lab for testing water contaminants?

slpparish · #1 05-14-2007, 05:41 PM

does anyone know of a lab here in the DR where a water sample can be tested? i want to have a lab determine what sorts of contaminants are in the local tap water. i am working with a developer who wants to be able to provide owners within the complex with the ability to drink water from the tap. they plan to treat and filter the water but need to know which contaminants etc. are present in the water. it is not possible to ship it to the US and have this done because of the lag time from when the sample arrives and when the test can be completed. most contaminants can be determined but not all. (i have contacted a lab in Florida already and gotten that info.)

any help here would be greatly appreciated.

JOKL · #2 05-14-2007, 06:27 PM

DR have not labs with this capability. Some test needs 48 hours to be done, other take more time, some organics and inorganics, extraction, metals etc, etc, . In SC you can find a very capable lab for this kind of work, the name in GEL.

Keith R · #3 05-15-2007, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOKL

DR have not labs with this capability. Some test needs 48 hours to be done, other take more time, some organics and inorganics, extraction, metals etc, etc, . In SC you can find a very capable lab for this kind of work, the name in GEL.

Not quite true. The Water Resources Institute (INDRHI) does have labs theoretically able to process physical, chemical and biological analysis of 4,800 water samples per year, but as far as I know, they remain understaffed and not well maintained. The private sector, and even some government ministries, when they want full-spec water analysis done right, tend to send the samples to the US for analysis. I did a Green Team piece on the data/sampling/testing problem last year and how the DR needs to get serious about building and properly manning in-country technical analysis infrastructure, as well as suggestions how all us average folk can help....

JOKL · #4 05-15-2007, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith R

Not quite true. The Water Resources Institute (INDRHI) does have labs theoretically able to process physical, chemical and biological analysis of 4,800 water samples per year, but as far as I know, they remain understaffed and not well maintained. The private sector, and even some government ministries, when they want full-spec water analysis done right, tend to send the samples to the US for analysis. I did a Green Team piece on the data/sampling/testing problem last year and how the DR needs to get serious about building and properly manning in-country technical analysis infrastructure, as well as suggestions how all us average folk can help....

I doubt that DR have and ICP-MS for metals analysis, the price around US$250,000 plus the cost of runing it, I doubt that DR have GC-MS the price around $130,000 plus cost of runing it for the analysis of volatiles, I doubt that DR have and IC the price of 50,000 + to run the chlorides and nitrates, and they are many more technics for drinking water analysis, what about pesticides?? the instrument cost around $80,000 them etc etc and all of that have to be in one facility, what methods they run?? EPA or DR methods?. The analisis in DR may be only wetchem and some AA analysis.

Mirador · #5 05-15-2007, 11:41 AM

Check also for inorganic arsenic. I've suspected certain conditions found on persons I've treated were caused by arsenic ingestion, and the persons only drank water from a well...

Criss Colon · #6 05-15-2007, 04:47 PM

Their lab is Fully equiped to analyse the water quality in their lagoon and tanks. It has to be the best on the island!
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slpparish · #7 05-15-2007, 05:46 PM

thanks for the info. we'll see if we can get anywhere with ocean world - that was a good idea. otherwise we may have to figure out how to achieve this with a US company.

JOKL · #8 05-15-2007, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Criss Colon

Their lab is Fully equiped to analyse the water quality in their lagoon and tanks. It has to be the best on the island!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCc

OOhhh great! drinking water compared with a lagoon water!! a typical dominican answer..what he have to do is to find a Nelac certified lab in the US that do all drinking water analysis and do it, he can use those analysis as an advertisement for his proyect like ; "our drinking water have been certified safe to drink from a recognize US lab" it will sell more homes than saying " our drinking water analysis is done in an amusement park" .

Criss Colon · #9 05-16-2007, 06:03 AM

The "Water" in the fish tanks at "Ocean World" has to be of such high quality (Higher than "Dominican" public drinking water by far) because the fish are sensitive to "heavy metals",bacteria,and many other contaminents! I thought that the "suggestion" of contacting Ocean World might assist you in your problem. Sorry it did not meet with your "International Standard" for response.
"DON" Cristoforo Colon, "Orgullo Dominicano Para Siempre"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

johne · #10 05-16-2007, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Criss Colon

The "Water" in the fish tanks at "Ocean World" has to be of such high quality (Higher than "Dominican" public drinking water by far) because the fish are sensitive to "heavy metals",bacteria,and many other contaminents! I thought that the "suggestion" of contacting Ocean World might assist you in your problem. Sorry it did not meet with your "International Standard" for response.
"DON" Cristoforo Colon, "Orgullo Dominicano Para Siempre"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CC--OP thanked you for idea. Responder did'nt think highly of it.