Monitoring pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in water is becoming increasingly complex as both compound diversity and regulatory expectations continue to rise. Water authorities, regulators and operators are now required to detect and report trace-level contaminants with a high degree of confidence. At SGS Australia, we meet this challenge through fully accredited pesticide analysis delivered from our Notting Hill laboratory.
Across potable water, groundwater and wastewater, regulatory frameworks increasingly mandate reporting at very low limits of reporting (LORs). Health-based guidelines, including the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, require reliable detection at sub-parts-per-billion concentrations. This places significant demands on analytical sensitivity, method robustness and data quality.
SGS provides comprehensive pesticide analysis for water using accredited gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. Together, these complementary methods deliver broad compound coverage and analytical confidence across a wide range of pesticide, herbicide and fungicide classes. Multi-residue analysis can be achieved in one or two runs per sample, supporting efficient turnaround times while reducing analytical and operational costs.
Our flagship LC-MS pesticide method for water is fully validated and accredited by NATA. The method can determine up to 69 individual pesticide, herbicide and fungicide compounds in a single analysis. Minimal sample preparation, combined with parts-per-billion reporting limits, ensures high analytical sensitivity without compromising turnaround time. This makes the method well suited to routine compliance monitoring as well as targeted investigations.
To support evolving regulatory requirements and site-specific risks, SGS can readily extend its analyte suite to meet client needs. Where appropriate, multiple orthogonal analyses can be performed from a single sample bottle, reducing sampling volumes and simplifying field programs. All methods are developed with flexibility and robustness built in from the outset, ensuring reliable, defensible results when data certainty matters most.
View our full pesticide analytical capability list, covering more than 240 compounds: Trusted Pesticide Testing for Water
For a comprehensive overview of our pesticide analysis, view our brochure: Reliable Pesticide Analysis for Water, Soil and Air
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of over 100,000 dedicated professionals. With more than 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.
Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and reliability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and a portfolio of trusted specialized brands, including Applied Technical Services, Brightsight, Bluesign and Nutrasource.
SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH1256740924, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN SW).
