A & L
Laboratory
Making News
Check our blog to see what is new and exciting in our lab and the drinking water industry.
Welcome to our newsletters!
We share important information about our industry and drinking water news from around the world each month! In these newsletters, we’ll offer helpful information on wells and drinking water safety that you can use for yourself, clients or your community. Feel free to share with your friends and colleagues. We also accept contributions for our newsletter. If you would like to write an article, please contact kpawlina@granitestateanalytical.com
2021
2020
2019
2018
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.
Drinking water can be a source of exposure in communities where these chemicals have contaminated water supplies. Such contamination is typically localized and associated with a specific facility, for example,an industrial facility where PFAS were produced or used to manufacture other products, or locations where sludge may have been spread on fields. PFOA, PFOS, and GenX have been found in a number of drinking water systems due to localized contamination.
View the State of Maine's fact sheet here
Newest Location!
Quinn Hardware
125 Waterville Road Skowhegan
Monday – Thursday from 7:30 am until 4:00 pm
A complete list of all of our Free Shipping Locations can be viewed here:
Need test kits? They have those too!
Heading to a job site and realize you are out of test kits? Water quality, water radon and air radon test kits are available to pick up at all of our shipping locations.
We are always looking for ways to make it easier for you to get your water samples to us on time.
Do you have a sample that needs to get to us quickly?
If so, we have the solution for you!
We have expanded our partnership with UPS Shipping. We have added more locations that we hope you will find to be very convenient and helpful. Simply walk into any of the following locations and drop off your water sample sealed in the supplied bubble mailer or box. Our friends at these locations will collect packages throughout the day and then package your samples and ship it to us overnight for processing the next day. The best part…no charge to you!
Newest Location!
Quinn Hardware
125 Waterville Road Skowhegan
Monday – Thursday from 7:30 am until 4:00 pm
A complete list of all of our Free Shipping Locations can be viewed here:
Need test kits? They have those too!
Heading to a job site and realize you are out of test kits? Water quality, water radon and air radon test kits are available to pick up at all of our shipping locations.
We are always looking for ways to make it easier for you to get your water samples to us on time.
Toys for Tots Free Movie Morning Toy Drive.
We are pleased to announce our Third Annual Toys for Tots Free Movie Morning Toy Drive.
A&L Laboratory, in conjunction with Flagship Cinemas, and The Marine Corps Reserve are working together to put smiles on children's faces this Christmas season! Please join us for a big screen showing of The Polar Express. Admission is FREE with either a NEW, UNWRAPPED TOY or a MONETARY DONATION for Toys for Tots. There will once again be a 50/50 raffle and several door prizes donated by area businesses! Tickets are not sold in advance and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early as the movie starts at 10:00 am. Doors will open at 9:00 am.
Last year's event was a great success with hundreds of people enjoying a free viewing of the Polar Express. We collected numerous toys and raised over $300 in cash donations. We hope you can join us to make this year's event even larger!
Please visit our Facebook Event for all of the details and fundraising events going on this year!
THANK YOU to all of our Raffle Prize Donors!
If you want a chance to win one of our wonderful donated prizes but aren’t able to join us for our Free Movie Morning just swing by our location at Riverview Plaza, 155 Center St Building C, Auburn with a new, unwrapped toy or monetary donation and you will be able to put your name into the prize of your choice – check back often for more prizes:
Heather's Bakery Cookies for Santa Platter Gift Certificate
Pat’s Pizza $25.00 Gift Certificate
Fish Bones $25.00 Gift Certificate
Thatcher’s Restaurant $30.00 Gift Certificate
Home Depot - Milwaukee M18 Cordless Drill ($160.00 Value)
Lowes – Learn and Grow Builders Basket ($25.00 Value)
Lost Valley – 2 Hour Tube Pass ($36.00 Value)
Air & Water Quality – $100 Gift Certificate good towards merchandise or services offered by Air & Water Quality
Greenwood Products, Inc. – $50.00 Gift Certificate to Mac's Grill & Sweatshirt
A & L Laboratory-Vermont Teddy Bear -4 feet tall!
A & L Laboratory-Fingerlings Hugs
A & L Laboratory-FurReal Munchin Rex
A & L Laboratory-LOL Pearl Surprise
A & L Laboratory-Hatchimals Colleggtibles
If you want to purchase more chances to win or to enter our 50/50 drawing we are selling tickets for both, ALL proceeds go to Toys for Tots:
1 Ticket = $1.00
6 Tickets = $5.00
25 Tickets = $20.00
THANK YOU to all of our very generous corporate donors!!
Money donated from corporate sponsors will be used to purchase toys for donation to toys for tots. We work together with our local Marines to purchase toys for the ages groups that they are lacking each year. If your company would like to make a donation, please contact Kerri Pawlina 207-784-5354
Complete Excavation $100 Cash Donation
Greenwood Products, Inc. – $100 Cash Donation
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Expert Interview Series
Rebecca Labranche is the Laboratory Director for A & L Laboratory, which specializes in drinking water analysis for both public systems and private wells, providing services to Home Inspectors throughout the State of Maine.
