Cost Estimates for Siloxane 

Monitoring

December 6, 2012

David Tobias
Data Sources

• EPA Office of Water Targeted National Sewage 

Sludge Survey

• Estimates of EPA and SEHSC proposals based 

on estimated costs provided by Environment 

Canada 

• Cost estimate from academic that is highly 

experienced in siloxane monitoring
Office of Water Sewage Sludge Survey 

• During 2006 and 2007, OW sampled 74 WWTPs in 35 states

• A total of 84 samples of sewage sludge were collected, one from 64 POTWs, as 

well as two samples at the remaining ten facilities

• Samples were analyzed for 145 pollutants including four anions, 28 metals, four 

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, two semi-volatiles, 11 flame retardants, 72 

pharmaceuticals, and 25 steroids and hormones. The study’s analytical 

complexity was much greater than ECA proposals; thus the OW study’s 

analytical costs per sample were likely greater than what would be expected 

from ECA proposals.

• EPA awarded competitive-bid analytical contracts to three outside laboratories 

for analysis of these chemicals

• Total Price ~ $1.3 million. This estimate includes labor, travel to sampling sites, 

sampling and handling, shipping samples to analytical labs, sample analyses, 

report writing, and contract management.

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/biosolids/upload/2009_01_15_biosolids_t

nsss-tech.pdf
Environment Canada’s Siloxane

Monitoring Program Estimated Costs

• Sampling labor costs 

– Travel at $500/day per worker

– Labor at $500/day/person for 2 workers for 2 days/site

• Analytical cost/sample $250 

• Stable isotope labeled standards cost $18k

• Lab supplies total cost $35k

• Analytical laboratory labor costs

– Canadian study was performed in-house and had relatively 

low labor costs, similar to a university i.e. post-docs.
Preliminary Cost Estimate of SEHSC 

Proposal Based on Environment 

Canada Experience

• Sampling travel costs $9k, 9 sites 2 workers

• Sampling labor costs $18k, 9 sites 2 workers

• 55 samples analyzed

• Laboratory supplies and analytical standards $35k

• Estimated $700k in labor costs

– Estimate based on number of workers involved in 

Canadian project and higher costs for non-university labor, 

8 workers for 6 working months at $15k/month each

• SEHSC proposal estimated to cost ~ $800k
Preliminary Cost estimate of EPA 

Proposal Based on Environment 

Canada Experience

• Sampling travel costs $25k, 25 sites 2 workers

• Sampling labor costs $50k, 25 sites 2 workers

• 148 samples analyzed

• Laboratory supplies and analytical standards $194k

• Estimated $1,800k in labor costs

– Estimate based on number of workers involved in 

Canadian project and higher costs for non-university labor, 

10 workers for 12 working months at $15k/month each

• EPA proposal estimated to cost ~$2,100k
Cost estimate for EPA Proposal Based 

on University Researcher Experience

• Cost estimate received from Prof Kannan Kurunthachalam at 

the Wadsworth Center SUNY Albany

• He has performed previous work on siloxanes in POTWs and 

consumer products

• Analytical work, travel, sample collection and labor, estimated 

to cost ~ $500k for EPA proposal

• The large difference ($2,100 k vs. $500 k) in cost estimates for 

the EPA monitoring proposal is driven by the estimate of 

much higher labor costs in the private sector versus academia, 

on the level of the labor cost for government staff or 

government contractors.
Summary

• For comparison purposes, OW Sewage Sediment Survey cost ~ $1.3 

million

– 74 sites, 84 samples, 145 analytes and increased analytical complexity, 

1 medium (sewage sludge). Includes labor, travel to sampling sites, 

sampling and handling, shipping samples to analytical labs, sample 

analyses, report writing, and contract management.

• Obtained cost estimates by using information from Environment 

Canada (EC) and a quote from an academic researcher

Costs from EC 

experience

Cost from University 

Researcher

SEHSC proposal

9 sites, 55 samples

$800 k

EPA proposal

25 sites, 148 samples

$2,100 k $500 k