This laboratory is staffed by research professionals, and has extensive research equipment and space, to conduct highly complex analyses of physical, chemical, and biological parameters of surface water, groundwater, wastewater, and sediment.

It features cutting-edge instruments, such as:

• A UV-VIS Spectrophotometer (Perkin-Elmer, Lambda 2)
• A gas chromatograph with a mass detector, GCMS (Agilent Technologies 5975C)
• Plasma (Spectro Genesis)
• A total organic carbon and total nitrogen (TOC/TN) analyzer (Thermo Scientific)
• Field equipment for in situ t, pH, O2, conductivity, and redox analyses (SEBA, WTW)
• A high-performance microscope (Zeiss)
• Calcinators, ovens, incubators, and other minor laboratory equipment and glassware.

The following analyses are conducted at this laboratory:

Physical and Chemical Analyses of Water

• In addition to conventional water quality parameters: heavy metals, metalloids, and non-metals (a total of 29 elements), total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), phenols, pesticides, PCBs, and PAHs
• Analyses of water stability and aggressiveness
• Field measurements and sampling (surface and depth) from watercourses, reservoirs, groundwater sources, and municipal and industrial wastewater discharge outlets
• Field measurement at watercourses and water discharge outlets, including current discharges and the concentration and mass flow of each measured parameter
• Collection and analysis of sediment samples, as needed, for metal content and other pollution indicators

Biological Analyses of Water

• The laboratory analyzes surface water, groundwater, wastewater, sediments at drinking water wells, as well as activated sludge originating from the biological treatment of wastewater.
• Biological analyses include: conventional indirect cultivation methods using liquid and solid culture media (total bacterial count, coliforms, fecal coliforms, and pseudomonas), direct microscopic methods for samples of different origin (e.g., iron bacteria and activated-sludge filamentous bacteria), and BART (biodetection) tests.

The laboratory routinely conducts analyses for assessing chlorophyll concentrations in surface water.