Sci-Tech has launched a new bioaerosols monitoring service, enabling occupational hygienists and waste management companies to protect their employees and customers and remain compliant.
‘Since 2009, the number of enclosed biowaste treatment facilities has risen significantly,’ said David Petrie-Dolphin, Business Development Manager at Sci-Tech. ‘This, coupled with the already established waste management companies and household waste recycling centres, has led us to identify bioaerosol monitoring as an emerging market. Our new service was designed to fulfil this increased customer demand, extending our offerings into the occupational health sector.’
Bioaerosols are airborne particles that contain living organisms such as bacteria and fungi. They are found naturally within the environment and are generated through composting, anaerobic digestion (AD), and mechanical handling of waste. Those in occupational settings involving exposure of workers to high concentrations of bioaerosols are most at risk of adverse health effects, including respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.
‘Over the next few years, our customers will have new legislation to contend with,’ continued David. ‘As part of our culture of continued innovation, Sci-Tech and our sister Cawood division, Marchwood, have readied our services to help companies benchmark early to meet these future regulations. Feedback has been fantastic so far, and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with our customers to safeguard public health and protect the environment.’
Sci-Tech’s bioaerosol screening service detects the exposure levels of thermotolerant fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus, total mesophilic bacteria, and thermophilic actinomycetes, using the latest guidance and state-of-the-art equipment for accurate and reliable results. Worker exposure levels are determined to assess the levels of bacteria and fungi present during a shift period to ensure that overall exposure is within limits. This service complements Marchwood’s comprehensive range of occupational hygiene capabilities.
‘At Cawood, we are committed to helping our customers enhance performance and establish compliance,’ said Simon Parrington, Group Chief Executive Officer of Cawood. ‘We achieve this by enabling our customers to stay ahead of upcoming legislation with innovative new services. Developing solutions like these means that we can help our customers meet new challenges while further cementing our position as the UK’s leading independent scientific group.’
For more details on our bioaerosols screening service, contact us.
NRM has launched CropCheck, a new plant tissue analysis package which provides nutrient values specific to crop growth stages.
‘CropCheck will drive efficiency by helping farmers and their advisors assess the growth of the plant as it develops,’ said Alli Grundy, Agronomy Manager at NRM. ‘Usually, if you send in a crop for nutrient analysis, the results you receive are benchmarked against general critical values. This allows you to estimate how plant growth is progressing, but it’s not specific to the growth stage of the crop. At NRM, we have identified specific nutrient adequacy ranges that a crop should be within at key growth stages that coincide with the fertiliser application window. This means that farmers have time within the season to correct any issues identified by CropCheck.’
As the UK’s leading provider of agronomic analysis for the land-based industries, NRM offers a variety of soil and crop tissue testing services for optimal crop yield and improved soil health. CropCheck measures the nutrients the plant contains at key growth stages to give an indication of nutrient adequacy in time to act if required. This service is for a broad range of cereal crops including winter and spring barley, winter and spring wheat, winter and spring oats, and rye. Growth stages range from GS30 to GS37.
‘This innovative service provides a new resource for the industry, giving growers and advisors more crop specific results to inform the important agronomic decisions that drive efficiency and optimise crop yield and quality,’ said Rory Geldard, Business Development Manager at NRM. ‘CropCheck gives farmers confidence that their crop is on track to reach its full yield potential, helps to pinpoint the nutrients the crop needs, and prevents unnecessary applications of those it doesn’t require. With input prices so high, this peace of mind is invaluable.’
Our CropCheck sample kit comes with an analysis request form, sample bags, sample posting envelope, and full instructions on how samples should be taken, prepared, and despatched to the laboratory. The results are reported in an easy-to-understand visual format so nutrient adequacy can be determined quickly. Interpretation is also provided to guide why nutrients might be high or low.
‘One thing to remember is that CropCheck is just one piece of the puzzle,’ continued Rory. ‘It should be used in conjunction with other analyses, particularly standard soil analysis and N-Check for measuring soil mineral nitrogen. This encourages a more joined up approach to help identify issues within the soil plant system, allowing growers to fine-tune and make the marginal gains to deliver the efficiencies required for optimal productivity.’
