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RELIABLE LAB TESTING PARTNER With ultra-modern facilities and equipment to provide accurate and fast analysis for a variety of industries, the standards are unparalleled Nisthula Nagarajan Since 2013, Qualitas Material Testing Laboratories has been providing a comprehensive range of industrial testing services for the oil and gas, food and water, wastewater, advanced products industries including environmental monitoring, inspection and sampling services. Accredited by ISO 17025, Emirates National Accreditation Services (ENAS), Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) and Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC), Qualitas carries out services at the highest standards of quality and technical compliance, maintaining the quality regulations set by the federal governments. Qualitas’ pride is in its state-ofthe-art laboratory that is equipped with the latest technologically advanced testing devices and is continuously updated to meet the demands of the industry. Another strong point is Qualitas’ expert and experienced technical team that designs and implements testing and inspection programmes customised to each client’s specific investigative requirements. The company’s commitment to serving its clients and providing reliable results at a minimal standard turnaround time has made it one of the leading laboratory testing companies in the Middle East. Qualitas’ extensive knowledge and diverse selection of analyti-
cal techniques assure that clients receive independent fast and accurate analysis and support in a cost-efficient way. Some of the sectors Qualitas serves include: Water and Wastewater Highquality testing, sampling and reporting services for water treatment, environmental consultant, hospitality, medical industry etc. Qualitas specialises in (but is not limited to) microbiological, chemical and legionella analysis of water. Food Testing Nutritional monitoring, shelf-life study, analysis of migration, raw materials and finished products for adulterants and impurities etc. for agricultural and food industries. Dairy products testing, pesticide residues, chemical contaminants, microbes, and heavy metals are some of the few items. Environmental Monitoring Qualitas houses one of the first laboratories in the UAE accredited for ‘Clean Room Validation’ by the Emirates National Accreditation Services (ENAS). Qualitas Testing Laboratories provides complete cleanroom testing, monitoring and validation services for hospitals and pharmaceuticals with certificates approved by Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA). Oil and Gas Testing This includes a comprehensive assortment of analytical services designed to meet hydrocarbon testing needs on products such as diesel fuels, bitumen, hydraulic oil, gear and turbine oil, lubricants, and more under a rigorous 17025 Quality Program.
UPPING THE TEST STANDARDS Thanks to modernisation and advancement in science, thousands of harmful chemicals and bacteria can be detected in the water. This can be tested even at extremely small concentrations. PSN Labs, a Dubai-based quality assurance lab, has been the pioneer of many standards. Established in 2011 by Dr. Nityananda Upadhyay who is also the managing director, the lab today provides world-class services that have earned it many accolades. Excerpts from an interview: Rhonita Patnaik Why is the water body test vital and what are the few breakthroughs that you are doing here? Water is categorised into many parameters — drinking, irrigation, wastewater, marine water as well as swimming water and at dental labs. At PSN Lab, we majorly test drinking water for residual pesticide whether it is harmful to the ecosystem or not. But that’s not it. The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, which aims to ensure sustainable access to water during both normal and emergency conditions in line with local regulations, standards of the World Health Organisation, and the UAE’s vision to achieve prosperity and sustainability. There are many environmental parameters that we are working on. Drinking water may contain dissolved oxygen, silicate, phos-
ENSURING CONSUMER SAFETY IN THE REGION RECOGNISED AS THE GLOBAL BENCHMARK FOR QUALITY AND INTEGRITY SGS Middle East, with its laboratory testing services across different product categories and testing scopes, reinforces its continual commitment to consumer safety in the region. Resonating on its global identity as the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company; our value to society is enabling a better, safer and more interconnected world. These state of the art laboratories with the latest equipment & technology, highly qualified and experienced personnel cover a wide span of testing scope from chemical and microbiological testing of food and beverage to cosmetics, personal and home care and Halal testing With the largest capability matrix for pesticide residue analysis, to being the one of the first accredited laboratory in the region for SARS Covid-19 environmental swab testing, SGS has been consistently investing in putting consumer safety at the centrestage. With a vision to continually invest in cutting-edge technology, SGS has a dedicated research and development team constantly working towards innovation, development and deployment of newer analytical capabilities to help evolve the region as the most advanced in terms of product testing. VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY ♦♦ Renew & reinforce confidence for consumers & trade. ♦♦ Identify and mitigate risks ♦♦ Demonstrate credible & independent verification for safety. The alignment to ISO/IEC 17025 is ensured through accreditations for various testing scopes by Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC), GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) & Emirates National Accreditation System (ENAS). SGS Testing Laboratories offer busi-
Tested Means Trusted. nesses the opportunity to test products as per regional and international standards to ensure necessary product safety and compliance. With a presence of over 35 years in the Middle East and regionally headquartered in Dubai, SGS Gulf is raising the bar further to transform the testing facility into a Center of Excellence — MultiLab — in a new facility spanning over 14000 sq ft with extensive testing
Hakan Sebükcebe Managing Director Middle East at SGS
“SGS is committed to enhancing consumer safety in the region by providing testing services for varied product categories for businesses to ensure necessary compliance.”
capabilities including paints, textiles, tobacco, electrical and electronics equipment. This progress will largely contribute to nurturing a sustained and verified product quality culture and developing a knowledge society within UAE. This will enable faster trade facilitation by substantially reducing testing turnaround times, ensuring consumer safety and protecting the environment.
