The Laboratory performs analysis of water (of drinking, natural, surface, sewage, mineralized, mineral, distilled water), precipitation (of slush), soil, benthal deposits, peat, sub-soils and biotesting.The Laboratory works in the area of ecological monitoring. It can determine contamination level of soils, water bodies (in comparison with maximum contamination level); prepare and provide for customers analytical and calculated information on environment condition, its contamination.
Due to the effective labour arrangement of the Laboratory and almost twenty-four-hour apparatus operation we managed to reach the optimal price and service quality ratio.
The Laboratory is equipped with the most advanced analytical devices and facilities produced by the leading world companies (about 40 units of complex equipment). In combination with high qualification and experience of specialists our instrumentation pool allows to reach accuracy while performing the analysis of water, soil, benthal deposits that complies with European and world standards` requirements.
Analysis accuracy is provided by the exactly specified sampling system, the internal system of quality assurance, effective work management, the use of advanced equipment, high qualification of the personnel, regular improvement of analysis techniques.
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The Laboratory has three departments (groups):
Group to analyze soil and benthal deposits
Group to analyze water
Biotesting group
The group to analyze soil and benthal deposits examines the following objects:
 | soil; subsoils; silt, moss, peat; benthal deposits |  |
Having performed analyses of soils, moss, peat, silt, subsoils, benthal deposits one can determine the following chemical composition parameters: power of hydrogen (pH of water, pH of salt), moisture, hydrocarbonates, carbonates, chlorides, sulphates, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, draw dissolved solids, specific electrical conductivity, ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen, exchangeable sodium, total ferrum, ash, content of various forms of heavy metals (total, acid-soluble, mobile), nitrates, organic matter (humus), mercury, cation exchange capacity (CEC), anionic surfactant, phenols, petroleum products, mobile forms of phosphorus and potassium.
The group to analyze water examines the objects:
 | drinking water; natural water (surface, ground); sewage water, purified sewage water; mineralized and mineral natural ground water; distilled water; precipitation (slush). | |
In compliance with regulatory requirements to the above listed analysis objects the following parameters are determined: power of hydrogen (рН), colour value, turbidity, odour, taste, salt content, solid residue, total hardness, permanganate value, boron, bromide ion, chloride ion, sulphate ion, nitrate ion, nitrite ion, ammonium, carbonate ion, hydrocarbonate ion, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, fluoride ion, iodide ion, phosphate ion, polyphosphate ion, silicium, ferrum, aluminum, manganese, copper, zinc, strontium, cobalt, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead, lithium, mercury, barium, surfactant, phenol index (phenols), petroleum products, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, suspended substances, dissolved oxygen, total hardness, total base number, oxidation-reduction potential (Eh), specific electrical conductivity.
A method to prepare a sample for analysis depends on apparatus sensitivity and the concentration of tested compound in water. This procedure is extremely important as exactly at the phase of sample preparation the losses of the analyzed element are possible. For sampling we use plastic and glass flasks produced by Pyrex and Duran companies. The cleanliness of the vessels intended for sampling is regularly controlled with wipe analysis.
To analyze organic impurities in water chromatographic methods are used that allow performing with high sensitivity and selectiveness identification and assay of many compounds within wide concentration range with compositionally modulated complex matrixes.To analyze trace quantities of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds the most informative and reliable analysis technique is chromatography-mass spectrometry. To determine volatile organic compounds sorbent concentration method is used followed by desorption (Purge&Trap technique).
Alongside with traditional photometric techniques to determine anions and cations we use ion chromatography technique.
 |  | Water ionic content analysis is performed using Dionex ion chromatographs with conductometric detectors, membrane anionic suppressors with automatic regeneration. The devices are equipped with autosamplers, result processing is carried out using computer. |
Persistent organic pollutants (POP) have toxic properties, are resistant to degradation, are characterized by bioaccumulation and are the object of transboundary transfer in the air, water and by migrating species, they also precipitate far from emission source accumulating in land ecosystems, water ecosystems and in fat tissues of living organisms.