‘In times like these where fertiliser prices have skyrocketed and markets are less predictable, innovations like CropCheck further allow us to support farmers and their advisors in their decision making,’ said Simon Parrington, Chief Executive Officer of Cawood. ‘This core focus has enabled us to continuously improve and build on our services to help farmers meet their goals.’
For more details on our CropCheck service, view our brochure here or contact us.
Sci-Tech has successfully validated a method for the detection of ESBL E. coli in soil samples. This extends the division’s microbiological testing capability for the livestock sector, helping professionals identify the presence of ESBL quickly before it affects productivity.
‘Our extensive expertise in veterinary diagnostics and testing services allows us to regularly develop innovative analytical solutions to meet new challenges in the market,’ said David Petrie-Dolphin, Business Development Manager at Sci-Tech. ‘Validating this new method to detect ESBL-producing strains of E. coli in soil was on the top of our list. These strains are resistant to antibiotic types, making infections harder to treat. As a result, detecting ESBL E. coli early on is very important for animal health and welfare.’
E. coli is a common bacterium that normally lives harmlessly in the gut. The strains caused by the enzyme Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) are known to be transferred from livestock to humans and can cause health issues[1]. They are resistant to cephalosporins, penicillins, fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim, tetracycline, and some other antibiotics, which dramatically limits options for treatment.
Recent research into ESBL E. coli in livestock found that the strains are present in a high percentage of samples and may be the source of the development of increased antibiotic resistance. Sci-Tech’s method is therefore important in both in avoiding adverse consequences to animal health and, by extension, human health, and in extending the division’s capabilities.
‘Our vision is to support sustainable food production and a safer healthier planet by helping our customers enhance performance with value-added services,’ said Simon Parrington, Group Chief Executive Officer of Cawood. ‘Developing innovative solutions such as this means that we can further cement our position as the UK’s leading independent scientific group while helping our customers stay ahead of new challenges.’
Find out more information on our microbiological and serological testing services here.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4659621/
Marchwood has added PFAS substances testing to its analytical services. Marchwood has since expanded its service to 52 PFAS analytes to help companies comply with upcoming legislation, safeguard public health, and protect the environment.
‘Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, abbreviated to PFAS, are a group of synthetic chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings that help to resist heat and repel oil, stains, grease, and water,’ said Simon Rudd, Environmental Business Development Manager at Marchwood (South). ‘You probably have quite a few things in your home which contain PFAS, like anti-stain clothing, furniture, or non-stick pots and pans. More commonly known as “forever chemicals”, they do exactly as you’d expect: once made, they persist in the environment for a very long time, potentially contaminating our food, water and air. That’s why it’s important for labs like ours to test for PFAS.’
PFAS includes around 4,700 manmade chemicals, such as Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), developed to protect fabric surfaces and materials against grease, stains, and water, and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is used to make Teflon. PFOS-containing products such as cleaning agents, paints, and sprays, as well as flame retardants can stay in the environment for millennia, move through soils, and bypass wastewater filtration systems without breaking down. PFAS are hazardous to public health, and high levels could adversely affect reproduction, thyroid function, the immune system, and damage the liver.
‘While the UK, US and EU prohibited the production and use of PFOS over twenty years ago, they are still in use,’ continued Simon. ‘They can even be found in incinerator emissions. PFAS and PFOA-related compounds are listed in the Stockholm Convention as Persistent Organic Pollutants. The UK Environment Agency is talking about PFAS in its chemical investigation programmes, and there are upcoming requirements for utilities to start looking for them in recycling plants as well as in drinking waters.
‘By analysing waste material, effluents, sewage, soils, and biosolids before they are spread to land, we are taking an active role in limiting exposure to PFAS and supporting a safer, healthier planet.’
For more information on our chemical analysis services, contact us.
This news article has been updated to reflect changes made in 2026.
Cawood has announced another acquisition, the agricultural and environmental testing laboratory, IAS Laboratories.
