Materials Identification (MID):
MID is used in cases where the material in question is not a typical indoor contaminant: drums of liquid or solids dumped on sites, unusual growths or build-ups of material on surfaces, in water, etc. If the sampling is to be performed away from the typical indoor home or office environment then Materials Identification is the test to request.
During analysis the sample is routinely subjected to optical and electron microscopy, XRD, X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), DSC and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR). In
addition, Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and a host of chemistry tests may also be employed to identify the components within the sample.
Examples of MID’s include:
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Chemicals dumped on property
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Formation of material on walls, floors, in pipes and drums
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Material leaching from under floors or tanks
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Contaminants within potable water, oil and other liquids
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Unusual dust formation in industrial settings or manufacturing processes