Need Help? Call: 907-277-2111 Text: 833-277-0718 or Email

Zender Environmental Health & Research Group is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

What We Do

Water Quality

As climate change impacts continue to increase and as large-scale mining and construction projects become more prevalent, environmental sampling, including water and soil sample collection, have become a large part of everyone’s IGAP programs. Zender is committed to helping rural Alaska communities use water and soil sampling to meet the challenges of protecting the health of their residents and the environment through our robust Qualified Sampler training, free distance/on-site technical assistance, and our free Qualified Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) creation support.

Qualified Sampler Training

During our on-site Qualified Sampler training we offer instruction on typical water quality parameters and the equipment that you can use to collect them effectively, including hands-on experience with the YSI, Hanna Combo Meter, and Turbidity Meter. Our training also includes instruction on the collection of soil, surface, and groundwater samples for laboratory analysis, including hands-on experience sampling for different contaminant constituents. During the training we also utilize an on-site fecal coliform sampling tool that can be utilized by rural Alaskan residents to screen for bacteria. Once you have completed the course you will have met the training requirements set by the State of Alaska for the “Qualified Sampler” designation that all samplers working on State sites must have.  For upcoming trainings, check out our training page.

FREE Technical Assistance

Zender provides free technical assistance, either distance or on-site, for a variety of issues, including water and soil sampling. We can assist communities with questions or issues pertaining to their water quality equipment, including calibration procedures. We can also provide help with the collection of water and/or soil for laboratory analysis, including help with Chain of Custody’s (CoC). We have also conducted multiple on-site visits to assist in the collection of environmental samples for a variety of contaminants.

QAPP Development Assistance

Zender has worked with dozens of communities throughout rural Alaska to provide support in the creation of EPA required QAPPs. Under IGAP, a QAPP is required by the EPA prior to the collection of environmental data, a process that can be overwhelming and difficult at times. Zender utilizes their years of experience to assist communities in the development of QAPPs so that they can then utilize all the knowledge they have gained from previous trainings to properly collect the data needed to protect the health of their residents and the environment.

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Call (907) 277 2111, email info@zendergroup.org , or text us (833) 277-0718 for assistance