We talked to Rebecca about the importance of drinking water analysis and common problems in drinking water. Here’s what she had to say:
Read More
Announcing our two new drop-off locations!
Are you in Southern Maine and need to get a water or radon sample to us?
If so, we have a new solution for you!
If so, we have a new solution for you!
We have recently partnered with two UPS Store locations. Simply walk into either UPS Store and drop off your water sample sealed in the supplied bubble mailer or box. Our friends at The UPS Store will collect packages throughout the day and then package your samples and ship it to us overnight for processing the next day. The best part …no charge to you!
405 Western Ave South Portland, Maine
Samples can be dropped off Monday – Friday from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm. Friday samples will be shipped through the US Postal Service.
824 Roosevelt Trail Windham, Maine
Samples can be dropped off Monday – Thursday from 7:30 am until 4:30 pm and Friday from 7:30 am until 4:00 pm. Friday samples will be shipped through the US Postal Service.
Need test kits? They have those too!
Heading to a job site and realize you are out of test kits?
Water quality, water radon and air radon test kits are all available to pick up at The UPS Stores in South Portland & Windham.
We are always looking for ways to make it easier for you to get your water samples to us on time. Let us know if this helps you and your business!
Many Thanks,
Rebecca Labranche
Are your samples arriving out of hold time?
Over the years it has become increasingly more difficult to get water samples to the laboratory within hold-time. There are several factors that have contributed to this delay. An increase in the state’s population and therefore the amount of mail that requires delivery in conjunction with the closing of numerous post offices and sorting facilities is largely to blame. The sheer size of the state makes it difficult for rural areas to have access to shipping locations. In addition, several northern Maine laboratories have closed over the years resulting in samples needing to be shipped hundreds of miles to the nearest lab.
At A & L we continuously struggle to find ways to help our clients get their samples to us on time. Depending on the area of the state we have had success with First Class Mail, Express Mail and UPS Ground. While these are all still very reliable options we are please to introduce another excellent means of transportation; Unship Courier Services!
Uniship Courier Services provides daily pick-up and delivery of medical specimens and other time sensitive items for hospitals and laboratories. With more than 50 dedicated employees and a fleet of 40 vehicles, Uniship has established an impeccable reputation for reliability, friendly and professional service at a reasonable cost.
Uniship’s main offices are in Hermon & Falmouth. They have daily routes from Fort Kent to Kennebunk and even reach all the way to Luebec. This allows them to get your samples to us safely and on time from anywhere across the State of Maine. They have routes that pass by our laboratory three times a day and they even have routes on Friday nights and Sundays. These options can increase your service days allowing samples to be completed on Sundays and at night after other delivery options have closed. For those of you who use UPS and cannot ship on Fridays, now you can!
If we find there is a great enough demand for this type of shipping in certain areas we may be able to setup drop-off /pick-up locations that would allow for a discounted rate. These will largely be based on our clients’ needs in certain areas, established Unship routes and businesses willing to partner with us to facilitate the process. Until these locations are established, I encourage all of you to contact Uniship and see what they can do for you. If you are on or near one of their many routes they can offer you reliable service at a great rate.
For more information:
Visit their website:
Uniship Courier Services
Or contact Charlie Richmond
CRichmond@dahlchase.com
phone 207-848-7546
Many Thanks,
Rebecca Labranche
Read Our Blog
Letter from the Lab Director
A & L Laboratory has been a part of the great city of Auburn, Maine since 1976. We have been on Washington Street, Hotel Road and are now at 155 Center Street in Riverview Plaza. I have been with A & L Laboratory since 2004 when I completed an internship with them through the University of Southern Maine on the Lewiston/Auburn Campus. I became the microbiologist, quality assurance officer and I am now the laboratory director. As a lifetime resident of Turner I have lived and worked in Androscoggin County my entire life.
On August 29th of last year the longtime owner Jonathan Dyer and his wife Sylvia retired, selling the company to John Lyons of Granite State Analytical Services, LLC. We have put a great team of employees in place and established a beautiful new location at 155 Center Street Building C Auburn, Maine. We still offer the same great quality water testing service on which you have come to rely. In fact, we are actually able to offer more including an expanded range of metals analyses and Organic Compounds (VOCs, SOCs etc...) as well as Disinfection By-Products. Being able to offer these new services allows us to provide complete testing services for community water systems throughout Maine. Both our Auburn, Maine and Derry, New Hampshire offices are State of Maine Certified for Drinking Water.
