Contamination of consumables used in groundwater research

May 22, 2013

At Van Walt we take certification of consumables very seriously. Tubing is tested by KIWA and filters and bailers by an independent laboratory in the USA. The stock room of our suppliers is audited on a yearly basis to confirm that no fuel vapours are permitted and that electric fork-lifts are used. Only by doing this can we be satisfied that when we send you these materials they are as “clean” as humanly (and couriers permitting) possible.

We instruct our customers that we will not accept returns of consumables, even if they are still in their original packaging, because we have no audit trail and so we always dispose of any of these returns.

Well here is a tale of how it can go wrong:

By error, a customer returned some bladders with a rentals bladder pump, all within a Pelicase.  In the same shipment a generator was returned with a drained tank, as required by couriers for transportation. For interest we tested the returned bladders with a PID and recorded levels of 500 ppm!!!

We hope this serves as a reminder to keep consumables for groundwater research well away from any sources of contamination. If in doubt, wrapping them in ordinary kitchen aluminium foil will provide an efficient barrier.

Vincent van Walt

May 2013