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Analytical Services


The Niagara Falls Water Board’s Wastewater Treatment Plant has a modern, well-equipped laboratory and a highly trained and experienced laboratory staff. All reports, record keeping, and quality control tracking are accomplished using a computer networked Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). The laboratory is fully certified by the New York State Department of Health Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (NYSDOH ELAP) for a variety of analyses. With very few exceptions, our laboratory is able to perform all the analyses required of the plant by regulatory agencies. The laboratory is divided into two sections; the wastewater lab performs traditional wastewater wet chemistries; the environmental lab performs trace organic analysis.

The wastewater lab routinely analyzes Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant samples, as well as samples from industries which discharge to our plant for the following parameters:

  • pH
  • Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
  • Total Phosphorous
  • Total Phenols
  • Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
  • Total Cyanide
  • Cyanide Amenable to Chlorination
  • Total Recoverable Metals
  • Fecal Coliform
  • Acute Toxicity Bioassay

TOC is analyzed using method 5310C (UV-persulfate) from Standard Methods for the Examination of Water & Wastewater, 18th edition (Std.. Meth). After sparging, the samples are injected into a Dohrman DC180 Carbon Analyzer.

Phosphorous (EPA-600/4-79-020 method 365.4), phenols (EPA-600/4-79-020 method 420.2), and cyanides (EPA-600/4-79-020 method 335.3) are analyzed using Bran + Lubbe auto- analyzers; phosphorus samples are first digested in a block digester while all cyanide samples are first distilled with a LabCrest midi-distillation system.

TSS is measured with glass fiber filters at 103o using EPA-600/4-79-020 method 160.2 .

Wastewater samples are analyzed for metals using EPA-600/4-79-020 methods 202.1 for aluminum, 213.1 for cadmium, 218.1 for chromium, 220.1 for copper, 239.1 or 239.2 for lead, 245.1 for mercury, 249.2 for nickel, and 289.1 for zinc. Samples for mercury are digested with potassium permanganate and analyzed by the cold vapor method using a Thermal Separation Products Mercury Monitor 3200. Wastewater samples for the other metals are first acid digested then analyzed by atomic absorption using a Varian SpectrAA 400. We are also ELAP certified for potable water analysis of copper, lead, and zinc. Low concentration potable water samples are analyzed using the Varian GTA 96 graphite furnace.

Fecal coliform is analyzed using lauryl tryptose & EC multiple tube fermentation ( Std. Meth 9221- C ) and reported by the Most Probable Number (MPN).

Acute toxicity is determined as 48 hour static renewal EC50 and LC50 for Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas in accordance with EPA-600/4-90-027F.

The environmental lab routinely analyzes Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant samples, as well as samples from industries which discharge to our plant for the following trace organic categories:

  • Volatile Organics (VO)
  • Base/Neutral & Acid Extractables (BNA)
  • Pesticides & PCB
  • Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)

VOs are analyzed using EPA method 624, purge and trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), using a Tekmar 2016 auto-sampler, a Tekmar LSC 2000, and a Hewlett Packard 5995 GC/MS. A 105 meter Restek Rtx-624 capillary column is used to attain the separations of the VO compounds. We have recently applied to NYSDOH for certification for potable water for trihalomethanes (THMs) using EPA method 524.

BNAs are analyzed using EPA method 625; after liquid-liquid extractions at both basic and acidic conditions, the extracts are concentrated and analyzed using a Hewlett Packard (H.P.) 5890 gas chromatograph coupled to a H. P. 5970 Mass Selective Detector. A DB-5 capillary column is the analytical column used.

Pesticides and Arochlor 1248 are analyzed using EPA method 608; following liquid-liquid extraction and concentration, the extracts are analyzed using a H. P. 5890 II GC with electron capture detection. This is a 2-column method; DB-5 is used for identification and DB-1701 for confirmation.

PAHs are analyzed using EPA method 610; following liquid-liquid extraction and concentration, the extracts are analyzed using a Varian 5500 Liquid Chromatograph (LC) with a Vydac reverse phase C-18 column.

All GCs, GC/MSs, and the LC are equipped with auto-samplers for extended un-attended analytical runs. GC/MS data is analyzed using H. P. Aquarius software while GC and LC data is analyzed using H.P. Chemstation software.