Over the past 10 months we have strived to be a company that puts our customers first. We pride ourselves on our relationships with our clients and work hard to make sure they receive the best possible service. We focus on providing reliable, quality data with quick turn-a-round time so that you have all the information you need to achieve the best drinking water possible. Our efforts have certainly paid off. We have received numerous compliments about our staff, our reporting format, the quick turn-around times and our attention to detail. I am thrilled to work with such hardworking and dedicated employees and proud to work for a company that cares about their clients. I hope you will check us out and see how much we can help you!
Many Thanks,
Rebecca Labranche
Drinking Water Contaminants
Kerri Pawlina - Client Services Representative
Contamination - harmful intrusions, such as the presence of toxins or pathogens some of which can result in short or long-term health issues.
It is not uncommon these days to hear a news report about a food recall due to an outbreak of salmonella, listeria, e-coli or other harmful bacteria. It puts the population on high alert and aware of symptoms to watch for if consumption of that food has occurred. Once the outbreak subsides everyday life resumes. Likewise, if you are part of a public drinking water system you can typically breathe easy knowing that the water you are consuming is constantly being monitored to assure it is safe to drink. If a public drinking water system becomes contaminated the public is alerted promptly to help minimize illness while the problem is corrected.
Private well owners, however, do not have that constant monitoring in place and must be pro-active to protect themselves from harmful contamination. Testing your water to check for the most common contaminants which are bacteria, nitrates and nitrites yearly is strongly suggested. Even if your water has consistently been safe to drink in the past this helps to establish a water quality record for your property.
New well owners should begin their testing with a more comprehensive water test which includes metals, minerals and radon. This type of test gives you a good picture of your well and can find problems that should be addressed with a water treatment system.
Other reasons for testing your well include but are not limited to:
At A&L Laboratory, we offer all this testing for you and more. To find out what testing you should have done please call our laboratory at 207-784-5354 or visit our website and request your test kit.
Meet our Radon Specialist
Tom Thornton joined A & L Laboratory in 2014 as an expert in radon analysis and testing. With an extensive chemistry background and over 15 years’ experience in a variety of laboratory settings, Tom has been a great addition to our laboratory team.
Prior to joining A & L, Tom was a laboratory technician at Woods End Laboratory, where he performed various analyses on bio-gas, soil and compost. His ability to troubleshoot and repair equipment made him a very valuable member of their team.
From 1999 through 2009, Tom worked for the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services. His time working for the State of Maine Radiation Control Program provided him with the knowledge and experience to become an authority on radon analysis, mitigation and regulatory requirements. Tom processed radiological samples, conducted field inspections of radon mitigation systems and regulated the licenses for radon service providers throughout Maine.
Tom is also an active member of the Boy Scouts of America and participates in the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s Honor Society. The mission of the Order of the Arrow is to fulfill its purpose as an integral part of the Boy Scouts of America through positive youth leadership under the guidance of selected capable adults. Tom is certainly an asset to both our business and our community.
Are your samples arriving out of hold time?
Over the years it has become increasingly more difficult to get water samples to the laboratory within hold-time. There are several factors that have contributed to this delay. An increase in the state’s population and therefore the amount of mail that requires delivery in conjunction with the closing of numerous post offices and sorting facilities is largely to blame. The sheer size of the state makes it difficult for rural areas to have access to shipping locations. In addition, several northern Maine laboratories have closed over the years resulting in samples needing to be shipped hundreds of miles to the nearest lab.
At A & L we continuously struggle to find ways to help our clients get their samples to us on time. Depending on the area of the state we have had success with First Class Mail, Express Mail and UPS Ground. While these are all still very reliable options we are please to introduce another excellent means of transportation; Unship Courier Services!
Uniship Courier Services provides daily pick-up and delivery of medical specimens and other time sensitive items for hospitals and laboratories. With more than 50 dedicated employees and a fleet of 40 vehicles, Uniship has established an impeccable reputation for reliability, friendly and professional service at a reasonable cost.
Uniship’s main offices are in Hermon & Falmouth. They have daily routes from Fort Kent to Kennebunk and even reach all the way to Luebec. This allows them to get your samples to us safely and on time from anywhere across the State of Maine. They have routes that pass by our laboratory three times a day and they even have routes on Friday nights and Sundays. These options can increase your service days allowing samples to be completed on Sundays and at night after other delivery options have closed. For those of you who use UPS and cannot ship on Fridays, now you can!
If we find there is a great enough demand for this type of shipping in certain areas we may be able to setup drop-off /pick-up locations that would allow for a discounted rate. These will largely be based on our clients’ needs in certain areas, established Unship routes and businesses willing to partner with us to facilitate the process. Until these locations are established, I encourage all of you to contact Uniship and see what they can do for you. If you are on or near one of their many routes they can offer you reliable service at a great rate.
For more information:
Visit their website:
Uniship Courier Services
Or contact Daniel Knowles
dknowles@inishipcourier.com
Cell 207-659-4725
Many Thanks,
Rebecca Labranche