Laboratory at PCT Guamá Raises Environmental Service Standards in the Northern Region
Structure has Inmetro accreditation and ISO certifications
The Environmental Control Center (NCA), resident at the Science and Technology Park (PCT) Guamá, has delivered the new Environmental Analysis Laboratory (LAA), an extension that enhances the engineering and environmental services for the public and private sectors in the Amazon region.
“The LAA, accredited by Inmetro, can perform services related to the issuance of water resource usage permits, monitoring the quality of groundwater, surface water, and treated water for human consumption, discharge of effluents, and characterization of solid waste, in compliance with Brazilian legislation. Additionally, it will be able to monitor beaches and streams intended for Amazonian tourism, checking if the waters are suitable for bathing, that is, if they have quality for recreation and leisure,” explains Neyson Mendonça, researcher and coordinator of the NCA, linked to the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).
Partnerships that Strengthen the Ecosystem
The Environmental Analysis Laboratory will work in partnership with the company Environ, specialized in business management and project development in Environmental Engineering, also resident in the Pará innovation complex. The collaboration strengthens and expands service provision to companies.
“The university reaches a limit, and the joint presence of two entities can reach other places that were previously not possible, especially in the Northern Region, where the dynamics of services are hindered by geography and logistics,” emphasizes Neyson.
The new NCA space meets international standards, specific environmental service legislation, and has ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certifications. “The laboratory already has ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 4500 (health and safety), ISO 14001 (environment), and ISO 17025 (competence of testing and calibration laboratories), accredited by Inmetro for environmental sampling and testing. We will request NCA accreditation for all laboratory services with Inmetro. Thus, we will have a reference laboratory in the State for the collection of soil, sediment, water, effluents, contaminated areas, waste, and batteries — all with accreditation, ensuring the legality of the services,” details Augusto Saraiva, the company's director.
Directors João Weyl and Renato Frances, from the Guamá Foundation, the science and technology institution that manages the technological park, attended the delivery of the Laboratory. “The partnership between NCA and Environ adds to our innovation ecosystem. The association between companies and laboratories is extremely important and enhances the Park,” said the president director João Weyl.
“We have examples of companies that emerged and are still incubated within laboratories. Here is an integrated environment, and this relationship between NCA, which has specialists, and Environ, which has expertise in environmental service certification, is an innovative experience. I hope it grows and brings more business to the PCT,” added João Weyl.
Hito Braga, director of the UFPA Technology Institute (Itec/UFPA), also participated in the delivery of the new space and highlighted that the location will meet the needs of the State. “Some experiments that are currently done in São Paulo could be carried out here. The creation of this laboratory will allow that, making it possible to execute in Belém work that was previously done in other states, at a much lower cost. The PCT deserves congratulations for hosting this important laboratory for our Amazon.”
Services in Pará
The NCA operates in areas such as water resources, sanitation, environment, soil and sediment monitoring, solid waste characterization, and treatment of water and effluents. Among the services already performed in Pará are consultancies for assessing the water quality of Barcarena, preparation of mass balances and calculations of pollutant loads from public and private enterprises, as well as technical support for scientific research in meteorology and climatology, especially for the sectors of mining, food, sanitation, and solid waste.
According to Neyson, the laboratory emerged as a strategic and innovative initiative in the State of Pará, to develop programs and projects aimed at environmental sanitation in the Amazon and for the Amazon.
Wagner Cardoso, commercial manager of the company Guamá Waste Treatment, highlighted the importance of the new services for the market. “We already have a partnership with the university and with the NCA, conducting relevant environmental studies in the area of waste management. Now, with an accredited laboratory capable of providing quality service, we raise the level to a reliable standard that the market and large companies expect,” he states.
The NCA is located in the Innovation Space, building of PCT Guamá, on the first floor, rooms 15 and 17.
Reference in Innovation in the Amazon
The PCT Guamá is an initiative of the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher, Professional and Technological Education (Sectet), with partnerships from UFPA and the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (Ufra), managed by the Guamá Foundation.
It is the first technological park in the Northern region of Brazil, aiming to stimulate applied research and innovative and sustainable entrepreneurship, in order to improve the quality of life of the population.
Located on the banks of the Guamá River, which gives its name to the complex, the PCT is situated between the campuses of the two universities and has a rich biodiversity ecosystem, extending over 72 hectares, designated for buildings and the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of the Metropolitan Region of Belém.
The complex has more than 30 resident companies (physically installed in the Park), more than 40 associates (linked to the Park but not physically installed), 17 research and development laboratories for processes and products, and a technical school.
The PCT Guamá integrates the National Association of Promoters of Innovative Enterprises (Anprotec) and the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (Iasp), and is part of the largest innovation ecosystem in the world.
