ALS specializes in the testing analysis of sediment, including from marine and freshwater.
Testing Services for Sediment and Dredging Projects
ALS offers an extensive portfolio of tests for professionals involved in sediment or dredging projects. The lists below highlights the main tests, regularly performed at our laboratories. Please contact us if you cannot find the tests you are looking for.
Sediment Testing, Sample Preparation
- Refrigerated Anaerobic Centrifugation
- Porewater Extraction
- Standard Elutriate Test (SET)
- Modified Elutriate Test (MET)
- EPA Solid Waste Leaching Procedures
Sediment Testing, Organic Analysis
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Alkylphenols |
GC/MS/SIM, ASTM-D7065-06M |
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Chlorinated Hydrocarbons |
EPA 8260A |
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Chlorinated Phenolics/Guaiacols/Anisoles |
EPA 1653 or NCASI 86.01 |
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Dioxins and Furans |
EPA 8290, EPA 1613 |
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Organochlorine (OC) Pesticides |
EPA 8081 (Low-Level ECD), GC/MS/MS, mod 1699 (HRMS) |
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Organophosphorus (OP) Pesticides |
GC/MS/MS |
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Organotin Isomers (Mono-Tetrabutyl) |
ALS-SOP Unger, Krone et al |
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PFAS |
LC/MS/MS, EPA Method 537M |
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Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) |
EPA Method 1694 |
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Phenols and Other Organic Acids |
GC/MS or GC/MS SIM |
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Phthalate Esters |
GC/MS or GC/MS SIM |
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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Aroclors |
EPA 8082 (Low-Level ECD) |
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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Congeners |
EPA 8082 (64 via ECD), 1668 (209 via HRMS) |
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Polychlorinated Naphthalenes (PCNs) |
GC/HRMS |
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Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) |
GC/MS/SIM, EPA Method 8270C, 1614 (HRMS) |
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Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) |
GC/MS or GC/MS SIM or GC/HRMS |
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Semivolatile Organics (PAHs, Phthalates, and Phenols/Organic Acids) |
GC/MS or GC/MS SIM |
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Volatile Organic Compounds |
EPA 8260 |
Sediment Testing, Inorganic analysis
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Acid Volatile Sulfide (AVS) |
EPA Draft Method |
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Ammonia |
EPA 350.3 Modified |
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Carbon, Hydrogen, and/or Nitrogen, Total – Sediment |
EPA 440.0 – Combustion (950°C)/TC and IR detect |
|
Carbon, Particulate Organic (POC) – Water |
EPA 440.0 – Combustion (950°C)/TC and IR detect |
|
Carbon and Nitrogen, Particulate – Water |
EPA 440.0 – Combustion (950°C)/TC and IR detect |
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Carbon, Black/Soot – Sediment |
Gustafsson, 2001 – CTO Pretreatment/Combustion (950°C)/IR detect |
|
Carbon, Carbonate – Sediment |
D6316 – Acid Decomposition/IR detect |
|
Carbon, Total – Sediment |
ASTM E1915 – Combustion (1350°C)/IR detect |
| Carbon and Sulfur, Total – Sediment |
ASTM E1915 – Combustion (1350°C)/IR detect |
| Density, Bulk, and Particle |
ASTM D2937 – Drive Tube Method/D854 – Pycnometer |
|
Grain Size |
ASTM D422 and PSEP |
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Simultaneously Extracted Metals (SEM) |
EPA Draft Method |
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Total Metals (Sb, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, Se, Ag, Zn) |
EPA 3050, ICP-MS/ICP-AES GFAAS/CVAAS |
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Total Organic Carbon |
ASTM D 4129-82 Modified |
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Total Solids |
EPA 160.3 Modified |
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Total Sulfides |
EPA 9030 Modified |
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Total Volatile Solids |
EPA 160.4 Modified |
A number of ALS laboratories in the U.S. are in their third decade of ongoing maintenance and development of specialized procedures designed to meet the objectives of various projects associated with marine applications. A comprehensive range of sediment programs are supported by the organization, including dredged material projects, contaminated sediment remediation projects, and water quality assessment and compliance initiatives.