IAS provides a range of water, soil, crop tissue, silage, sludge and effluent analysis services for the agricultural and environmental sectors. The new acquisition fits perfectly into Cawood’s Agriculture and Environmental business units, complementing the activities of NRM, which provides independent laboratory analysis for land-based industries.
‘I would like to give a warm welcome David O’Connell, the IAS management team, and all our new colleagues to Cawood,’ said Simon Parrington, Cawood’s group CEO. ‘While NRM delivers agronomic and environmental analysis throughout the UK, we have long desired our own laboratory location in Ireland. We are delighted to now have a laboratory nearer one of our major markets to expand the tests available to Irish farmers.’
Located in Bagenalstown in Co Carlow, Ireland, IAS employs 20 people comprising management, administration, and qualified laboratory personnel. IAS has decades of experience servicing Irish agriculture and can trace its roots back to the Irish Sugar Company. IAS has recently moved into the environmental monitoring sector and will now operate as a division of Cawood.
‘We are looking forward to joining Cawood and working together to build both our businesses,’ said David, Managing Director of IAS. ‘Being part of the group means accelerated investment for IAS, helping us to extend our capabilities and capacity for our customers. We are committed to continual innovation and development to meet the needs of our customers with high quality services. This new partnership will help us do this even more effectively.’
‘Both Cawood and our new parent company, Ensign-Bickford Industries, are looking forward to helping David and the team grow the business within Ireland,’ continued Simon. ‘IAS and its customers will also benefit some of our recent innovative projects, developed by NRM following consultations with industry experts, customers, and government advisors. Services like CarbonCheck for measuring soil carbon, GrainCheck for determining grain nutrient offtake, and N-Check for measuring soil mineral nitrogen, are three packages designed to help farmers and advisors optimise crop production and benchmark soil health. So, this acquisition fits perfectly with our strategy of extending our capacity to help customers meet their goals and support a safer, healthier planet.’
About IAS
IAS Laboratories can trace its roots back to the old Irish Sugar Company in the late 1980s and has been specialising in agricultural and environmental testing ever since. The business has extensive experience in soil testing, domestic drinking water testing, commercial water quality testing, compost and sludge analysis, and silage testing. On-site monitoring and sampling services around Ireland are also available. The laboratory is INAB accredited to ISO 17025:2017 standards for full analytical compliance.
For more information, visit https://iaslabs.ie/.
Sciantec has purchased a new LC triple quadrupole instrument to further expand its chromatography portfolio. This new equipment, which is in the process of being validated and accredited, will be used to process and analyse mycotoxins, veterinary residues, vitamins, and pesticides in food and feed commodities.
‘Food and feed commodities are subject to quality checks when being traded, treated, or stored,’ said David Elo, Technical Commercial Manager for Contaminants at Sciantec. ‘However, if different continents have distinct legislation, it can be difficult to ensure global safety to the food chain—and if done wrongly, food/feed product recalls are expensive for producers. So, it’s important for us to deliver quality accredited data to give customers peace of mind that the food they will consume or sell down the line will not have negative impacts.’
As part of Cawood’s strategy to extend its capacity while supporting a safer, healthier planet, this instrument will help to provide customers with ‘fit for purpose data’ to fulfil food and feed safety quality assurance schemes.
‘Innovations like these demonstrate our ongoing investment in the business and our culture of continuous improvement. This helps to cement our position in the forefront of our sector, said Sean Stevenson, Cawood’s Commercial Director. ‘When it’s ready to go, it will be very useful in helping keep our food and feed commodities safe throughout the food chain.’
Sciantec is currently validating new methods and applying for ISO 17025 for this service via UKAS. To be notified when this service will be available, or for more information, contact us.
The uptake of NRM’s Soil Mineral Nitrogen (SMN) service doubled in January compared with the same period last year. This reflects the farmers and advisors’ need for greater insight into crop performance to combat high fertiliser prices.
