AQUatic Analysis Lab:

AQUA @ Michigan Tech


About


AQUatic Analysis (AQUA) Laboratory, located in the Great Lake Research Center at Michigan Technological University, was established in 2020 as a part of MTU’s Microanalytical Facility (MAF). AQUA aims to provide high throughput, low detection level water chemistry analyses of surface water for users at Michigan Tech and beyond.

Instruments and Equipment

SEAL Analytical AQ2 Discrete Analyzer

This analyzer automates analyses for orthophosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and more. The AQ2 analyzer has two robotic sampling arms and a motor-driven syringe that can mix samples and reagents internally, incubate samples in reaction wells, read and auto-clean the cuvette , and perform auto-dilutions for samples that are over analysis range.

Shimadzu TOC-LCPH analyzer with TNM-L

The TOC-LCPH is capable of measuring total carbon (TC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC, measured as TC-TIC), and non-purgeable organic carbon (NPOC). With the TNM installed inline, it is capable of simultaneously analyzing samples for total nitrogen (TN). The unit can be configured for high-sensitivity analysis, ideal for low-level analysis of drinking water, ground water, and surface water.

Turner 10-AU Fluorometer

The Turner 10AU is a field-portable instrument that can be set up for continuous-flow monitoring or discrete sample analyses. Measurements are extremely stable with stability measured in months or weeks as opposed to days or hours. Water-tight filter paddles enable quick change of excitation and emission filters so a variety of compounds can be easily measured on-site. Currently it is set up for chlorophyll a samples.