Technical Assistance Technical Assistance

Technical Support

TURI Laboratory

With decades of experience testing the performance of safer chemicals, the TURI Laboratory (Lab) offers guidance on how to improve your processes while also avoiding unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals.  TURI has analytical, microbiology and wet labs, as well as years of experience with testing and demonstration, all to help companies find safer alternatives that work.

The TURI Lab tests the performance of products for various applications and industries to encourage companies, institutions and product formulators choose and develop safer substitutes. Recognized for its excellence in finding safer alternatives to toxic industrial and janitorial cleaning products, TURI has decades of experience testing and demonstrating the effectiveness of safer alternatives for a range of industries and applications.  Whether you’re a metal finishing company, product formulator, facility manager or any organization looking for safer products and processes, our Lab can help.  Learn more below about these services.

Recognition

EPA’s Design for Environment, now Safer Choice, recognized the TURI Laboratory’s work by designating it as a “champion” in its Safer Detergents Initiative.  Jason Marshall, Director of TURI’s Laboratory was awarded the 2022 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) award by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable for decades of dedication in advancing the adoption of safer alternatives to toxic cleaning products.

  • The  TURI Laboratory is dedicated to reducing the amount of toxic chemicals used in cleaning. We test the performance of both industrial and janitorial cleaning products and equipment to encourage companies, institutions and product formulators to choose and develop safer substitutes.

    Whether you’re a metal finishing company, product formulator, facility manager, or anyone looking for safer cleaning products and processes, the Lab can help.

    Industrial Parts Cleaning

    The TURI Lab helps manufacturers to identify and adopt safer alternatives to toxic chemicals for industrial parts cleaning.

    Janitorial and Home Cleaning

    The Lab also works with formulators and distributors of cleaning supplies, as well as commercial and community organizations interested in promoting a healthier environment through safer cleaning practices.

    Sanitization and Disinfection

    The Lab and the Department of Clinical Laboratory and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of sanitizing and disinfecting products and equipment, with a focus on newer, less toxic products. The goal of this collaboration is to promote the health and safety of the workforce and the general population, especially in critical settings, like medical facilities, schools, public buildings, and food service.

  • The TURI Laboratory uses standardized testing procedures for testing, such as those required for testing both industrial cleaning and janitorial cleaning products. We work with conditions existing at the site where toxics are used, such as substrates, soils, contaminants, and cleaning equipment, whether testing on site or in our Lab.

    Validation testing

    We offer performance validation testing for label certifications such as Green Seal® or government purchasing programs. The Lab also can identify an effective formulation to fully meet a green certification.

    Lab Equipment and Processes

    Safer alternatives are tested on site with the facility’s equipment and staff to make sure that the product and the process work well together.

    With many different types of equipment, surfaces and methods available, the TURI Lab can help you find a safer solution that works for your specific situation.

    Our analytical methods for measuring how a substance worked include fluorescence, spectrometry, contact angle goniometry and more.  In addition, we have ultrasonic cleaning tanks, vapor degreasers and most recently we have added a Terg-O-Tometer.

    Lab Testing

    For cleaning products, the TURI Lab provides application specific selection, lab testing and field implementation based on client supplied information. Furthermore, we contract with equipment and chemical vendors in the cleaning industry to facilitate the development, formulation and validation of products.

    In order to provide a systematic methodology for comparing the effectiveness and performance, the TURI Lab uses various standardized test procedures for the relevant industries.

    Search or browse the CleanerSolutions database to review test and their results. To collaborate with the Lab on a switch to a safer cleaning practice, complete the Online Test Request Form.

  • Please complete the test request form below. After submitting your information, the lab specialist will contact you within a week. If you have any questions about the form or our testing methods, please contact Alicia McCarthy at [email protected] or at 1-978-934-3889.

    To learn more about our current performance data on cleaners and processes, please visit the CleanerSolutions database.

