Our industry's products separate chemical compounds into their chemical components and then analyze and measure those components in quantities as small as parts per trillion. Our industry is a global one and many of our US based members derive more than 50 percent of their revenues from overseas sales. Our products are frequently used for environmental measuring, monitoring and compliance activities by environmental testing laboratories, a wide variety of industrial facilities and public utilities, and by government laboratories. Many of our members develop new and alternative analytical methods which then are submitted for approval to the various US EPA program offices. The Benefits of New Environmental Measuring and Monitoring Technology Stimulating the development and use of new environmental technology is most important in the area of environmental measuring and monitoring.
Environmental monitoring ensures compliance with environmental laws.
Without monitoring, it would be impossible to determine whether industry is meeting the effluent limits established by law and through the various permit processes. Environmental measuring and monitoring also is used to identify hazardous waste and to ensure that our drinking water is free of harmful amounts of contaminants. It may come as a surprise to some that in testing to determine whether a particular waste sample is hazardous, many of the current analytical methods create a significant amount of hazardous waste. Our innovative industry has developed technologies that can eliminate or reduce the amount of hazardous waste that is generated by one of the currently prescribed EPA methods. Yet another benefit is lower cost.