I recently sat down with Rob DeMalo, Vice President of Operations for Building Sciences, and Ron Schott, former owner of DCM Science Laboratory and an expert in x-ray diffraction, mineralogy, and microscopy. We talked about how the integration of DCM Science Laboratory with Pace® Analytical brings together complementary strengths, expanding capabilities and creating new opportunities to better serve our clients. Their perspectives reflect a shared commitment to collaboration, quality, and continued innovation.
Tell us a little bit about DCM and what drew Pace® to acquire them?
Rob: DCM Science Laboratory, Inc., established in 1984, boasts a rich history, evolving from an asbestos-only laboratory into a versatile minerals testing and consulting firm renowned for its advanced microscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) services. This deep expertise, especially in these highly specialized analytical techniques and their proven track record, made them an ideal partner for Pace®, as it perfectly complements and significantly enhances our existing environmental offerings. Ultimately, integrating DCM’s unique strengths allows us to offer clients an even broader and more sophisticated suite of analytical services.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the capabilities DCM brings to Pace®. What makes this acquisition so valuable?
Rob: DCM brings two distinct yet highly valuable capabilities: AIHA-accredited industrial hygiene analysis and advanced minerals identification. Their industrial hygiene lab provides critical respirable crystalline silica (RCS) analysis, serving a robust market that includes high-level engineering consulting firms and diverse industries such as construction, mining, concrete manufacturing, and maritime. In addition, their asbestos capabilities enhance our current offerings.
Complementing this, DCM's XRD, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy expertise offers specialized mineral identification and analysis supporting the mining and geotechnical markets. This expertise also creates strong synergies, particularly with our Pace® Western U.S. Laboratory operations and its established customer base, collectively strengthening our position as a comprehensive analytical partner.
Let’s shift our focus now to an important workplace safety topic: crystalline silica. Can you explain what it is and why it’s a concern?
Rob: Crystalline silica is a naturally occurring mineral found in materials like sand, stone, concrete, and ceramics. It’s been used for thousands of years—from shaping tools in ancient times to manufacturing high-tech glass and industrial products today. Because it’s so common, many people come into contact with it in their daily lives without any significant health risk.
However, the concern arises when people are exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS)—the fine particles generated during high-risk activities like cutting, drilling, or grinding materials that contain silica. Workers in industries such as construction, sandblasting, and mining are especially vulnerable. Inhaling these fine particles over time can cause silicosis—an irreversible, potentially fatal lung disease
Given those health risks, what kind of regulations are in place to protect workers?
Rob: In recent years, U.S. regulatory bodies have taken significant steps to limit exposure to RCS in the workplace. Agencies like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration), and various state-level programs have established strict Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL). These limits are typically set at 50 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) over an 8-hour time-weighted average.
Some states, such as California, have gone even further with more stringent requirements, particularly for high-risk industries. These include mandatory exposure assessments and additional controls for specific tasks. The goal is to ensure that employers are actively identifying and mitigating silica exposure risks before they affect worker health.
Q: What are the core components of a truly robust sampling strategy for Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)?
Ron: A robust RCS sampling strategy combines regulatory compliance, best practices for exposure assessment, and efficient field protocols. This holistic approach is critical, not only ensuring strict compliance with occupational health regulations but also providing actionable, high-quality data essential for safeguarding worker health and informing engineering controls. Ultimately, a truly effective strategy must possess the flexibility to adapt dynamically to the inherent variability of diverse workplace environments and operational conditions, ensuring consistent protection across diverse work environments.
Q: What Testing Methods and Analysis are used to support the sampling strategy?
Ron: As Rob discussed monitoring respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure is a key part of keeping workers safe—especially in industries like mining, construction, and manufacturing where silica dust can be a serious health risk.
The process usually starts with air sampling. During a worker’s shift, a small pump is worn that pulls air through a respirable sampler—a device designed to capture just the tiny dust particles that can reach deep into the lungs. Some common tools include traditional cyclones and the more modern Parallel Particle Impactors (PPIs), which are approved by OSHA and MSHA and offer improved sampling accuracy.
Once the samples are collected, they’re sent to an ISO 17025-accredited lab for analysis. That accreditation is important—it ensures that the testing meets strict quality standards and gives reliable results for assessing silica exposure.
At Pace®, we use x-ray diffraction (XRD) to analyze the samples. XRD is considered the most accurate method available for detecting and measuring crystalline silica. It follows well-established protocols like OSHA ID-142 and NIOSH 7500, and it’s especially good at identifying the three main forms of crystalline silica: α-quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite.
