Support Services & Programs

Technical Support Services and Programs

We provide a suite of specialized services to support our clients across a range of operational and regulatory needs. Our program support services offer access to a network of federally accredited laboratories, delivering high-quality environmental testing and analysis for water, soil, air, waste, and tissue matrices. These services are backed by advanced technology and a commitment to precision and reliability.

Together, these offerings ensure our clients receive comprehensive, dependable support tailored to their unique challenges.

Technical Seminars Program

Enrich your team’s knowledge skill base to meet your goals with SGS’s free technical seminars.

SGS provides clients ongoing training to share expertise and best practices in analytical chemistry. Through our Technical Seminar Program, you receive custom workshops to suit and accommodate your team’s schedule and your project needs. Topics are diverse, including maximizing your interactions with SGS, data analysis/management, QC and current environmental issues.

Available Seminars:

To request any of these seminars or to suggest a seminar not yet availalbe, please contact us.

New Client Onboarding

Whether you are a new client to SGS or have new staff, this presentation sets the groundwork to build a successful, mutually beneficial relationship with our laboratory. In this presentation:

  • SGS technical capabilities and services are reviewed
  • SGS project and technical managers are introduced
  • SGS laboratory and service center locations are introduced with an in-depth look at sample reception times, pickup/delivery options, rush order capabilities and procedures for sample reception
  • Laboratory documents and data deliverables are reviewed including Chain-of-Custody forms (COCs), reports, online tools (SGS LabLink) and Electronic Deliverables on Demand (EDDs)
  • Field staff are provided with technical guides on bottle and filtering

By the conclusion of this session, your team will be equipped with the relevant information it requires to ensure that your next project runs smoothly.

Introduction to Environmental Sampling

This seminar is designed for junior technicians as an introduction to laboratory services. Laboratory responsibilities and capabilities are reviewed in addition to the following sampling program design considerations:

  • Collecting representative samples
  • Preservation techniques
  • Bottle requirements
  • Filtration
  • Regulatory requirements
  • QC samples

 

Laboratory Quality And Sample Integrity

Quality control is crucial in ensuring both the reliability and accuracy of test results to provide the best possible data. This session reviews the impact that laboratory quality has on a sample. Laboratory Quality Management Systems, quality assurance and quality control processes are identified and defined. It is important for all stakeholders to understand the influence that sample integrity has on data quality as it is an important part of the quality assurance process. All influences on sample integrity are reviewed and tips are provided on how to avoid sample integrity violations at each stage of the sample lifecycle including:

  • Sample collection (including considerations for sediment, bottles, filtration, preservation)
  • Good documentation practices
  • Storage
  • Packaging shipping/logistics

 

Reduced Sample Volume (RSV) Technology

Many SGS laboratories have Reduced Sample Volume requirements for key suites of analysis. This presentation reviews:

  • SGS RSV capabilities
  • RSV techniques including Large Volume Injection (LVI) and Micro-Extractions
  • Bottle requirements
  • Detection limits
  • Certifications
  • Key Benefits
  • What to consider for your next project

Determination Of Ideal Vapor Intrusion Sample Conditions Using Continuous Monitoring Of Indicators, Tracers, and Surrogates (ITS)

Vapor intrusion sample durations are relatively short compared with exposure durations used to calculate risk-based regulations. This study provides insight on ideal sample conditions by utilizing cost- effective ITS parameters including:

  • Continuous monitoring of total VOCs
  • Continuous monitoring of pressure
  • Continuous monitoring of temperature
  • Continuous monitoring of humidity
  • Remote SUMMA canister sampling

Radiochemistry Analysis

In support of radioisotope investigation projects, this technical seminar provides a deeper understanding into this distinct category of environmental analytical chemistry. SGS radiochemistry services are explored in detail including:

  • Analytical preparation procedures and methods
  • Radioactive decay
  • Instrumentation
  • Accreditation
  • Reporting
  • Sampling/field and logistical
  • What to consider for your next project

PFAS 101

Are you new to PFAS? We introduce you to this emerging contaminant that has been the focus of much attention. In this presentation, we will discuss the use, occurrence, health effects, analysis and regulation of PFAS.

PFAS Impacts & Due Diligence Projects

PFAS is often a key requirement on due diligence projects in many areas of the country. This seminar helps provide a full understanding of how to handle PFAS on these types of projects and reviews:

  • PFAS Chemistry 101 and history
  • EPA health advisory limits and action plans
  • Sources of PFAS and due diligence projects
  • Why is understanding PFAS impacts on sites slated for redevelopment important?
  • Methods
  • Field considerations (drillers, sampling devices, equipment, cleaning and QC samples)
  • Industry trends and looking into the future

PFAS Methodology & Analysis- What You Need To Know!

