News

Officials Announce Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at the Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana

EMSL Analytical offers rapid PCR and traditional culturing methods to test environmental samples for Legionella, the microbial pathogen that causes Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever.

Indianapolis, Indiana, January 24th, 2022 Last month, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) announced that an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease had been confirmed among the incarcerated population at Pendleton Correctional Facility. Three cases were confirmed, and two additional probable cases had been identified at the time of the announcement. All five incarcerated individuals were hospitalized for treatment. IDOC reported: Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial lung infection that is spread via aerosolized water.......[Read More] [All News]

DNA Detection of the Bacteria that Cause Leptospirosis Can Help Prevent New Infections

EMSL Analytical provides rapid qPCR testing services for Leptospira to provide for the identification of this microbial pathogen from environmental samples.

Cinnaminson, New Jersey, January 19th, 2022 Last fall, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health) issued an advisory about an increase in leptospirosis cases in the city. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals and can cause a wide range of symptoms, or none at all. Without treatment, leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. According to the NYC Health advisory: Fourteen people diagnosed with leptospirosis have.......[Read More] [All News]

Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan Announced by the White House

EMSL Analytical offers laboratory testing services, sampling supplies and test kits to identify potential lead exposure risks from water, air, soil, paint, dust and bulk samples.

Cinnaminson, New Jersey, January 18th, 2022 Last month, the Biden Administration released its Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. The plan represents a significant effort to deploy resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while leveraging tools across federal, state, and local government to deliver clean drinking water, replace lead pipes, and remediate lead paint. The plan includes over 15 new actions from more than 10 federal agencies to make progress towards replacing all lead pipes in the next decade. The new actions.......[Read More] [All News]

Odor-Reducing and Antifungal Foot Spray Products Recalled Due to Benzene Contamination

EMSL Analytical provides consumer product, environmental, industrial hygiene and indoor air quality (IAQ) testing services to identify benzene and other potential chemical exposure risks.

Cinnaminson, New Jersey, January 17th, 2022 Late last year, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada posted information about the voluntary recall of certain lots of aerosol spray products used to reduce foot odors and for use as an antifungal agent. The recall to the consumer level in both countries is due to the presence of benzene in specific lots of the products. The risk statement in the FDA-posted recall notice declares: Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen. Exposure to benzene can occur by.......[Read More] [All News]

Hazards Left Behind in Apartments and Single Family Homes Used as Clandestine Meth Labs

EMSL Analytical provides laboratory testing services, sampling supplies, test kits and personal protective equipment to safely identify dangerous chemicals and residues created during the production of methamphetamine.

Boston, Massachusetts, January 14th, 2022 In a suburb outside of Boston, authorities recently discovered what they believe to be a clandestine methamphetamine (meth) laboratory in a quiet bedroom community. The drug lab was discovered when firefighters responded to a call about a house fire. In this same small suburb, police had found what also appeared to be an active drug lab in an apartment complex just a few months earlier. Both of these incidents occurred in a community of under 25,000 within a short period of time. These.......[Read More] [All News]

Amygdalin Testing to Help Prevent Costly Food Product Recalls

EMSL Analytical offers food chemistry testing for amygdalin and other substances to protect consumers and to help ensure companies meet food safety requirements.

Toronto, ON, January 13th, 2022 Health Canada recently announced the recall of imported bitter apricot kernels distributed by a Canadian company due to excessive amounts of a natural toxin known as amygdalin. Amygdalin is a cyanogenic glycoside contained in stone fruit kernels (e.g., almonds, apricot, peach and plum) and apple seeds. According to Health Canada: Apricot kernels naturally contain cyanogenic glycosides, primarily amygdalin, which has the potential to release cyanide when ingested. Small amounts of cyanide can be detoxified.......[Read More] [All News]