United States
Environmental Protection
*m Agency

PHILIS: Portable High Throughput Integrated Laboratory

Identification Systems

PHILIS units are the EPA's mobile laboratory assets, under the Environmental Response Laboratory Network (ERLN),
designed to detect Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA) and Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TIC) in environmental samples. They
are currently stationed in Edison, NJ and Castle Rock, CO and can be deployed to any locations in the contiguous U.S.,
typically within 24-48 hours. PHILIS labs where designed to provide confirmatory on-site analysis on air, soils, waters and
wipe matrices for both CWAs and TICs, down to clearance goal levels. PHILIS may be deployed to terrorist attacks, natural
disaster sites, Superfund sites or exercises, and to perform environmental analysis at the request of EPA's regional offices.
PHILIS assets can be mobilized via EPA's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the ERLN.

•	Deployable within 6 hours of notification; operational within 6 hours of being on-site.

•	Operate via internal generators/supplies for 4 days before restocking/refueling required,

•	National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) certified for VOCs, SVOCs and PCBs in
water, soil, sediments, and wipes matrices using EPA Methods 8260/8270/8082. Pursuing certification for air
methods.

•	Estimate 100-200 samples/day for CWAs and TICs (24hr operations) for all matrices.

•	Analysis of environmental samples for CWAs via ERLN's Ultra-dilute agent (UDA) program. Detection limits to
health-based clearance via EPA's Selected Analytical Methods (SAM).

New Jersey

Colorado

2 - Analytical Trucks: 10 GC/MS instruments, for VOCs,
SVOCs, PCBs. 2- P & T systems for VOCs. Marks TDU
unit for air samples via TO methods. Air, soil, water and
wipe matrices.

Sample Preparation Trailer for automated (SPE, PSE) and
manual prep of soil, water, air, and wipe samples.

1 - Analytical Trailer: 6 GC/MS systems w/FPDs, for
VOCs, SVOCs. 2- P&T systems for VOCs, one
LC/MS/MS system. 2 Marks TDU units for air samples
via TO methods. Air, soil, water and wipe matrices.

Sample Preparation Trailer for automated (SPE, PSE) and
manual prep of soil, water, air, and wipe samples.

Sample Log-In trailer w/ Secure room for UDA/CWAs
standards storage. Pre-screening samples

Wirelessly connected Promium LIMS system, SEDD
electronic data deliverable. Compatible with ERLN,
SCRIBE and WebEDR data platforms.

Sample Log-In trailer w/ Secure room for UDA/CWAs
standards storage. Pre-screening samples

Wirelessly connected Promium LIMS system, SEDD
electronic data deliverable. Compatible with ERLN,
SCRIBE and WebEDR data platforms.

One LC/MS-MS system in fixed lab location for CWA
degradation products and special analysis.

One LC/MS-MS system for CWA degradation products
and special analysis.

http://www.epa.gov/oemerln 1 /index.htm!
http://www.epa.fov/sam/

Additional mobile bus w/ 3 Time of Flight (TOF) GC/MS
systems, for development of rapid CWA methods.


-------