Environmental Laboratory
The Environmental Laboratory is a strategic unit of the Scientific and Technical Research Centre on Arid Regions (CRSTRA). Our mission is to provide high-level scientific expertise for the characterization, monitoring, and preservation of natural resources in arid and semi-arid zones. Equipped with cutting-edge analytical tools (GC-MS, HPLC, AAS), we ensure high-precision analysis to address the environmental challenges of the Algerian South.
Laboratory Objectives
Our laboratory's core objectives are structured around four major pillars:
- Environmental Monitoring: Ensuring rigorous quality tracking of water and soil in arid regions.
- High-Precision Analysis: Detecting and quantifying micro-pollutants and heavy metals using GC-MS, HPLC, and AAS technologies.
- Research Support: Empowering CRSTRA’s scientific projects related to desertification and climate change.
- Expertise & Service: Providing specialized analytical services and technical diagnostics to socio-economic and industrial partners.
Laboratory Analysis Services
Our laboratory performs a wide range of specialized analyses using high-performance instrumentation:
- Chromatographic Analysis (GC-MS & HPLC)
- GC-MS: Detection of pesticides, hydrocarbons (PAHs), and essential oil profiling.
- HPLC: Analysis of vitamins, polyphenols, organic acids, and non-volatile pollutants in water and plant extracts.
- Metal Analysis (AAS)
- Heavy Metals: Quantifying Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and Chromium (Cr) to assess environmental toxicity.
- Trace Elements: Analysis of Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), and Manganese (Mn) in agricultural soils and irrigation water.
These techniques allow the separation and identification of complex organic molecules:
The Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) technique is dedicated to detecting metallic elements:
Cutting-Edge Instrumentation
The laboratory is equipped with world-class analytical instruments to ensure high precision and reproducibility:
- GC-MS (Shimadzu)
- AAS (PerkinElmer)
- HPLC
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry system, used for analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, and essential oils.
High-sensitivity Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, dedicated to the quantification of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg) and trace elements in soil and water samples.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for the separation and quantification of complex and heat-sensitive molecules.