Typical projects supported by ALS
- Deepening of navigation channels
- Maintenance dredging of dock and harbor areas
- Evaluation of dredged material for beneficial re-use and upland/open water disposal
- Water quality certification and monitoring programs
- Characterization of impacted sites along river/ harbor/ estuary systems
- Monitoring during impacted sediment remediation construction activities
- Monitoring during post-remedial care/remedy performance evaluations/five-year reviews
- Monitoring to evaluate effectiveness of monitored natural recovery (MNR) programs
- Bioaccumulation studies for persistent bioaccumulating toxic compounds
- Ecological and human health risk assessment programs
- Contaminant fate and transport modeling programs
- Total maximum daily load (TMDL) studies
- Fish consumption advisory studies
ALS continues to be a leader in the analysis of sediment, tissue, and water quality samples collected in marine, estuarine, and fresh water environments of port, harbour, bay, river, and estuary systems on a national and international basis. Project environments supported by ALS range from less impacted, coarser-grained sediments of coastal areas, to estuaries, tidal bays, and inland river areas with finer-grained sediments of higher organic content impacted over time by industrial, municipal, and storm sewer sources, marina and boating operations, and atmospheric deposition. Management of sediments in these diverse project environments involves consideration of near-term concerns, such as recreation and navigation, along with potential long-term concerns regarding human health and the environment.
Sediment Management
Sediment management decisions are made within a complex regulatory and technical framework. Projects are subject to often competing and conflicting requirements of federal laws administered by separate federal agencies with additional involvement of state regulatory program requirements. ALS provides scientifically advanced analytical expertise to meet or exceed the complex set of regulatory and technical requirements governing sediment management decisions.
Regulatory Framework
Sediment management program requirements are defined by several federal agencies that have long recognized the need for a consistent regulatory and technical framework for decision-making. Many sediment management projects are subject to complex, overlapping federal, state, and local requirements. ALS has supported various projects related to regulatory activity by the following organizations:
- U.S. Corps of Engineer (USACE)
- Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
- National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)
- U.S. Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE)
- U.S. Army Public Health Command (USAPHC)
ALS has become well versed in the performance of sediment program testing in accordance with major federal regulatory requirements, guidance, and protocols, including:
- USACE "Green Book" or “Ocean Testing Manual” - Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Ocean Disposal Testing Manual (1991)
- USACE “Inland Testing Manual” - Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Discharge in Waters of the U.S. Testing Manual (1998)
- USACE “Upland Testing Manual” - Testing Manual for Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Disposal at Island, Near Shore, or Upland Confined Disposal Facilities (CDFs) (2003)
- USACE Dredged Material Analysis Tools (2008)
As federal agencies coordinate with state and regional entities to encourage consistency in decision-making across statutory boundaries with consideration of the technical issues and the continuum of dredged material management options, ALS has gained experience in performing sediment program testing in accordance with several inter-agency protocols. Examples include:
- USEPA Region 10, Puget Sound Estuary Protocols (PSEP, 1990) for the Pacific Northwest
- Northwest Regional Sediment Evaluation Team (RSET), Sediment Evaluation Framework for the Pacific Northwest (2006)
- USEPA Region 10, USACE Seattle District, and Washington Department of Natural Resources, Dredged Material Management Program (DMMP) (formerly Puget Sound Dredged Disposal Analysis Program or PSDDA)
- USEPA Region I and USACE New England District, Regional Implementation Manual (RIM) for Evaluation of Dredged Material Disposal in New England Waters (2004, rev 2010)
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Office of Sediment and Dredging Technology, Dredged Material Management Manual (October 1997; revision in progress)
- NJDEP Ecological Screening Criteria for Freshwater Sediments and Surface Water (2009)
ALS provides region-specific sediment management program expertise in support of dredged material management programs, contaminated sediment remediation programs, and sediment and water quality studies. Our technical skills and expertise assist clients in navigating and managing the various challenges posed by complex and often overlapping sediment program requirements.
Technical Framework
Dredged material characterizations and sediment clean-up assessments generally involve the use of a variety of physical, chemical, and/or biological information to reach decisions about the presence/absence of risk and how best to manage uncertainty and evident risk when determining appropriate disposal and/or site remediation options. Over the past 25 years, ALS has provided unmatched expertise in the delivery of high quality, scientifically accurate, legally defensible analytical services in support of these programs. Our technical professionals work closely with clients to determine suitable project approaches to meet site-specific project objectives as well as national and regional regulatory requirements for these sediment management programs.
Many sediment management programs require extremely low-level detection limits. This presents unique challenges to the laboratory due to potential analytical interferences related to complex matrices typical of sediment and tissue, as well as marine water. ALS has developed the technical expertise necessary to perform complex ultra-trace analyses in a variety of challenging matrices. To achieve the highest quality results, various analytical processes are incorporated into the methods to assure superior selectivity and sensitivity. These might include unique sample preparation schemes, extractions, and clean-up procedures, as well as specialized instrumental approaches to specifically address a range of sample matrix issues presented by marine and freshwater sediment, tissue, and water.