‘When nitrogen fertiliser prices began to soar in the autumn of 2021, it became clear just how necessary measuring SMN levels is,’ said Rory Geldard, Business Development Manager at NRM. ‘Assessing how much nitrogen is left in the soil after the winter helps growers and agronomists decide how much additional nitrogen to apply to optimise their crop nutrition programmes. This protects them against volatile fertiliser prices. We’re not surprised that twice as many farmers are taking the opportunity to test, especially with our new SMN package now available.’
NRM’s new N-Check service, which launched at the beginning of the year, analyses soil for Nitrate-Nitrogen, Ammonium-Nitrogen, soil mineral nitrogen, and gives a total value for the combined soil depth. N-Check Plus adds soil organic matter (SOM) to estimate mineralisable nitrogen, Spring crop N to determine the soil nitrogen supply (SNS), and the SNS index based on RB209 guidelines.
‘We have received double the number of samples for SMN analysis in January compared with the same period in 2021,’ continued Rory. ‘The results are very interesting too. For example, while the average SMN value was 34kg N/ha across the three sample depths of 0-30cm, 30-60cm and 60-90cm, this increased as the sampling depth increased. This could suggest that nitrogen has leached further down the soil profile, potentially encouraging later fertiliser applications in the future. This type of value-added insight to inform future decision making, such as how much and how early fertiliser should be applied in the Spring, drives efficiency in an unpredictable market.’
‘We are delighted to be the laboratory of choice for so many advisors, crop production firms, and farm businesses across the UK,’ said Simon Parrington, Chief Executive Officer of Cawood. ‘We are committed to developing more innovative services like N-Check to support our customers in making the right decisions for their businesses.’
For more details on our N-Check services, contact us.
Cawood has acquired the Scottish microbiology and food chemistry testing laboratory, Express Micro Science (EMS).
EMS performs microbiological testing services for the food, leisure, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries to ensure products are safe for use and consumption. This acquisition takes Cawood into a new market for food safety testing, extending the group’s agrifood capability to the whole supply chain.
‘The Cawood group already has a leadership position in agricultural analysis,’ said Simon Parrington, Cawood’s Group Chief Executive Officer. ‘With EMS, we are now in a unique position to provide an end-to-end service for agrifood, starting with soil and plant tissue analysis for farmers and ecotoxicology testing for crop inputs. Now we can take food all the way through the chain up to quality control analysis for food on supermarket shelves all over the UK.’
Based in West Lothian, Scotland, EMS will operate as a division of Cawood, strengthening the group’s geographic reach and creating new opportunities for both businesses.
‘We are thrilled to be joining Cawood as our businesses are totally aligned, both in our vision for the future and our culture and values,’ said Jennifer Newton, Managing Director of EMS. ‘Becoming part of Cawood will allow us to grow and invest in our capabilities and capacity with the backing of the wider group.’
‘We are looking forward to working together to build both businesses, continuing to provide pinpoint accurate data and exceptional service for our customers,’ added Will Bates, Director of EMS.
‘I am delighted to welcome directors Jennifer and Will, the wider management team, and all our new colleagues to Cawood,’ continued Simon. ‘EMS has an excellent reputation for analytical testing and innovative solutions within the food safety sector. This fits perfectly with our strategy of extending our services to meet increasing customer needs and support a safer, healthier planet. Both Cawood and our new parent company, Ensign Bickford-Industries, are ready to support and invest in EMS as it continues to grow.’
About EMS
Express Micro Science (EMS), established in 2003, specialises in UKAS accredited microbiological testing services and solutions for the food, leisure, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries. Years of expertise in food and product safety testing make EMS one of the UK’s leading testing facilities to the food and beverage, agricultural, pharmaceutical and healthcare, and hotel and leisure sectors.
For more information, visit https://www.expressmicroscience.co.uk/.
NRM has teamed up with the NFU to offer its members a discount to measure their soil carbon. As part of the agreement, NFU members get 10% off NRM’s CarbonCheck and CarbonCheck Plus packages.
Earlier in 2021, NFU President and beef farmer Minette Batters had 13 fields at her farm tested using NRM’s CarbonCheck. This new service measures organic and active carbon as part of a comprehensive analysis suite and enables farmers to benchmark their soil health.
