Phone No.
(780) 450-3957
There is no single laboratory panel that is appropriate for every contaminated site.
The correct testing program depends on:
A better approach is:
PBR Laboratories supports contaminated-site soil testing from Edmonton for environmental consultants, industrial facilities, remediation teams and land-development projects across Alberta, Western Canada and Canada.
Before selecting analytical tests, establish what activities occurred on the property.
Questions may include:
Site history helps narrow the analytical program to the contaminants that are reasonably relevant.
A generic “test everything” approach can increase cost without necessarily improving the quality of the investigation.
Petroleum hydrocarbon testing should be considered where site history includes:
PBR’s soil service architecture includes petroleum hydrocarbon testing for applicable soil matrices.
Testing may support:
A petroleum hydrocarbon result should be interpreted with the sample location, depth, source history and surrounding analytical results.
Metals may be relevant where site history includes:
The required element list should be selected according to the site.
No.
A site with historical metal fabrication may require different analysis from a property affected by fuel storage.
The correct panel should reflect the likely contaminants and applicable project criteria.
Soil chemistry can provide useful information about site conditions and help interpret other environmental results.
Depending on the project, PBR’s documented soil chemistry capabilities include:
Soil conditions can influence contaminant behaviour, mobility and interpretation.
For example, pH or organic carbon may provide useful context when evaluating selected contaminants.
PBR’s existing soil chemistry service information identifies glycols and alcohols among available soil analyses.
These may be relevant where site history indicates their use or release.
The exact compound, analytical method and current matrix applicability should be confirmed before submission.
The broader principle is:
Test for compounds that are supported by the actual site history rather than adding unrelated analyses simply because they are available.
Microbiological testing is not required for every contaminated-site investigation.
It may be relevant where:
PBR’s documented environmental microbiology capabilities include several microbial groups for applicable soil matrices, including hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria and other environmental microorganisms.
Microbiology should complement—not replace—contaminant chemistry.
Potentially.
Soil and groundwater may need to be evaluated together when contaminants can migrate below the soil zone.
Factors include:
Where groundwater impact is plausible, environmental water testing may be appropriate alongside soil analysis.
A fuel-related investigation may involve:
The exact panel should be selected according to the source and project requirements.
The sampling plan may need to focus on:
Former industrial properties may require a broader historical review.
Potential analytical areas can include:
The site’s historical process is more useful for selecting the test panel than the generic label “industrial property.”
Unknown or imported fill may require analytical characterization depending on the project.
Potential questions include:
Different fill areas should not automatically be treated as one homogeneous material.
Once contaminants are identified, the analytical program should become more targeted.
Testing may support:
The project may no longer need every parameter included in the initial investigation.
The test panel should evolve with the project question.
Related Application: Soil Testing for Remediation & Reclamation →
The field investigation should select locations based on potential sources and migration pathways.
Potential sampling areas may include:
PBR’s decision framework emphasizes that sampling design affects how confidently laboratory results can represent a broader site.
Contamination can vary vertically.
A surface sample may not represent deeper impacts.
Likewise, deeper contamination does not necessarily mean the surface has the same concentrations.
The sampling program should define the vertical intervals that need to be characterized.
There is no universal number.
The appropriate number depends on:
PBR can discuss laboratory sample requirements, while the environmental professional should design the broader sampling program.
It depends on the objective.
Composite samples combine multiple increments into one laboratory sample.
They can provide an average, but they may also dilute localized elevated contamination.
For source investigation or delineation, grab samples may provide more useful spatial information.
PBR’s decision framework specifically warns that compositing can reduce visibility of localized contamination.
An elevated result means the concentration measured in the submitted sample exceeds the comparison value being used for the project.
It does not automatically define:
Additional investigation may be needed.
Related Resource: What to Do After an Elevated Soil Test Result →
A clean or non-elevated result applies to the submitted sample and sampling location.
It does not automatically prove that the entire property is unaffected.
Environmental conclusions depend on the sampling program and the relationship between samples and potential source areas.
Use this sequence:
This is much stronger than beginning with a laboratory panel before understanding the site.
PBR Laboratories supports environmental consultants, industrial operators, land developers and remediation teams throughout Alberta from its Edmonton laboratory.
Common Alberta project contexts may involve:
PBR can discuss the analytical scope, sample requirements and related environmental matrices before samples are submitted.
PBR supports contaminated-site investigations across Western Canada requiring analytical soil, environmental water and environmental microbiology services.
The testing program should be built around the project—not a one-size-fits-all laboratory package.
PBR supports Canadian organizations requiring laboratory data for applicable contaminated-site investigations.
The PBR approach is:
That directly supports PBR’s decision-focused positioning.
The analytical program should be based on site history and potential contaminant sources. Petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, soil chemistry, selected industrial compounds, microbiology and groundwater may be relevant depending on the site.
No. Hydrocarbon testing is relevant where petroleum products or related releases are plausible.
No. Metals should be selected according to site history, industrial activities, fill conditions and previous results.
Not always. Groundwater becomes more relevant where site conditions and contaminant properties create a plausible migration pathway.
There is no universal number. Sample number depends on the site, source areas, depths, contaminant distribution and investigation objective.
Not automatically. Composite samples may dilute localized contamination and can reduce spatial information.
Petroleum hydrocarbon testing is often relevant, along with other site-specific parameters and groundwater where appropriate.
The panel should reflect the historical processes, materials and contaminants associated with that site.
It means the measured concentration exceeds the comparison value being used. Additional investigation may be needed to understand source and extent.
Yes. PBR can discuss the soil matrix, suspected contaminants, current analytical capabilities and laboratory sample requirements. The environmental professional remains responsible for the broader site-investigation design.
When contacting PBR, provide where possible:
PBR can discuss available soil and environmental testing and laboratory sample requirements before submission.