Rafael Leniz Email & Phone Number

I obtained my Doctorate in Chemistry majoring in Biochemistry from The American University in Washington D.C. in May 1984. My doctoral thesis research was on mass spectrometry at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).After graduation I went to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) managing the Gas Chromatography /Mass Spectrometry department at the National Institute on Aging.I went back to the NIST on a joint research project between NIST and The American University on detection of cocaine metabolites in human fluids. I became familiar with drinking water testing including bacteriological, oxygen demands, metals, organics and inorganics in1988 when I went to California to work as Technical Director for Coast to Coast Analytical Services and later for BC Laboratories. Much of the work there was the monitoring of drinking water from the different municipal water providers from the area. During this period I learned the process of laboratory certification and quality assurance procedures.In 1993 I went to work on the development of Halcyon Laboratories as a subsidiary of Aquageosciencies and obtained certification from the California Department of Health for this laboratory.I taught several chemistry courses at Taft College during 1993 and 1994 and also worked for Rainsoft Inc. a water purification company during the years 1995 to 1998 before going to Chile as consultant to design an analytical laboratory and manage the process of certification.In May 2003 I went to Kuwait as Laboratory Director of Central Environmental Laboratory to work on the assessment of the environmental damage due to the oil field fires set by the troops of Iraq as they retired. In Kuwait I presented the laboratory for ISO 17025 certification, obtaining such certification on April 2004. There I supervised the analyses of total petroleum hydrocarbons, metals and anions in soil, marine waters and underground waters.I joined CVWD on April 2006.