    Information in this survey may be available to the public. Please contact the laboratory if you wish to have this information remain confidential.

  • TURI developed tools to assist in evaluation safer alternatives:

    • P2OASys: TURI developed the Pollution Prevention Options Assessment System (P2OASys) tool to help companies determine whether the toxics use reduction (TUR) options they are considering improve upon their existing process when looking at environmental, health and safety topics. By using P2OASys, unforeseen negative environmental, worker or public health impacts may be identified prior to adopting the proposed changes.
    • CleanerSolutions:  You can find a wealth of performance data in the CleanerSolutions database for both industrial and janitorial cleaners. Why re-create the wheel? Search here first to see if any of the 1,500 product TURI Lab trials for industrial parts and janitorial cleaning solutions might bring you closer to a solution. Some of what you will find in CleanerSolutions:
      • TURI and third party tested products
      • Vendor information in addition to product information
      • Cleaning methods
      • Comparison
      • Testing studies and their results
      • Safety evaluations
      • Learn How to Use CleanerSolutions by Viewing these Short Tutorials
    Watch tutorials and learn more about P2OASys and CleanerSolutions
  • The Lab provides information on select cleaning topics. These include:

    • Dangers of Mixing Common Cleaning Products
    • Household Cleaning DIY Recipes
    • Trichloroethylene (TCE) Reduction
    • Disinfection
  • With decades of experience testing the performance of safer cleaning chemicals, TURI offers guidance on how to reduce viral exposures AND avoid unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals.

    Select Safer Disinfectants

    TURI has identified disinfecting products on EPA’s List N that contain safer active ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide*, alcohol (isopropyl alcohol or ethanol), citric acid, and lactic acid, among others. Avoid products that contain bleach, phenols or quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”).

    Protect Health by Adhering to these Disinfecting Safety Measures

    To help prevent the spread of viruses like SARS-CoV2 it is important to clean and disinfect hard surfaces such as countertops, faucet handles, doorknobs and anything else that is frequently touched. However, disinfectants that contain EPA-registered pesticides can cause health effects, including asthma (see TURI’s fact sheet). Follow these safety guidelines (appropriate for both consumers and businesses).

UMass Lowell Students in the Lab

UMass Lowell students hired by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute Lab learn how to evaluate the performance of safer chemicals and devices used for cleaning and disinfecting in industrial, janitorial and household scenarios.

Help companies reduce their environmental impact and gain lab experience for your future career by working in the TURI Lab. For more information, contact Jason Marshall.

    “I gained so much knowledge from TURI that I’m using at my current job. I’m working with chemicals on a daily basis that we used in the Hansen Solubility Parameters testing, following aseptic techniques, and the familiarity of working in a lab made this transition so easy for me.”

    Julie Nguyen
    B.S Public Health, 2019
    Chemical Lab Technician at Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc.

    “My experience at TURI has provided me with the knowledge and skills to successfully operate in various laboratory settings. The laboratory techniques I learned exposed me to a wide array of procedures that I can continue to use in my everyday lab practices.”

    Edward Judge
    Master of Public Health, Epidemiology, 2021
    Analytical Development Associate, Synlogic, Inc.

    “The TURI lab was a safe space for me to learn from real-world experiences and taught me critical thinking and problem solving skills that allowed me to become an independent scientist. I never understood how important it is to learn from failure without fear of consequence until I was outside of my academic lab settings and placed in a laboratory that works with real clients and various research projects.”

    Samantha Couture
    Master of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene / Master of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety 2019
    Health and Safety Specialist at U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA)
    Namrata Chauhan

    “TURI was a great experience that furthered my knowledge in both academic and professional principles as a steppingstone in my career. The daily interactions and projects I experienced while working in the lab were always exciting to contribute to and had a positive effect on real world applications.”

    Othon Pagounes
    B.S. Biomedical Science, 2020
    Quality Engineer at Smith & Nephew