental contaminants.
Analysis/tests routinely performed:
- Analysis of potable water for: physical analytes – color; minerals – alkalinity, chloride, sulfate; anions – fluoride, nitrate, nitrite; disinfection by-products – chlorite, chlorate, bromate, bromide; total cyanide, total organic carbon, turbidity.
- Analysis of non-potable water for: total organic carbon
- Analysis of paint chips, soil and surface wipes for lead (see Childhood Lead Poisoning)
- Accreditation: The laboratory is accredited as NELAP – E37911, NYS ELAP – 10762, and EPA – NY00005 for the determination of various inorganic contaminants in potable water, nonpotable water, soil and air.
Academic Programs:
Several laboratory staff may have academic appointments in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Integrated Health Sciences, University at Albany. Graduate courses in Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology are co-taught by laboratory staff, and programs leading to the MS, MPH and PhD degrees are supported through mentoring and providing research opportunities, which give students invaluable experience and knowledge of the operation of a major public health laboratory. Opportunities for high school students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, chemist aides, and laboratory technicians are available, along with access to state-of-the-art instruments for the determination of inorganic pollutants.
Environmental Health Sciences | University at Albany
Method Development:
The laboratory is actively engaged in the development of methodologies for emerging contaminants, including Hexavalent Chromium and Perchlorate in drinking water. Our efforts also focus on replacing outdated techniques with advanced technologies to ensure the highest standards of accuracy and reliability in our analyses.