‘The agricultural industry is in a unique position as it is both a source of greenhouse gas emissions and a sink of carbon,’ said Minette. ‘As part of our ambition for UK agriculture to achieve net zero by 2040, we have partnered with NRM to give our members a 10% discount on its CarbonCheck services because we know farmers are keen to better understand where they are now, and measure progress to help us meet our ambition and support the planet.’
Soil samples were taken by Minette on each of the fields at her farm. The samples were then sent to NRM for analysis. CarbonCheck measures organic and active carbon as part of a comprehensive suite, as well as organic matter, C:N ratio, total nitrogen, total carbon, inorganic carbon, carbonate classification, and bulk density.
Minette was delighted with her soil carbon levels, which came back higher than NRM’s dataset average of over 4,000 samples. The farm’s average adjusted organic carbon stock (in tonnes per hectare) was 129 t/ha whilst NRM’s dataset average comes out at 98 t/ha, and their Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) level was 1.7% higher than the dataset average. By comparing the results for her different fields, Minette could determine what that meant for her future crop nutrition plans.
‘To increase soil carbon levels, I recommend tailoring crop nutrition plans for different fields, as they have varying potentials for carbon storage,’ said Rory Geldard, business development manager at NRM. ‘Options for soils with good potential include maximising growing crop frequency to increase organic matter returns and talking to agronomists to discuss introducing appropriate fertilisers. Both solutions will help increase carbon stocks and improve soil health overall.’
‘Soil analysis can really benefit the farm business, the environment, and improve soil health overall, as well as providing meaningful data,’ said Minette. ‘The NFU wants to make it easier for NFU members to realise such benefits.’
If you are an NFU member and want to take advantage of this deal, visit nfuonline.com/carboncheck for the next steps.
Cawood has acquired independent testing laboratory, Chemtech Environmental.
The addition of Chemtech expands Cawood’s waste testing, soil analysis, and environmental contamination testing services, extending its capacity and capability in these areas.
‘I am delighted to welcome John and Karan Campbell, the wider Chemtech management team, and all our new colleagues to Cawood,’ said Simon Parrington, Cawood’s Group Chief Executive Officer. ‘When I first met John and Karan earlier this year, I could immediately see that Cawood would be a great new home for the Chemtech team.
‘With Chemtech in the North and Elab in the South, this new acquisition consolidates our geographical coverage of the whole of the UK and Ireland for the environmental and infrastructure sectors. Chemtech’s excellent reputation and established 20 year trading history fits perfectly with our strategy of extending our environmental services to meet customer needs and support a safer, healthier planet.’
‘Our business is a good fit with Cawood, and we are thrilled to be joining the Group,’ said Karan Campbell, Co-Owner and Director of Chemtech. ‘It is clear that Simon and the team approach business in the same way we do. Cawood’s values on safeguarding the environment and delivering exemplary customer service reflect our own perfectly.’
‘We are looking forward to continuing to provide fast, accurate, and reliable reporting to our customer base as well as working together to grow both our businesses,’ added John Campbell, Co-Owner and Director of Chemtech.
Simon Parrington concludes, ‘Cawood looks for businesses with dedication to high quality and exceptional customer service, as well as philosophies and values that fit with our own. We are looking forward to working together to grow our Environmental and Infrastructure business units and strengthen our offering across the UK. I could not be more pleased to be welcoming Chemtech to the Cawood Group.
‘It has been an excellent team effort to complete our fourth acquisition of the year with our new parent company Ensign-Bickford Industries supporting us as we pursue our ambitious growth strategy.’
About Chemtech Environmental
Chemtech Environmental, established in 2001, specialises in Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) and contaminated land testing including soils, groundwater, leachate, effluent and wastewater analysis for the construction, infrastructure, and environmental sectors. On-site sampling and monitoring services are also available. The laboratory is UKAS and MCERTS accredited for a range of soil tests, and BS12457 accredited for WAC testing services.
For more information, visit chemtech-env.co.uk.