Real Estate Transactions: In Oregon a real estate transaction triggers well water testing for the following items: Arsenic, Nitrate, and Total Coliform bacteria. Pyxis Laboratories sells a Real Estate Kit at competitive pricing that runs all the required tests. Arsenic may leach out of the surrounding geology. Coliform bacteria and nitrate may come from surface water run off or a septic system drain field. Since these are health risks these tests should be ran every few years or if there is an infant in the home as well as the required testing during real estate transactions. With the appropriate information in hand, the laboratory can suggest possible solutions to these problems.

Public Water Systems: If you pay a water bill, you get your water from a public water system. This means your water quality is closely monitored. However, water systems do not routinely test within the household for possible problems. At this point it becomes the responsibility of the resident to take control of water quality care. Plumbing and fixtures can corrode so older homes should be tested for lead, copper, zinc.

Pyxis Laboratories offers a special price for this test in our Corrosion Kit. For information on the health effects of these metals please refer to the Heavy Metals Toxicity Table. It has been suggested that residents test for lead, the most toxic of these metals, every few years.

Many municipal water systems fluoridate their water supplies; the recommended level of fluoride is around 1 ppm. Pyxis Laboratory's Fluoride Kit provides testing for the level at which your public water system fluoridates the water, which will help medical professionals make specific recommendations for proper fluoride treatment if the correct level is not met.

Private Wells: Oregon and many other states have no regulations that require private water wells or individual water wells or springs to be tested or treated for corrosion or even toxic metals. It is up to you to monitor the safety of your own private water well. Please refer to the Heavy Metals Toxicity Table for details describing the health effects.

It has been suggested that residents test for lead, the most toxic of these metals, every few years. It is also important to test for pH (acidity or alkalinity), hardness, and salt content. Water that is acidic, or has a lower than ideal pH, will attack household plumbing and aquifers and, in the process, leach out metals that can be both toxic to consumers and lead to plumbing failures. Pyxis Laboratories offers our Corrosion Kit, which provides the variable testing needed at a special price.

Water that is too alkaline, or has a higher than ideal pH, may leave deposits or scale formation which can clog up pipes and restrict water flow. Pyxis Laboratories has a Hardness Kit available for a special price that will test your waters hardness.

Does your well water have the recommended levels of fluoride? Drinking water should have around 1 ppm of fluoride in it to ensure proper dental health. Pyxis Laboratories offers a Fluoride Kit to test the fluoride levels in your wells water, which will help medical professionals make specific recommendations for proper fluoride treatment of your water.

Any additional testing should be driven by objectionable taste or odors or by concerns about chemical contamination, fertilizer application, or observation of suspicious activities.

Mold and Yeast: Good home air quality is taken for granted, however as homes become more energy efficient there is less opportunity for moisture to escape, leading to mold development. For more information on this issue and it's health risks, please read our Mold and Yeast article. Pyxis Laboratories offers a Mold and Yeast Kit to test for air particulates, suspected residues, and more.

Asbestos: Older homes may have building materials which contain asbestos. Exposure to asbestos fibers has been found to produce cancer. For more information on the health risks of asbestos read our article on the subject. Pyxis Laboratories can identify suspect fibers with our Asbestos Kit and make recommendations on how you should proceed.

Lead: Exposure to lead can happen from breathing living space air or dust from deteriorating lead paint. Children can be exposed from eating lead-based paint chips, chewing on coated toys, or playing in contaminated soil. For toxic effects see Heavy Metals Toxicity Table. Pyxis Laboratories can test the safety of items such as toys, and determine concentration of lead if present in chipped or peeling paint.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sends out alerts when a new product contains hazardous levels of certain toxins. The focus is often on the paint, dye, or glaze used on walls, toys or ceramics. The safety of older or antique items can also be a problem. Pyxis Laboratories can test the safety of items such as chipped or peeling paint, paint or coatings used. Quite often these tests are nondestructive which allow for the product to be returned unharmed. With the appropriate information in hand, the laboratory can suggest possible solutions to any problems found.