Instrumental Analysis Lab. is a specialized laboratory to conduct analysis related to environmental contaminants for all the environment elements, including soil, water, air and following international quality standards with an emphasis on the regulation standard ISO / IEC 17025: 2005. This lab offers laboratory services to researchers and university students in the undergraduate and higher studies as well as supporting governmental institutions and companies of private sector interested in environmental affairs studies. Our goal is to achieve best accuracy and workmanship to reach excellence in community service and strive through our specialist society, the state and humanity in environmental aspects.
The laboratory obtained the reliability according to the Standard ISO⁄IEC 2005:17025 from the Laboratory Accreditation Department in the Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning in the testing of heavy metals and the measurement of dissolved salts.
The laboratory is equipped with the following sophisticated instruments:
* Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer 6300, Shimadzu, Japan.
* Flame Photometer, PFP7, Jenway, UK.
* Auto Analyzer, AA3, SEAL Analytical, Germany.
* UV1800-Spectrophotometer, Shimadzu, Japan.
* pH meter and electrical conductometer.
Beside high performance technology, routine equipment's and devices such as: distillation apparatus, fumes hood, microbalances, oven, furnace, vibrators and water bath. Are also available the vast requirements of the Iraqi environment necessitate a lot of work ongoing analysis of its components to make sure no contamination and propose appropriate solutions for the treatment and disposal of contaminants. Environmental Research Center employee laboratory automatic analysis to provide all the facilities available for those interested in the field in addition to providing educational lectures and education in the field of chemical analysis to environmental pollutants.
Many graduate and postgraduate students get the benefits from the experience and the facility of ERC. In 2014, five research projects for the analysis of heavy elements belong to the employees of the center and postgraduate students from the College of Science for Girls, Baghdad University and the Institute of Laser, and the Department of Building and Construction at the University of Technology. In 2015, heavy metals analysis were as well as conducting various tests using UV-visible spectrometer (Shimadzu UV-1800) for the benefit of employees of the center and postgraduate students in the Building and Construction, and the Applied Science Departments at the University of Technology, as well as the completion of four research projects at ERC.
Table: Analytical methods for selected parameters
|
No
|
Parameters
|
Methods
|
Instrument and Origin
|
Lower Detection Limit
|
Instrument range
|
|
1
|
Conductivity (µS/cm)
|
Method 2510 B “Conductivity Method”
|
Portable pH-EC-TDS meter, Model HI 9811, HANNA, Italy
|
-
|
0 - 6000 μS/cm
|
|
2
|
pH (standard unit)
|
Method 4500 H+ “pH value”
|
-
|
0.0 to 14.0 pH
|
|
3
|
Water Temperature (ºC)
|
Digital Thermometer
|
-
|
0.0 to 70.0°C
|
|
4
|
Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L)
|
Method 2540 C, “Total Dissolved Solids dried at 180°C”
|
-
|
1 mg/L
|
-
|
|
5
|
Total Suspended Solids (mg/L)
|
Method 2540 D, “Total Suspended Solids dried at 103°C-105°C”
|
-
|
1 mg/L
|
-
|
|
6
|
Turbidity (NTU)
|
Nephelometric Method, 2130 B
|
Turbi direct, Lovibond, Germany
|
0.01 NTU
|
-
|
|
7
|
Sulfide (mg/L)
|
4500 S Ion Selective Electrode Method
|
Ion Selective Electrode, Model PP25, Sartorius, Germany
|
30 µg/L
|
-
|
|
8
|
Al (mg/L)
|
Method 3030 E, “Acid Digestion and Analysis By Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
|
Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Model AAS 6300, Shimadzu, Japan
|
3 µg/L
|
|
|
9
|
As (µg/L)
|
1 µg/L
|
|
|
10
|
Ba (mg/L)
|
2 µg/L
|
|
|
11
|
Cd (µg/L)
|
0.2 µg/L
|
|
|
12
|
Cr (µg/L)
|
0.1 µg/L
|
|
|
13
|
Cu (µg/L)
|
1 µg/L
|
|
|
14
|
Fe (µg/L)
|
1 µg/L
|
|
|
15
|
Pb (µg/L)
|
1 µg/L
|
|
|
16
|
Mn (µg/L)
|
0.2 µg/L
|
|
|
17
|
Hg (µg/L)
|
0.1 µg/L
|
|
|
18
|
Se (µg/L)
|
2 µg/L
|
|
|
20
|
Ag (µg/L)
|
0.2 µg/L
|
|
|
21
|
Zn (µg/L)
|
1 µg/L
|
|
|
22
|
Na (mg/L)
|
Flame Photometric Method
|
Flame Photometer, Model PFP7, Jenway, UK
|
0.2ppm
|
0 to 199.9ppm
|
|
23
|
K (mg/L)
|
0.2ppm
|
0 to 199.9ppm
|
|
24
|
Phenols (mg/L)
|
G-360
|
Auto Analyzer 3, SEAL Analytical GmbH, Germany
|
|
|
|
25
|
Nitrite/ Nitrate
|
G-109
|
|
|
|
26
|
Alkalinty
|
G-148
|
|
|
|
27
|
Ammonia
|
G-102
|
|
|
|
28
|
Chloride
|
G-133
|
|
|
|
29
|
Fluoride
|
G-383
|
|
|
|
30
|
Hardness
|
G-244
|
|
|
|
31
|
TN
|
G-305
|
|
|
|
32
|
TKN
|
G-188
|
|
|
|
33
|
Phosphate
|
G-103
|
|
|
|
34
|
Phosphate
|
G-304
|
|
|
|
35
|
Hydrogen Sulfide
|
G-213
|
|
|
