Environmental Analysis Lab

H2O in the spotlight

The analytical laboratory is designed to analyse samples from the environment. This includes, for example, water samples that can be analysed for chemical, biological and physical contaminants such as microplastics and pollutants.

In addition, we are also researching methods to remove such contaminants from the water.

Microscope: plastic abrasion from a salt mill being examined

Measurement of the COD value of a water sample with test kit

Testing samples for microplastics and their composition

Fume cupboard for chemical work
Workstations for student project work (student research projects and theses in Internal link opens in the same window:Applied Biology (ANB) and Internal link opens in the same window:Molecular and Technical Medicine (MTZ)
Workstations for the analytical practical course (ANB 6)
Development of interactive educational modules as part of the “Science Communication” elective
Knowledge transfer to society through the use of the developed modules at educational events in schools, at trade fairs and exhibitions.

FT-IR spectrometer (Frontier) with microscope (Spotlight 200) from Perkin Elmer
FT-IR spectrometer (Tensor 27) from Bruker
Reflected light microscope with camera (Leica)
Photometer (Nanocolor) from Macherery-Nagel
Photometer (Spectroquant Pharo 100) from Merck

Rheines Wasser, Tennesswim, Cleandanube, PureElbe (river analyses for microplastics and water quality parameters such as conductivity, COD, pH, phosphate, nitrate, etc.)
Microplastic typing and quantification from various sources in households and everyday life (salt mills, kitchen bowls, street brooms, plastic pipes as inlays for the rehabilitation of sewage pipes, etc.)
Norway project (microplastic investigation in the Arctic ice and waters)
RewitAl (Ongoing)
As part of this project, the recycling possibilities of highly weathered old plastics, such as plastic turf, are being investigated in collaboration with the universities of Aalen and Pforzheim. (Link: https://www.hs-aalen.de/de/facilities/256)