Brownfield Testing Laboratory

The state of Florida has acres upon acres of Brownfields, most of which are concentrated in the rural areas. Broward County alone, for example, has 28 designated Brownfield zones, comprising of a total of 10.7-square miles.

Phoslab Testing Laboratories is dedicated to working with the EPA and other state officials to test Brownfield areas for traces of contamination.

Brownfields Definition

A Brownfield is any site that is confirmed or suspected of containing high traces of contamination. Until measures are taken, the area is unsuitable for future construction and redevelopment. It’s also unsuitable for human and wildlife habitation.

Florida Brownfields Association (FBA)

The FBA is a non-profit and volunteer association dedicated to the cleanup of designated Brownfield sites. Members consist of scientists, environmentalists, and stakeholders that provide information and redevelopment strategies for restoring Brownfield zones. The mission is to make these areas safe for daily public use.

Many other states have their own Brownfields Association. Official non-profit designation allows such advocacy groups to receive state and federal incentives.

EPA Brownfield

The EPA is also highly invested in restoring Brownfield zones and have collaborated extensively with FBA and other organizations to promote the cleanup and betterment of Florida Brownfields. The EPA has regularly provided grants, consultation, and technical resources to state officials to assess the cleanup of contaminated zones.

Aside from the FBA, other partners include the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Environmental Resource Management Department. Through collaboration, initiatives like the Tribal Response Program (TRP) was created in 2003 to provide testing of wetlands, soil, and groundwater resting on tribal land. The TRP also establishes oversight and enforcement for conducting inspections and land surveying.

Brownfield Florida Testing

Phoslab provides environmental testing for many industries. We perform various testing methodologies to determine trace levels of specific contaminants. Organizations like the EPA or FBA may submit us soil or water samples for lab analysis. Our advanced testing methods can look for traces of known organic toxins, such as natural pesticides, hindered phenols, Bisphenol-A (BPA), and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We can also detect traces of heavy metals, such as Cobalt, Cadmium, and Aresenic.

In recent years, our work with the EPA has led to better implementation of phytoremediation. This is the use of beneficial microorganisms in plants for stabilizing and reducing toxins and contaminants.

We also work with companies that employ geophysical methods, such as ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic surveys. These are used for locating and identifying underground sources of contamination, such as piping and storage tanks. Test borings are used to acquire soil and water samples from deep underground. The samples are brought to our labs for analysis. The results determine whether past agricultural or industrial use or illegal dumping has led to harmful contaminants.

Brownfield Analysis for Private and Public Properties

Aside from state and federal agencies, we also work with private citizens and companies that own land in Brownfield zones. Before redevelopment, the land must be tested for hazardous chemical traces. Contact Phoslab to ensure your land is safe for future reconstruction plans.

Additional “Brownfield Testing” Resources:

1. Florida Brownfields Association, Welcome to the Florida Brownfields Association, https://floridabrownfields.site-ym.com
2. Seminole Tribe of Florida, Brownfields, http://www.semtribe.com/services/Brownfields/
3. EPA, Brownfields, https://www.epa.gov/brownfields