Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:53:16 -0800
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Eric Clark <erclark**At_Symbol_Here**PH.LACOUNTY.GOV>
Subject: Re: Precipitate Sampling
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimqbkPDK92kDvaAurvM_RdRHqLS_XxGNV=HAOAi**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>
Wendy, 
Do the TCLP panel for sure - but not so fast, yet.  

Ask the folks in the photo lab if they've ever used a silver recovery 
system over the years.  [Anyone on the listserve care to hazard a guess 
(Yes/No/Maybe)?   

But since you're at a university that has a Chemistry Department, how 
about take a dust sample to a friendly chemistry staffer and see if he or 
she'll do an (ICP, AA, whatever) analysis for silver so you'll have an 
idea of the extent of the job.  If you get <5 ppm silver over several 
samlings, then you're in good shape.  Who knows, maybe an analytical 
instructor might want to use the dust as an "unknown" material for the 
class.  

And if you discover way too much contamination, then maybe that service 
tunnel was actually part of an old Idaho silver mine!        
Eric 

Eric Clark, MS, CCHO, CHMM
Safety & Compliance Officer 
Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory

>>> Wendy Campbell  12/21/2010 11:15 AM >>>
Hey all,

I just ran into an interesting situation.  Some years ago, there was a
plumbing leak in a pipe tunnel.  The "grey" water in the lines that leaked
out originated in a photography teaching lab and a metal arts teaching 
lab.
After the leak was fixed, the water was simply allowed to dry in the 
tunnel
and now there is a lot of dust left on the floor.  There will be a lot of
work performed in the tunnels in the next month or two, and this will
certainly stir up the dust.

I know what processes are done there now, and I have a good idea of 
"recent"
history (the past 10 years or so), but I'm not overly familiar with
historical photography lab practices and the photography manager is newer
here than I am.  Based on what I do know, I grabbed a sample of the 
material
and will have it tested to see what might be in there and at what levels 
so
we can start planning a clean-up of the area.  My question to the list is
this:  What would you sample for?  It would be awesome to have that
mysterious machine from CSI that can analyze molecules in seconds in the
field, all the way down to the brand of perfume and its retailers,
but......  I'm thinking a TCLP for metals is in order, but is there 
anything
else that I should request of the lab doing the analysis?

Thanks,
Wendy

-- 
Wendy Campbell, CSP
Occupational Health and Safety Officer
Environmental Health and Safety
Boise State University
1910 University Drive
Boise, Idaho 83725-1826
Office: (208) 426-3303
Fax:  (208) 426-3343

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