Ultimately the use of on-site analysis is to save money, whether this is achieved through more efficient waste management, by  tighter delineation of contaminant plumes, the speed that the project is enabled to proceed at, or indeed all three, is irrelevant as long as project costs are reduced and profit margins increased.

On-site analysis can affect many aspects of a remediation project or site investigation, the most significant of these will depend upon your role. Click on a link below to see how rapid on-site analyses will benefit you.

Consultants

Now that the Environment Agency has endorsed the use of on-site analytical techniques (EA Policy statement), it is fast becoming common place in remediation projects and site investigations. However the initial cost of the equipment and complexity of its use can be a barrier to its uptake. Modern on-site methods can now give similar detection limits to laboratory analysis, and our hydrocarbon analyser (QED) can also help through its unique ability to identify the hydrocarbon type. Utilising the service that QROS offer means that there is no capital outlay or maintenance costs on instrumentation, and no requirement to hire and then train in house specialist staff and maintain their competence through ongoing training. Most importantly, there will be confidence in the analysis because it will be carried out by experienced personnel.

Sample integrity is another bonus to on-site analysis, with respect to hydrocarbons the samples are taken directly into methanol thus almost negating the loss of volatiles and generally preserving sample integrity. Unfortunately this is not an option when using regular lab analysis due to courier and laboratory analytical restrictions.

A further benefit of on-site testing is an improvement in the certainty obtained during the data interpretation phase. Numerous studies, including those by Professor Mike Ramsey at Sussex University  have shown that increased sampling and analysis will significantly improve the data quality. Using a fixed laboratory to increase the number of samples analysed may be prohibitive due to cost, but for only a modest increase in the analysis budget on-site analysis can be used to increase the sample density and reduce the overall project cost. Additionally if the samples sent to the laboratory are selected on the basis of the site generated data, only those that are significant need be sent for certified validation, saving money, time and preventing unwanted surprises. This may have further benefits in preventing claims being made against the PI insurance and even enhance the company reputation.

On the legal aspect, analysis to MCerts standard is required to achieve a legally defensible standard of the identities and concentrations of any pollutants on site. If however the true defensibility of the data is examined, the low numbers of samples analysed relative to the volume of soil it characterises on-site could be viewed as statistically insignificant and possibly portrayed as legally indefensible. Conversely on-site analysis allows far more samples to be analysed at less cost, giving more information and a better spatial picture of the contamination.

Project / Site Managers

As a site/project manager it will often be the case that your primary objective is to keep the project moving and within the schedule. From your perspective on-site analysis can best be thought of as a site management tool. It allows you to make timely decisions on waste disposal options leading to more efficient use of plant machinery and the related associated costs. This can be as simple as real time designation of excavated waste, meaning no or reduced stockpiling and allowing site work to proceed unhindered, to rapid confirmation that an excavation is complete and that all the contamination has been removed, backfilling can commence and the project proceed.  This scenario also has implications for health and safety in that excavations are not left open waiting for laboratory results to confirm that the task has been completed satisfactorily.

Land Owners

Chemical analysis of soil and water samples from potentially or actually contaminated land is carried out to identify and determine the concentration of any pollutant within the site. Traditionally this has been achieved by sending samples to an off site laboratory. Laboratory analysis is however expensive and this has the effect of reducing the numbers of samples analysed. On the legal aspect, analysis to MCerts standard is required to achieve a legally defensible standard if however the true defensibility of the data is examined, the low numbers of samples analysed relative to the volume of soil it characterises on-site could be viewed as statistically insignificant and possibly portrayed as legally indefensible. Conversely on-site analysis allows far more samples to be analysed at less cost, giving more information and a better spatial picture of the contamination.

Laboratory analysis can also take some time to provide the information, typically taking 2 working weeks to generate the results. This is not fast enough to allow the site investigation or remediation to be managed in real time and this is likely to cause unnecessary costs to be incurred. These costs may reach as much as 50% of the investigation or soil excavation/treatment and disposal costs. Rapid on-site methods give results in minutes allowing a site investigation to be more conclusive and any subsequent remediation to be conducted quicker, at a lower cost and probably more comprehensively and as a consequence with less risk.

Waste Disposal Managers

When attempting to characterise waste the more information that there is the easier the task becomes. Often waste material will arrive with limited or doubtful information and require further analyses until costs and acceptability can be agreed upon. Rapid on-site analysis can ease and enhance this process.  QED our award wining rapid hydrocarbon analyser has the unique ability to identify the type of hydrocarbon present in the sample, and accordingly characterise contaminants as diesel, petrol, kerosene etc. thus allowing applicable limits to be applied.  Waste material can be accepted on the basis of the site characterisation with back up laboratory validation to follow.  This can be conducted either on the site producing the waste with data in an electronic format sent ahead of the load or at the facility accepting the material.

In most cases the type and expected contamination levels will already have been established and the rapid on-site analysis used to confirm that the material is still within the previously established range. Once confidence is built regarding the results and characteristics of the material, the need for laboratory validation testing becomes less, and the number/ratio of validation samples can be reduced.

The use of on-site analysis offers your customers and your facility an opportunity to speed up and streamline the acceptance process.

Estimators / Surveyors

As a loss adjustor estimator or surveyor it is within your interests to keep costs and quotes low, but without underestimating the task. To be best placed to do this the more information you have on the problem the lower the risk of error is. Site investigations are often conducted using a limited number of samples due to the cost implications of taking more. This means that estimates on clean up costs have to assume a worst case scenario based on limited data. On-site analysis prior to estimation allows you to tighten up on the cleanup estimates, allowing potential to generate more attractive quotes and win more bids or reduce losses.

Contractors

As a contractor it will often be in your best interest to keep the project moving and within or ahead of the client's schedule. From your prospective onsite analysis can best be thought of as a site management tool. It will allow you to make rapid decisions on waste disposal options and to delineate contaminated area far more effectively, helping you reduce disposal cost and keep within or under the quoted project costs. This can be achieved as simply as real time designation of excavated waste, meaning no or reduced stockpiling and allowing site work to proceed unhindered, to rapid confirmation that an excavation is complete and that all the contamination has been removed, backfilling can commence and the project proceed.  This scenario also has implications for health and safety in that excavations are not left open waiting for laboratory results to confirm that the task has been completed satisfactorily.

Contractors

As a contractor it is often in your best interest to keep projects moving and within or even ahead of the client's schedule. From your perspective on-site analysis can best be thought of as a site management tool. It will allow you to make rapid decisions on waste disposal options and to delineate contaminated areas far more effectively, helping you reduce the amount of soil excavated, cutting disposal costs and keeping within or even under the quoted project price. This can be achieved simply with real time designation of excavated waste soil, meaning no or reduced stockpiling and allowing site work to proceed unhindered, or rapid confirmation that an excavation is complete and that all the contamination has been removed allowing backfilling to commence and the project to proceed. This later scenario also has implications for health and safety in that excavations are not left open waiting for laboratory results to confirm that the task has been completed satisfactorily.