This may involve analyses of :

• natural materials such as soils, sands, clays, minerals or
• building materials, including cement, concrete, bitumen, coatings, etc.

The most commonly tested materials are: cements, clinkers, ashes, additives, aggregates, soils, sediments and building stones.

You carry out material characterisation tests, i.e. you assess the physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical and magnetic properties of materials. Knowing their characteristics enables you to ensure their conformity and control the risks of possible failures (cracks, breakage, corrosion, etc.).

As far as physico-chemical tests are concerned, chloride and sulphate measurements are carried out on concrete and cement, as well as sulphur and organic pollutant analyses on aggregates. Granulometry is carried out on concrete.

The EU environmental policy is largely determined by its implementation at national, regional and local levels. In France, each company is responsible for the waste it produces and/or holds until it is eliminated. Waste elimination involves the collection, transport, storage, sorting and treatment required to recover reusable elements and materials or energy, as well as disposal or discharge into the natural environment. Waste must be characterised. 
Depending on the category, the operators responsible for processing the waste are required to hold an authorisation.

This category of interlaboratory comparisons may be of interest to you:
Chemical pollutants in waste, sediments, soils, granulometry (see Chemistry in solid matrices)
By taking part in these interlaboratory comparisons, you will receive an estimate of your analytical performance, enabling you to improve the quality of your analyses of materials and waste.

• In order to prevent any environmental contamination (rivers, groundwater, soil, etc.), industrial companies must, depending on their activity, comply with requirements in terms of resources and/or results, as their discharges can have a significant impact on the environment and public health.
• Chemical substances (macropollutants and micropollutants) are analysed in wastewater from classified installations for the protection of the environment. It should be noted that industry is responsible for a large proportion of organic pollutants discharges and almost all discharges of heavy metals.
• Some substances, because of their complexity of analysis, deserve special attention: alkylphenols and their ethoxylated forms, free cyanides, PFAS (in particular in the textile industry), brominated flame retardants (BDEs). 
• The trace element content of the sludge is measured with a view to its possible application to land.
• Waste is characterised before it is landfilled or stored.

When it comes to controlling and reducing pollutant discharges into water, two major European regulations are essential:

• The Water Framework Directive (DCE 2000/60/CE) which sets targets for preserving aquatic ecosystems.

This Directive is transposed in each European country and requires that installations classified for environmental protection research hazardous substances in their effluents, with the aim of reducing or halting discharges and emissions of many substances. 

• The Directive No. 2010/75/EU, known as the "IED Directive" on industrial emissions (preventing and controlling industrial emissions).

As part of regulatory surveillance or self-monitoring, you ensure the validity of your results and monitor your performance by comparing it with the results of other laboratories.

Your laboratory is likely to be interested in these proficiency tests:

• Various chemical pollutants in waste waters (check Base parameters in waters, Metals in waters, Indexes in waters, Organic pollutants in waters)
• Chemical pollutants in waste, soil or sludge coming from your industrial waste water treatment plant (check Chemistry in solid matrices)
• Legionella in waters from cooling towers (check Microbiology in waters)
• Ecotoxicology (check Biology and ecotoxicology in waters)

By taking part in these intercomparisons, you receive an estimate of your analytical performance, enabling you to improve the quality of your measurements on your discharges.