Our soil scientists provide a water, sediment, and soil analysis service for various research organisations and agrochemical, chemical, and pharmaceutical clients. Our laboratory in Harrogate, England offers a range of chemical, physical, and biological analysis on soil, sediment, and water to meet GLP regulations. Smithers Harrogate holds a letter of authority (LoA) issued by the Animal Plant and Health Authority (APHA) for the handling and storage of non-Great Britain or European Union soils and sediment.

Our UK laboratory has been conducting high-quality GLP analysis for over 20 years, with team members having a combined soil science experience of over 50 years. As a result of our collaboration with LRA Labsoil, a specialist soil and environmental service company with over 25 years of experience, Smithers now has access to over 40 sites across the UK and Europe to cover a comprehensive range of characteristics and OECD guidelines. Smithers can arrange sampling of various soils, sediments, and waters, all of which are accompanied with a full analytical characterisation report to GLP.

The tests we provide help clients meet deadlines and applicable regulations from start to finish in a reliable and repeatable manner. Routine analyses include microbial biomass, particle size analysis, and organic carbon on soils and sediments and TOC, BOD, and water nutrients (such as ammonia and nitrate, among others) on water. See the Soil and Sediment Properties and Water Properties lists below for the typical list of tests we perform.

Types of analysis*
Smithers perform a range of physical, chemical, and biological analyses to characterise the test systems used in a range of environmental fate studies including Adsorption Desorption (OECD 106), Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformation in Soil (OECD 307), Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformation in Aquatic Sediment Systems (OECD 308), and Aerobic Mineralisation in Surface Water (OECD 309). 

Soil and Sediment Properties:
• Particle Size Distribution (%); UK and USDA (hydrometer method)
• Textural Classification; UK and USDA
• Disturbed pF 0 (0.001 bar, Maximum Water Holding Capacity) (%)
• Disturbed pF 2.0 (0.1 bar) (%)
• Disturbed pF 2.5 (0.33 bar) (%)
• Disturbed Dry Bulk Density
• Organic Carbon (%) (dichromate digest)
• Organic Matter (%) (by calculation)
• pH (1:5 in H2O)
• pH (1:5 in KCl)
• pH (1:5 in CaCl2)
• Cation Exchange Capacity (Ba - Mg exchange at pH 8.1)
• Total Nitrogen (%) (modified Kjedahl method)
• Microbial Biomass (fumigation extraction (FE) Method)

Water Properties:
• pH
• Oxygen Content (mg/L)
• Total Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3)
• Total Alkalinity (mg/L as CaCO3)
• Conductivity (µS/cm)
• BOD (biological oxygen demand)
• COD (chemical oxygen demand)
• Suspended Solids
• Amount of Material after Evaporation
• Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
• Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
• Nutrients (Total Nitrogen / Ammonium / Nitrite / Nitrate / Total Phosphorus / Dissolved Orthophosphate)

* If you require alternative analysis we are happy to discuss your requirements further to see if we can provide that service for you. Please contact us.
 
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