Our Environmental laboratories provide a diverse range of specialist equipment and expertise to support research, collaboration, consultancy and sample analysis. We are happy to work with people at a range of scales, from major projects through to analysis of a small number of samples. Services we can provide include:
Inorganic Analyses (by ICP-OES and IC)
We offer bespoke testing for metals, sulphur and phosphorus. With over 40 standards in house for elemental determinations, we are capable of analysing samples in both liquid and solid matrices.
Recent instrument upgrades to our ICP-OES have broadened our sample range to include those with high organic concentrations (e.g., oily petroleum products) and elevated total dissolved solids (e.g. sea water, leachate from concrete and cementous materials, and unconventional oil & gas wastewaters).
A range of anion/cation analyses can be conducted on our ion chromatographic instrument.
Environmental Forensics and Organic-Sample Determinations
We provide a comprehsnsive analytical assessment of contamination problems encountered in the environment. We can provide services, from simple sample analysis to bespoke consultancy where our goal is to be diagnostic and prognostic: understand the problem, interpret the data and advise actions to remedy the problem. With our comprehensive GCxGC-TOFMS and GC-IRMS we can assist in complete analysis and characterisation of complex samples.
Environmental Chemistry
We routinely perform environmental chemical analyses: soils and sediments (in accordance to BS and USEPA standards); water and wastewater (e.g., APHA, WEF and AWWA standard methods), aerosol and air pollution monitoring, and radiometric chemistry.
Other instruments supporting organic analyses include GC (MS and FID), LC and TOC analysers.
Environmental Microbiology
The microbiological laboratory is equipped with items required for molecular and microbiological analyses of communities from natural and engineered systems. Besides culturing and characterisation of micro-organisms, facilities are available to extract, purify proteins, DNA and RNA from many types of environmental samples. All work is undertaken in a biological Containment Level 2 facility—allowing one to safely handle, process and analyse pathogenic materials.
Our equipment
For skilled researchers, access to our equipment and facilities can be negotiated. We can discuss analytical requirements; provide safety and operational training, and maintenance support.