Understanding the methods behind PFAS analysis is important when considering the analytical requirements for impacted sites. During this presentation, our PFAS experts share their experience and knowledge regarding the sensitivity behind the methods and analysis, minimizing background interference through sample rep and instrumentation, PFAS forensics (isomer review), lab methods vs lab SOPs, and what to look for in QC sample review. The goal of this presentation is to arm your team with the right questions to ask when preparing your next PFAS project.

PFAS: Best Practices After 15 Years in the Industry

SGS has been studying and analyzing PFAS in the environment since 2004 and has partnered with the EPA to conduct numerous studies on these forever chemicals. This presentation is best suited for intermediate and senior project managers and reviews the following:

  • Emerging contaminants capabilities at SGS
  • Sample preparation
  • Instrumentation
  • What is isotope dilution?
  • What is weak anion exchange?
  • Understanding multiple transitions per analyte
  • Linear vs branched isomers and PFAS forensics
  • Lab research study results and considerations when partnering with a lab and starting your next PFAS project:
    • Sampling containers
    • PFAS stability
    • Subsampling aqueous samples

PFAS Impacts in Waste

The objective of this presentation is to provide an understanding where PFAS originates in waste through a deep look at the processes and operations around wastewater, stack emissions and landfill. During this course we review:

  • Remediation and treatment
  • Disposal, landfill and incineration
  • Study Results: PFAS in landfill study and leachate impacts
  • Wastewater treatment plants
  • Biosolids
  • Regulations
  • Industry trends and looking into the future
  • Linear vs branched isomers and PFAS forensics

PFAS In Drinking Water: Regulation and Methods

Drinking water is typically the largest single source of human PFAS exposure. In this presentation, we outline the current state of regulation and action levels in North America and discuss recent EPA method updates for the analysis of PFAS in drinking water.

What’s New in the World of PFAS?

Information on the science and regulation of PFAS changes on a weekly basis. Dr. Bharat Chandramouli’s presentation, will discuss the current state of PFAS occurrence, measurement and regulation, and new advances in PFAS methods and analysis at SGS and across the world.

 

PFAS Volatility

This new evaluation focuses on sampling and analysis of PFAS in air. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of chemicals that were widely used because of their unique chemical properties. Based on theoretical Henry’s Law Constants and Vapor Pressures there are volatile, semi-volatile, and nonvolatile PFAS compounds. PFAS can be found in air due to volatility or sorption to other particles in air.

  • PUF/XAD samplers
  • SUMMA canisters
  • Thermal desorption tube samplers
  • LC/MS/MS analysis
  • TD/GC/MS/MS analysis

PFAS Analytical Best Practices

Understanding how to measure and interpret PFAS data can be difficult. In this webinar, the experienced scientists behind EPA 1633 will discuss PFAS measurement, best practices, what’s next and help you out your data in context.

PFAS In Air and Stack: New Sources and Techniques

While our understanding of PFAS in the water and soil compartments is relatively well established, PFAS air emissions from factories, wastewater treatment plants, landfills, incinerators and more are a significant source of PFAS into the environment. In this presentation, we investigate the regulatory drivers and SGS advances in PFAS sampling and analysis in ambient air and from industrial/incinerator stacks.

PFAS Occurrence Patterns

What PFAS are most frequently detected in water? In landfill leachate? In Fish? We bring our 15+ years of experience in PFAS measurement to help you understand PFAS occurrence.

SGS Engage – Online Client Portal

SGS Engage is a powerful digital platform designed to simplify and enhance your experience with SGS laboratory services. Whether you’re managing environmental testing, compliance documentation, or analytical data, Engage puts everything you need at your fingertips.

SGS eCOC

SGS eCOC is a powerful mobile application designed to revolutionize how sampling technicians manage and submit Chain of Custody (COC) forms. Available for both Android and iOS, the app enables users to create, sign, and submit electronic COCs directly to SGS laboratories—completely paper-free. Whether you’re in the field or offline, SGS eCOC ensures your data is captured accurately and efficiently.

By integrating seamlessly with SGS Planner, users can pre-create sampling events and push them to the eCOC app, reducing manual entry and speeding up fieldwork. With digital signatures, offline functionality, and instant submission capabilities, SGS eCOC empowers teams to work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence in their data integrity.

