The most recent edition of CBRNe WORLD Magazine includes a highly informative article on the rationale for the procurement and deployment of mobile laboratories. The article, authored by Monica Heyl, discusses the use of mobile labs by first responders, military, law enforcement and civil support teams. Ms. Heyl describes a range of applications for these units:
“Mobile laboratories can be integrated to fill a wide variety of challenges: sample receipt, screening and evaluating suspect unknown materials, environmental health protection and remediation, narcotics analysis and confirmation of clandestine laboratories. They can respond to catastrophes, terrorism, and a myriad of other actions in theatres of conflict or on our own homelands.”
The CBRNe World article also discusses the critical role of proper engineering controls in mobile laboratories, stating that:
“Engineering controls (primary and secondary) become vital to sample collection, reception, preparation, analysis and spent effluent that could contaminate the environment. Robust engineering controls to include redundant and hybrid filtration systems, breakthrough monitors and backup uninterrupted power are only as good as the quality assurances associated with the development, building, manufacturing and testing of such safeguards.”
The article, “Mobile Laboratories: Do They Know Their Rank,” by Monica Heyl is available in the Spring 2010 edition of CBRNe World Magazine.
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Monica Heyl is an internationally recognized mobile laboratory expert. She Co-founded, Monica Heyl and Associates after retiring from the United States Department of Defense, US Army. This firm specializes in field analytical solutions particularly in high hazard environments. Her 35 years of service included a range of leadership positions, including: US Army Senior Leader; Director of International Programs and Leader of the US Army’s Mobile Laboratory & Kits (ML&K) Team and the Advanced CBRNE Training Team.
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CBRNe World is a internationally distributed quarterly publication based in the UK. The magazine is geared for professionals in a range of fields where their work involves “planning for or responding to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosives (CBRNe) threat or incident.” According to the publishers, the CBRNe World content spans the “divide of operational and scientific, it brings together opinion formers from the world of civil response, military leaders, academia, government agencies, research labs and industry.”