The analysis of chlorophenols, including dioxins and furfuranes, and of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is performed with reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography using Hewlett-Packard Agilent computer controlled devices.
Heavy metals contents (Cd, Pb, Co, Fe, Cu, Ni, As, Hg etc.) in water bodies are determined using Contr AA-700 combined atomic-absorption spectrophotometer with continuous spectrum source (Xe-lamp) that allows to determine metal concentrations automatically using flame, electrothermal and chemical sample atomization. Another atomic-absorption spectrophotometer, Shimadzu AA-6300, operates on the basis of the traditional principle and it can deal with all available today validated techniques for determination of heavy metals in water.
Biotesting group:
 | The Laboratory performs biotesting of: natural water (surface, ground, subsoil, snowmelt); sewage water, storm water; soils, subsoils, benthal deposits, silt, compost, treatment plant residuals, rocks. |  |
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As a method to evaluate aquatic environment toxicity biotesting is used:
• to evaluate toxicity of industrial, sewage domestic, agricultural, drainage, contaminated natural and other water,
• to control emergency discharge of high toxic sewage water,
• to evaluate toxicity level of sewage water at various formation stages of local treatment plant design,
• to determine the level of safe sewage dilution for aquatic organisms for the purpose of recording biotesting results for adjustment and establishment of maximum permissible discharge (MPD) of substances arriving into sewage water reservoirs.
For biotesting Daphnia magna plankton filter-feeding crustacean and Chlorella vulgaris seaweed are used.
Analytical procedures in the Laboratory are carried out in three specialized departments:
• chemical analysis department;
• spectrophotometry and electrochemical method department;
• chromatography department.
Tested parameters, analysis techniques and main devices used in the departments are listed in the table below.
Analytical devices
| Chemical analysis department | ||
| Tested parameters | Analysis techniques | Analytical devices |
| Physical-chemical parameters Non-organic compounds Organic compounds Organoleptic indicators Dissolved gases | Conductometry Gravimetry Ion chromatography Organoleptics Potentiometry Titrimetry Spectrophotometry Capillary electrophoresis | Scimadzu analytical balance Dionex ion chromatographs Ion meters, conductometers Mineralizers Unico, Shimadzu spectrophotometers Photoelectric colorimeters Titration systems “Kapel” capillary electrophoresis system |
| Spectrophotometry and electrochemical method department | ||
| Tested parameters | Analysis techniques | Analytical devices |
Heavy metals Alkali metals Alkaline-earth metals Petroleum products | Atomic-absorption spectrometry with electrothermal and flame atomization Atomic-emission spectrometry IR-spectroscopy Potentiometry Photometry | Atomic-absorption spectrometers: ContrAA-700 (with electrothermal and flame atomization), Shimadzu-6300 (flame atomization), Kvant-Z.ETA (electrothermal atomization); IR-Fourier-spectrophotometer Thermo Nicolet iS 10 Ion meters |
| Chromatography department | ||
| Tested parameters | Analysis techniques | Analytical devices |
| Volatile organohalogen compounds Pesticides Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Petroleum products Phenols and chlorophenols Organic solvents Total and organic carbon Polychlorinated biphenils Ether-extractable substances Organic compounds using EPA 625 and EPA 524.2 Assay of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds | Gas chromatography Chromatography-mass spectrometry High performance liquid chromatography Gravimetry (petroleum products analysis) | Vario Cube Elementar analyzer of total carbon and nitrogen Gas chromatographs Crystal-5000, Crystal 2000М Fennigan Fokus DSQ II, Scion 451-GC Bruker Daltonics chromatography-mass spectrometers Agilent, Dionix liquid chromatographs “Agilent 1200” liquid chromatograph with tandem quadrupole mass-spectrometer with “Appplied Biosystems/MSD Sciex API 2000” electrospray ionization source |
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Spectrophotometry department
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Head of chromatography department PhD in Chemical sciences Tretyakov N.U.
The Laboratory is provided with auxiliary equipment to perform sample preparation (solid-phase extraction, microwave degradation system) and additional reagent purification (device for acid distillation, deionizers).