phates and trace metals such as mercury, which are very dangerous for consumption. These are chemical testings. Then coming to microbiological testings, we test for bacteria in water such as E.coli, Coliform, Legionella — these can create issues in the human intestine if not treated. Especially in the swimming pool, many a time water goes into our system through our mouth. Though the effects are not seen immediately, this water is a slow poison. The water treatment plants in Dubai treat such water but microbes are never killed in these treatments. The Dubai Municipality adheres to strict regulations with regards to swimming pools in the emirate – hotels, apartments, schools, etc. So it’s mandatory to do testing on such waters every three months to understand the content of the swimming pool water. Similar is the case with water at your dentist’s. Microbes, especially Legionella, can create huge problems if the water is not treated properly. Coming to wastewater treatment at desalination plants, at PSNL, we check the water that goes into the sea so that the ecosystem is not disturbed with harmful chemicals. This is what we do at the laboratory. You have been awarded the best lab by Dubai Municipality. What are the parameters you were tested on? The authorities have audited our lab on various parameters — the lab facilities, the services provided, and the quality of work that we have done. We have been awarded the letter of operation by the head of the drinking water control unit at Dubai Municipality in 2019 to do testing for them on tap water and two taps in various locations within Dubai. You have been supporting the government in a lot of initiatives. What is the kind of support that you have received from the government? The Dubai Municipality has a central lab but they have a lot on their plate. Every quarter, we are getting marine water and sediments for chemical and microbiological analysis from their environmental department. To begin with, initially, we were asked by the Dubai Municipality to do testing on tap water for the school for drinking purposes. This strengthened our position as a lab in Dubai and we are recognised as one of the best labs today. We gained many clients through this initiative and have become the preferred third-party lab for many organisations. We also get a lot of work from the Dubai Municipality for their lab analyses. We are their outsourcing partner.
vironment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) directly or indirectly for marine water analysis and ecosystem studies. Also, we act as a consultant in establishing tissue culture labs and new testing labs as per ISO standard and environmental assessment works.
Dr. Nityananda Upadhyay
BRINGING SCIENCE AND INNOVATION TO LIFE
PSN Lifesciences International FZ LLC laboratory was established in 2011 in Dubai Science Park. It meets the International Laboratory Standard as per ISO/ IEC 17025 to provide reliable, timely, cost-effective laboratory services that meet customer satisfaction. Under the guidance of Dr Nityananda Upadhyay, Managing Director, PSNL’s lab workforce works with various experts, scientists, management and technical teams. The PSNL Lab is accredited by the Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC), which is Dubai-based on ISO/IEC 17025:2017, by the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA) and registered under the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC).
SCOPES Chemical and Microbiological Analysis of Water: Potable Water: Tank water, bottled water and unbottled water. Non-Potable Water: Tank/ tap water; dental chair water; swimming pools/jacuzzis/showerheads; chiller water/water features; ground/marine water; recreational and ice/cooler water. Wastewater: Industrial discharge; processed/cleaning water; greywater/treated water; irrigation water; sewage treatment
plant water; agricultural soil; marine sediment; compost, manure, organic and inorganic fertiliser; plant tissue and material; cosmetic and personal care products. Marine Biology: Phytoplankton/zooplankton/mangrove studies and agricultural/horticultural products analysis. PSNL supplies marine-related monitoring equipment and project reports to public and private entities for marine biology studies. It provides marine water quality monitoring, testing, marine biology studies work, biodiversity, plantation and beach monitoring; identification and classification of beneficial and non-beneficial flora, fauna, and mangrove vegetation, phytoplankton, habitat survey — seagrass, benthic and zooplankton organisms. Marketing and Sales Support: PSNL is an authorised distributor for high-quality marine water monitoring and sampling instruments in the Middle East, like bbe Moldaenke GmbH, and Hydro-Bios and the Microbiology rapid kit. The company also helps to conduct surveys in schools, colleges, universities, hotels and facilities management on the level of safety for the drinking water system. PSNL offers a complete package to help you start a laboratory facility as per the UAE’s laws.
You are the first start-up lab in Dubai Science Park. Can you talk about this? Dubai Science Park had no labs initially. There were a few companies whose marketing teams were based here. In 2011, we initiated the building of this lab and in 2012 we established PSN Laboratories, the first lab in Dubai Science Park. Now there are few other labs here but we offer far more services than what they have such as cosmetics, herbal products, and food. We can do a lot more testing here but we need a bigger space. So we are confined to the environmental parameter. We are happy to say that we will soon be opening a bigger lab in the mainland to analyse food parameters. Apart from water, what other testing is done in the lab? We do sediment testings. It is very vital in a region like the UAE because of environmental and food security agenda. We again test them for chemical and microbiological parameters. If the soil is harmful, food cannot grow. Right now, we are doing a few tests in Al Ain for plant tissue and agricultural water in various farms. Fertiliser plays a very important role in soil. What we do is test the accurate content of each nutrient such as ammonia, nitrogen, phosphate. It is our role to provide the right information. Apart from the above, we are the first lab to analyse ecological samples like phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic samples, mangrove plantation and their studies. We are involved with En-
ISO 17025:2017 | ENAS | EIAC