These tests are typically conducted on air samples from workers' breathing zones or various job site locations. But we can also analyze bulk materials like settled dust or rock using modified versions of those same methods.
All in all, using XRD and following standardized testing procedures ensures you get trustworthy, actionable data—which is exactly what you need to keep your team safe and in compliance with health regulations.
Thanks. Now we’re shifting focus to another key aspect of DCM’s core strengths — the specialized identification and analysis of minerals, particularly in support of the mining and geotechnical industries. Can you tell us more about DCM’s role in mineral characterization and how it fits into the broader Pace® strategy?
Rob: Absolutely. When we acquired DCM, one of the standout capabilities they brought to the table was their deep expertise in supporting industrial mineral projects. Their work goes far beyond basic analysis — they specialize in evaluating material purity, identifying trace contamination, and characterizing the physical separation properties of various mineral types.
This aligns perfectly with our existing portfolio and allows us to better serve clients in both established and emerging markets. Their technical focus spans silicate minerals, heavy mineral sands, and silica sands. By applying detailed mineralogical and chemical assessments, DCM provides the kind of specialized testing that is crucial for both mining and geotechnical applications. This includes metallurgy, process mineralogy and forensic mineralogy including contamination analysis.(note: did not address pharmaceuticals – do we want to?)
Bringing their expertise into the Pace® family not only strengthens our current offerings but also opens the door for expansion into new markets and deeper engagement in the ones we already serve.
Q: One of the key specialties brought into the Pace® family through the recent acquisition is advanced petrography — the microscopic study of rocks and minerals to understand their composition, texture, and formation. How does this expertise enhance the capabilities of Pace® in the mining and geotechnical sectors?
Ron: The addition of petrography significantly elevates our capabilities across both mining and geotechnical applications by delivering in-depth mineralogical insights that support exploration strategies, processing efficiency, and materials performance.
Our team’s specialization in ore petrography—particularly in the analysis of opaque minerals and their textural relationships with gangue materials—enables highly accurate identification of ore types and mineral associations. This level of detail is critical for effective resource evaluation and optimizing processing workflows.
With this expertise, Pace® now offers:
Comprehensive rock characterization: Including the identification of primary rock-forming minerals and potentially deleterious phases—essential for aggregate quality assessments and cement production.
Advanced ore petrography: Delivering detailed analyses of opaque minerals, alteration products, gangue relationships, grain sizes, and mineral intergrowths, which are fundamental to understanding ore behavior during processing.
Digital photomicrograph documentation: High-resolution imaging that visually supports our analytical conclusions, enhancing the clarity and transparency of technical reports.
Petrographic analysis of concentrates and tailings: Helping resolve mineral processing challenges by assessing mineral liberation, particle size distribution, and residual target mineral content.
By integrating this advanced petrographic capability, Pace® is now equipped to provide more informed, data-driven insights into the geological materials we work with. This means better decisions in exploration, resource development, and engineering—ultimately supporting our clients with more precise, efficient, and reliable solutions.
Can you tell us about projects focused on mineral product purity and contamination?
Ron: Our team specializes in evaluating product purity, contamination, and physical separation characteristics across various industrial materials. We have significant experience with:
Industrial Silicates: We assess the aspect ratio of minerals like wollastonite and talc, identify trace impurities and inclusions, measure free crystalline silica content, and detect asbestiform minerals.
Heavy Mineral Sands: We determine the relative proportions of key minerals such as ilmenite, rutile/anatase, and leucoxene, along with zircon, monazite, and other trace minerals. We also evaluate the presence of free crystalline silica.
Silica Sands: Our analyses identify opaque inclusions that may affect total iron (Fe) content. We also conduct heavy mineral separations to quantify and characterize refractory mineral phases.
This broad experience allows us to provide detailed mineralogical evaluations to ensure product quality and regulatory compliance.
Rob, do you have any concluding remarks?
Rob: The acquisition of DCM Science Laboratory marks a significant step forward for Pace® Analytical. While we’ve long supported clients with high-quality environmental and industrial hygiene testing, DCM’s advanced analytical capabilities—such as x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and petrography—enhance both the depth and precision of our services. From respirable crystalline silica analysis to specialized mineral characterization, we’re expanding our expertise while staying true to our commitment to responsive, data-driven client support. This strategic growth empowers our customers with even more comprehensive solutions for complex challenges.