How SmartSense Can Work for You

In this presentation, we will present the NextNormal solutions to help with you IH analytical needs and review the technology behind it.

Continuous Monitoring of Indicators, Tracers, And Surrogates for Vapor Intrusion Investigations

This presentation will demonstrate several case studies where continuous monitoring of indicators, tracers, and surrogates was conducted with new continuous monitoring and real time data visualization tools. These tools help build better conceptual site models, support a multiple lines of evidence investigation approach, and can help determine contributions from background sources.

An Introduction to SGS IH Laboratories

Learn about our capabilities, services, and what makes us stand out.

Basic Industrial Hygiene Training

Learn basics of industrial hygiene sampling, the equipment you use and how to collect samples.

What Does the New Osha Silica Standard Mean to You?

During this presentation we’ll dive into the new OSHA silica standard and how it applies to different industries.

WELL

SGS now offers the air and water quality parameters data to help your clients get their buildings WELL-certified. This builds on our industry-leading LEED certification kits, and water and wastewater testing offering. WELL is the leading tool for advancing health and well-being in buildings throughout North America and the world. At SGS, our long-standing AIHA ISO 17025 accreditation for air and Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (APHA, AWWA. WEF) qualifies us to perform a variety of analyses that are staples of WELL certification.

LEED Indoor Air Quality Standards

To qualify for LEED Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) Credit, building owners must meet a set of criteria, including a comprehensive list of specific VOCs that need to be quantified. SGS Galson is your one-stop shop for everything you need to implement your LEED IEQ management plan. No one else can provide media, equipment, and analysis, and no one does it better. Our LEED v4.0 and v4.1 Indoor Air Quality Testing Kits are designed for:

  • Re-use through multiple building zones to prevent renting duplicate instruments, reducing cost
  • Shipping included both ways within the U.S.
  • Gain 1 LEED credit with v4.0 and 2 credits with v4.1

SGS Method Development

SGS has developed and validated many EPA methods over the years

The industry-leading SGS team of Ph.D. chemists and research scientists have decades of successful experience developing methods to solve our clients’ unique needs. The quality of our analytical approaches has been recognized by many key agencies and our methods are the backbone of multiple US EPA methods including 1668 for PCBs.

We bring this unique ability to deliver validated methods to our industry, government, and academic clients. Most recently, we have introduced exciting ultra-trace GC-MS/MS capabilities to dioxin, PCB and pesticide analysis and are working on validating the isotope dilution method for PFAS analysis in all environmental matrices.

Our Capabilities & Approach

We are a full service targeted mass spectrometry method development laboratory. We use our research expertise to review literature for related studies, and we translate that knowledge and our own experience with the compounds or related problems to develop a method that will accomplish the goal. Then, we test and optimize each component of the method to ensure its validity and overall performance.

We validate and compile that method into the tools necessary to conduct that analysis in a repeatable, defensible manner with QA/QC standards. If required, we seek accreditation for the method.

Our analyst team helps you leverage that method to get the data and insights you need from your research initiative. Finally, our scientists regularly collaborate with our clients to produce posters, presentations and peer-review publications on the methods themselves or the innovative projects where they are used.

Learn More

Skilled scientists to oversee and perform your development, and lead/support with data analysis, report, peer-review articles, and presentations.

Fully validated isotope dilution methods for the sample matrix you need, in the concentrations, ranges, expect, always tested for robustness with real and representative samples.

Methods designed for purpose including custom target analyte lists to help you manage the overall cost of research.

Methods that incorporate best in class QA/QC protocols for unparalleled data quality and potential ISO-17025 / EPA-1600 accreditation.

Reduced Sample Volume

SGS Reduced Sample Volume Technology (RSV) Makes Sampling Easier, Faster, Safer and More Cost Effective

SGS continues to innovate, providing you the most precise and defensible data with cost effective and environmentally friendly solutions. For routine water, and now soil sampling, our Reduced Sample Volume (RSV) technology helps you meet or even exceed demanding regulatory requirements while minimizing sample volumes collected and transported. RSV procedures are validated and maintain the same reporting limits and compliance as with larger bottles.

