Our core testing services

The National Measurement Institute (NMI) provides a wide range of environmental testing services.

Our services include testing a wide range of matrices and specialise in testing the following: 

• drinking and saline water
• waste/industrial water and solids
• environmental water and solids
• soils (including toxicity characteristic leaching procedure and elutriates)
• sediments and other dredged material
• aquatic, marine and terrestrial biota
• biosolids
• air (ambient and indoor air, emissions, vapour intrusion)
• other, e.g. paint, oil, filter, swab

Find out about our specialist environmental analysis services.

Analysing aqueous, solid and biota samples

We analyse:

• volatile and semi-volatile organics:
  • total recoverable hydrocarbons (C6-C40)
  • benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX)
  • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) 
  • phenols 
  • monocyclic aromatics hydrocarbons
  • volatile halogenated hydrocarbons
  • alcohols
  • volatile organic compounds (United State Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) method 8260)
  • light hydrocarbons (C1-C5)
  • semi-volatile organic compounds (US EPA method 8270)
  • disinfection by-products
  • phthalate esters
  • bisphenol A
• inorganic anions and disinfection by-products:
  • fluoride, chloride, bromide, nitrate, nitrite, sulphate, phosphate
  • chlorite, chlorate, bromate, iodide 
• non-targeted organic screen
• nutrient and physico-chemical tests:
  • acidity (as CaCO3), alkalinity– bicarbonate, carbonate, hydroxide, hardness—calcium, magnesium and total 
  • ammonia, ammonium (calculating. pH and ammonia-n analyses), nitrogen—total Kjeldahl, nitrogen—total 
  • biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD)
  • speciation carbon—total carbon (TC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved carbon (DC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
  • chlorine (free), chlorine (total), chloramines, chlorine (total and free), oxidisability (bottled water only)
  • chromium—hexavalent (Cr 6+), iron—ferrous 
  • conductivity, pH, turbidity, colour (apparent), colour (true)
  • cyanide–amenable, cyanide–free, cyanide—WAD (weak acid dissociable), cyanide—total
  • detergent (MBAS), oil and grease
  • solids—total, solids—volatile, solids—total dissolved (grav.), solids—total dissolved (calc.), solids - fixed suspended, solids—total suspended (NFR)
  • sulphide—dissolved, sulphide—total
• organotins:
  • monobutyl, dibutyl and tributyltin
• persistent organic pollutants (POPs):
  • per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), telomers 
  • dioxin and furan—polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans 
  • polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs)
  • dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls
  • short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)
• pesticides:
  • glyphosate (aminomethylphosphonic acid and glufosinate)
  • organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)
  • organophosphorous pesticides (OPPs)
  • pesticide screen by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry  (GC-MS/MS) for:
    • OCPs
    • OPPs
    • synthetic pyrethroids
    • herbicides
    • fungicides
    • carbamates and more
  • pesticide screen by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
  • phenoxy acid herbicides
  • synthetic pyrethroids
  • triazine herbicides
• polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
  • congeners or arochlors 
• estrogens
• trace and macro elements (fresh and marine water)
  • 52 elements
• trace elements speciation:
  • lead and strontium isotopes
• microbiological tests:
  • legionella
  • heterotrophic plate count
  • Escherichia coli
  • total coliforms
  • faecal coliforms
  • Clostridium perfringens 

Analysing air samples

We analyse:

• inorganic residues*
• non-targeted organic screen*
• permanent gases – oxygen, carbon dioxide
• persistent organic pollutants*:
  • dioxin and furan (US EPA method 23 and US method EPA TO-09)
  • dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (US EPA method TO-10)
  • polybrominated diphenylethers
  • short-chain chlorinated paraffins
• semi-volatile organic residues*:
  • pesticides
  • phenols
  • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (US EPA method TO-13, CARB method 429)
  • polychlorinated biphenyl
  • sulphur compounds
• targeted volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons based on:
  • US EPA method TO-15—canisters
  • US EPA method TO-17—adsorption tubes
• trace metals*—52 elements

You must submit the tests marked with an asterisk (*) using a filter, wipe, tube, canister, rinse, impinger solution or passive sampler.

Calibration of environmental monitoring stations

We also offer calibration services for instruments that test:

• relative humidity
• air temperature
• barometric pressure

Turnaround times

Our standard turnaround time is 5-30 days.

We also offer 1, 2 and 3 working day turnaround times where agreed.

Submitting samples 

Find out how to submit your environmental testing samples.

This includes advice on how to preserve samples, containers to use and holding times.

Request a quote or discuss your requirements 

Contact us for a quote or to discuss how we can tailor our services to meet your analysis requirements. 

• Email customerservice@measurement.gov.au
• Read our terms and conditions
• For general enquiries phone: 1300 722 845

Read more 

• Find out more about our environmental testing and analytical capabilities
• Find out about our chemical reference materials

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Contact us

• Email: customerservice@measurement.gov.au   
• For general enquiries or updates on your work order phone: 1300 722 845