What Is Environmental Testing and How Does It Work?

Environmental testing is the laboratory analysis of water, soil, and solid materials to determine what they contain—metals like lead, bacteria, nutrients, and other regulated parameters. It's used for regulatory compliance, permit requirements, real estate and engineering due diligence, and homeowner concerns such as lead in drinking water. A typical project runs from a sampling plan and container preparation, through sample collection and chain of custody, to accredited lab analysis and a data report you can defend.

What environmental testing covers

Environmental testing laboratories analyze several sample types, each with its own methods, containers, and holding times:

First Environmental Laboratories (FEL), based in Naperville, Illinois and incorporated in 1993, is accredited to test drinking water, wastewater, soil, and solid materials, and reports over 2 million accredited results. Its customers include landfills, industrial facilities, municipalities, engineering firms, and local, state, and federal government, as well as the general public.

Why people and organizations test

• Regulatory compliance and permits — demonstrating that discharges, wells, or drinking water meet applicable limits.
• Engineering and consulting projects — supporting sampling plans, QA project plans, budgeting, and permit requirements.
• Lead in schools and daycare — FEL is accredited to perform lead analysis in drinking water in compliance with Public Act 099-0922 (Illinois).
• Homeowner concerns — a basic package covering the more commonly requested drinking water parameters, including lead.

How the testing process works

1. Define the question and parameters. Decide what you need to know and which analytes answer it. Consulting engineers often work with the lab on sampling plans, QA project plans, container preparation, sample parameter requirements, permit requirements, analytical methodology, and data deliverables.
2. Prepare containers and preservation. The lab supplies the right bottles and preservatives, and provides preservation and holding times plus sampling instructions so samples stay valid until analysis.
3. Collect samples following the sampling instructions for your parameter list.
4. Complete chain of custody (COC). The COC form documents who handled the samples and when. FEL offers a contactless COC option, and a daycare bottle request form for lead testing in daycare settings.
5. Lab analysis and reporting. The lab analyzes the samples and issues results. For regulated work, ask for accredited, legally defensible data.

What accreditation and "legally defensible data" mean

Accreditation means an outside authority has verified that the lab can perform specific tests to recognized standards. It matters because results may be used in permit applications, enforcement, transactions, or disputes—so the data needs to hold up to scrutiny. FEL describes its mission as providing "top quality and legally defensible analytical data in a timely and efficient manner," and maintains quality through routine training, current technology, and regular instrument updates.

Choosing a lab and what to tell them

• Confirm accreditation for your specific tests — accreditation is method- and parameter-specific, not general.
• State your parameters and the applicable permit or program so the lab can match methodology.
• Ask about data deliverables — the format and level of detail your regulator or client requires.
• Request container preparation and sampling instructions up front.
• Check preservation and holding times before you collect, so samples aren't invalidated.
• Ask about turnaround for your deadline; FEL's published hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm, reachable at 630-778-1200.

Practical notes

• Download the lab's COC form, preservation and holding times, and sampling instructions before sampling day.
• For homeowner drinking water questions, a basic package covering commonly requested parameters is often the simplest starting point.
• For schools and daycares in Illinois, lead analysis in drinking water is available under the state's accreditation requirements.
• If you're working with a consultant, loop the lab in early—sampling plans, budgets, and data deliverables are easier to align before collection than after.