Completion of major soils testing project by the Analytical Lab

For the past ten months, the IOM's analytical lab has been determining the asbestos content of a stream of soil samples from gardens in a housing estate in Wolverhampton. The work is part of a major investigation for Wolverhampton City Council being carried out jointly by IOM and Johnson Poole and Bloomer (specialist land engineering, environmental and mining consultants based in Brierley Hill, www.jpb.co.uk). Over 2000 samples and sixteen tonnes of soil later, the lab work is almost complete. A wide range of asbestos concentrations has been found and IOM, JPB and the Council are now using the results of our analysis to develop ground-breaking risk assessment and management strategies for the estate.

The IOM lab has UKAS accreditation for the quantification of asbestos in soils and is currently analysing large numbers of soil samples from a wide range off locations across the UK. Further details about asbestos in soils analysis are available from Steve Clark. For more information about risk assessment for asbestos contaminated soils, awareness training for contaminated land officers and those with responsibility for contaminated sites and the development of management strategies for asbestos contaminated soil, contact Alan Jones or Alison Searl.