Reduce Expenses and Save Time

The Reduced Sample Volume initiative offers many benefits including:

  • Reducing solvents by lowering toxic solvent usage by up to 90% compared to traditional methods
  • Promoting health and safety by minimizing exposure to harmful solvents
  • Saving on transport, handling and disposal by requiring lighter coolers for reduced shipping and fuel costs, using smaller containers and producing less sample waste to dispose, making transport to and from the field easier
  • Needing less sampling time as Reduced Sample Volume technology helps you minimize sampling and process management time
  • Using smaller bottles provides significant time savings in the field, especially when sampling from low-flow wells
  • Improving data quality using the latest cutting-edge equipment and instrumentation, paired with our specialized team of technical analysts, providing operational efficiencies while improving precision and accuracy

Accredited and Permitted

The National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) forms the foundation of our stringent Quality Assurance Programs. This enables SGS to hold multi-state accreditations and certifications that conform to a national standard. SGS has also received Department of Defense Environmental Laboratory Accreditation (DoD ELAP) and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Certificate of Accreditation from the certificate of Accreditation from the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to perform environmental testing in support of environmental restoration programs.

See our accreditation list

Utilizing smaller sample volumes results in approximately 90% less solvent use while maintaining the same reporting and method detection limits that were achieved with the larger volumes. SGS Reduced Sample Volume technology is permitted by regulatory agencies when using SW846 methodologies. Specifically, SGS has adapted the methods listed in the table below:

Summary of Bottleware Changes

Dayton, New Jersey Laboratory

Method

Current

RSV

Acid Base Neutrals (Method 8270 Scan and SIM)

1 Liter

250 mL
Acid Base Neutrals  (Method 625)

1 Liter

250 mL

Pesticides (Method 8081 and 608)

1 L or 300 mL

250 mL

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Method 8082 and 608)

1 L or 300 mL

250 mL

Diesel Range Organics (Method 8015 DRO)

1 L or 300 mL

60 mL

Herbicides (Method 8151)

1 L or 300 mL

250 mL

 

Scott, LA Laboratory

Method

Current

RSV

NEW! Soil

    

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons – GRO/DRO/ORO (Method 8015) *

 1x 4oz jar + 3x terracore/encore 3x 60ml vials plus 1x 2oz moisture jar

Aqueous

    

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons – GRO/DRO/ORO (Method 8015)

 3x 40mL vials + 2 x 1 L 3x 60mL amber vials

MADEP Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons

 2x 1L 3x 60mL amber vials

Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (Method 8270)

 2x 1L 2x 100mL packers

Acid Base Neutrals (Method 8270)

 2x 1L 2x 100mL packers

*Pending LA DEQ (LELAP) accreditation

Special Requirements May Require Larger Bottles

When lower than normal detection limits are needed to meet special regulatory requirements, traditional sample volumes may still be needed. Additionally, Reduced Sample Volume is not allowed at this time for 40 CFR 136. Samples for these methods must still be collected in traditional containers. Please discuss regulatory criteria and reporting limit requirements with your SGS representative when ordering bottleware so that the appropriate size containers can be provided.

SGS Reduced Sample Volume technology makes your routine water sampling, easier, safer, faster, more cost effective and environmentally friendly. Connect immediately with us with questions or to order.

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SGS Field Services

SGS’s Field Services Department offers Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certified sampling technicians to support environmental projects. SGS has the capacity to fully equip and mobilize teams utilizing the appropriate level of protection to accommodate project safety requirements.

Our technicians have extensive experience in the sampling of groundwater, surface water, soil, hazardous waste and air. Our sampling teams have been successfully audited by Federal and State regulatory agencies. The teams are accredited for the “analyze immediately” parameters (pH, specific conductance, temperature, residual chlorine and dissolved oxygen) to ensure accurate measurements in the field. The following field sampling equipment is utilized by the field services team:

Our Field Services provide:

  • Comprehensive Sampling Expertise: Expertise in groundwater, surface water, and sediment sampling.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Adherence to USEPA and state protocols for collection methods, preservation, and chain of custody.
  • Quality Assurance: Robust QA/QC procedures, including field blanks, duplicates, and meticulous documentation.
  • Flexible Solutions: Customized services to meet project-specific requirements, supported by a dedicated team of field experts.

Capabilities

  • Groundwater and leachate monitoring
  • Low flow evaluation and sampling
  • Hazardous waste sampling
  • Surface water sampling
  • Sediment collection (core and grab)
  • Wastewater sampling and flow monitoring
  • Landfill gas migration surveys
  • Clean Hands – Dirty Hands sampling (Method 1669 for low-level mercury)
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Why SGS for your Testing Needs?

  • Global Reach, Local Expertise: A worldwide laboratory network backed by local knowledge to meet your needs.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Expertise in regional and international guidelines, including EPA, CCME, and more.
  • Customized Analytical Plans: Tailored testing protocols to address unique project challenges.
  • Proven Track Record: Decades of experience delivering high-quality data to industries across North America.

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