Field Notes
Magnetic Stirrers: How to Choose by Volume, Speed and Heat for Canadian Labs
How to choose a magnetic stirrer or hotplate stirrer by sample volume, viscosity and heat, from 1 L bench units to 200 L drives, plus lab safety.
pH Buffer Solutions: Choosing 4.01, 7.01 and 10.01 Calibration Standards for Canadian Water Work
Which pH buffer solutions you need, how to bracket your sample range, sachet vs bottle formats and a step-by-step meter calibration.
Read More
Oil Stop Valves: How a Polymer Hydrocarbon Shut-Off Works and Where to Install One in Canada
How a polymer oil stop valve like the HFF protects storm drains, substations and outfalls: how it shuts off, flow sizes, maintenance and where Canadian...
Read More
Sample Bottles Guide: HDPE, Amber, Sterile and PTFE for Environmental Sampling in Canada
Which sample bottle for which analysis: HDPE, amber, sterile and PTFE compared, what labs supply pre-preserved, and why plastic fails for semi-volatile organics.
Read More
Spill Kit Guide: Oil-Only, Universal and HazMat Kits for Canadian Sites
Oil-only, universal or HazMat? Compare ERE's 45 gallon and 250 litre spill kits, what CCOHS says they lack, and how to choose for your site.
Read More
Particle Counter Guide: Handheld Mass and Count Monitors for Canada
Particle counter or particle monitor? How the Aerocet 532 counts 0.3 to 10 micron particles, converts to PM2.5 mass, and what it can't certify.
Read More
Digital Refractometer Guide: Brix, Sodium Chloride and Seawater Models in Canada
How to choose a digital refractometer for sugar, brine or seawater: ranges, stated accuracy worked as a share of the reading, and calibration tips.
Read More
Soil Sampling Probe Guide: Open End, Step, Recovery and Turf Probes in Canada
How to choose a soil sampling probe: open end, step, replaceable tip, recovery and turf types, sizes, steels, and VOC and PFAS considerations.
Read More
GEM5000 Landfill Gas Analyzer: What It Measures and How to Use It for Wellfield Balancing
What the GEM5000 landfill gas analyzer measures and calculates, how to read balance gas and residual N2, how to add flow devices, how often to...
Read More