The Scientific Laboratory Division (SLD) provides laboratory analysis and scientific expertise for public health policy development, environment, and toxicology programs in New Mexico (NM). SLD provides timely identification in order to prevent, identify, and respond to threats to public health and safety from emerging and unusual infectious diseases in humans, animals, water, food, and dairy, as well as chemical and radiological hazards in drinking water systems and environmental water, air, and soil. In addition, the laboratory performs drug testing and provides expert witness testimony for forensic investigations of Driving While Intoxicated/Driving While Under the Influence of Drugs (DWI/DUID) and cause of death from drugs and infectious disease. SLD is the primacy bioterrorism and chemical terrorism response laboratory for the state and provides training for clinical laboratories throughout New Mexico. 

New Mexico statute dictates that the Scientific Laboratory Division is the primacy laboratory for the NMDOH, the New Mexico Environment Department, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, as well as the testing and regulatory authority for impaired driving testing.

The Scientific Laboratory is New Mexico’s official public health, environmental monitoring, and forensic toxicology laboratory. In the above roles, the Scientific Laboratory Division operates the following programs:

• Infectious disease reference testing laboratory for the New Mexico Department of Health, NM hospitals, and clinical labs;
• Primacy NM regulatory drinking water testing laboratory for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NM Environment Department;
• Regulatory air testing laboratory for NM Environment Department and City of Albuquerque;
• Primacy NM regulatory dairy testing laboratory for the Food and Drug Administration and NM Department of Agriculture;
• Veterinary infectious disease reference testing laboratory for the NM Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Services;
• Food borne infectious disease testing laboratory;
• Certification inspectors for private dairy and dairy testing laboratories for the NM Environment Department and the NM Department of Agriculture;
• DWI/DUID alcohol and drug testing laboratory;
• State toxicology expert witnesses for DWI/DUID criminal cases;
• Certifying authority for NM law enforcement officers for breath alcohol testing;
• Bio- and chemical terrorism response laboratory for New Mexico;
• Disease and drug testing laboratory for the NM Office of the Medical Examiner.

FY18 OPERATING BUDGET: $ 12,904,200

• General Funds:      $7,599,600
• Other Transfers:    $1,251,100
• Federal Funds:       $2,646,000
• Other State Funds: $1,407,500

During the fourth quarter of FY18, some of SLD’s accomplishments included:

• The Chemistry Bureau:
  • Was certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to perform Method 200.8 for the detection of Mercury.  Using this method allows results to be reported more rapidly than the current method (245.1).
  • Was among only a few public health laboratories in the nation that were EPA approved to perform chemical testing under the Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR4).
• The Toxicology Bureau has reached out to state partners such as the Attorney General's Office, special prosecutors, and the state's Drug Recognition Expert coordinator to strengthen relationships with the laboratory in combating DWI in New Mexico.
• The Biological Sciences Bureau:
  • Assisted the NMDOH Epidemiology and Response Division with a Legionella investigation involving an elderly care facility.
  • Identified a rarely encountered Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolate, which was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Completed verification of new hepatitis B surface antibody assay on the Architect i1000 instrument. 
  • Prepared and presented a poster at the 2018 Association of Public Health Laboratories annual meeting describing rabies testing.