Responsible: Dr. Sergio Alvarez Ortega Laboratory Technician: Yolanda Valinani () Address: C/Tulipán s/n. Departmental II, office 221 28933 Móstoles Department: Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry Phone: 91 4888251 Website: http://nutrilab-urjc.es/ |
Description of the service/tests offered
The tests and services carried out at NUTRILAB are: Analysis of nitrates and nitrites, phosphates, ammonium, total nitrogen (inorganic + organic, after digestion), total phosphorus (inorganic + organic, after digestion), potassium by flame photometry, activity enzymatic (β-Glucosidase, acid phosphatase and urease), pH, conductivity, Organic Carbon, determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils, plant pigments (plants and algae). We have our own website: www.nutrilab-urjc.es
NITRATES, NITRITES, AMMONIUM AND TOTAL NITROGEN:
We are basically analyzing these nutrients in water samples from different sources, soils and plant matter.
In waters we use them as indicators of contamination, since their presence in them is associated with wastewater discharges, organic waste, intensive agricultural practices with fertilizers and pesticides, animal waste... Nitrates and nitrites in drinking water are toxic to humans and the animals.
Nitrogen is a fundamental element in plant matter, since it is a basic constituent of proteins, nucleic acids, chlorophylls, etc. Plants absorb it mainly through the roots in the form of ammonium and nitrates, which is why we are interested in knowing the availability of this nutrient in the soil.
PHOSPHATES AND TOTAL PHOSPHORUS:
We also analyze it basically in water, soils and plants.
Its presence in the water can indicate contamination by agricultural fertilizers, detergents, soil erosion, residues from industries and farms... It is not considered toxic to humans but it causes eutrophication.
Phosphorus is part of the composition of nucleic acids, as well as the reserve substances in seeds and bulbs. A lack of phosphorus causes a suffocation of the plant, slow growth, a reduction in production, smaller fruits and less expansion of the roots.
POTASSIUM:
We analyze it in soil and plant material samples because it is an important element acting as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions, starch metabolism and translocation, nitrate absorption, stomatal opening and protein synthesis.
ENZYMATIC ACTIVITIES: phosphatase, glucosidase, urease:
The fundamental role played by enzymatic activities in the soil lies in the fact that the functioning of ecosystems cannot be properly understood without the participation of enzymatic processes, since they are directly involved in the transformation of complex forms of carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen. of organic matter to nutrients readily available to plants, thus determining the pattern of much of the chemical transformation that occurs in the soil.
We obtain information on the chemical fertility of the soil by analyzing the activity of the microorganisms that reside in it. With phosphatase activity we see how they use phosphorus, with glucosidase activity, carbon, and with urease, nitrogen.
TOTAL CARBON:
We analyze it to see how much carbon there is in the soil because this will be what the microorganisms will have in the enzymatic processes to convert it into assimilable forms for plants.
pH:
Soil pH provides extremely important information in various fields of soil science. Plants can only absorb the minerals dissolved in the water, while the variation in pH modifies the degree of solubility of the minerals. Certain salts are less soluble at high pH, with the result that under such conditions they are less available for uptake and nourishment by plants. Others are more soluble in soil water at low pH, and when this occurs, they can be absorbed by the roots, being toxic at certain concentrations.
CONDUCTIVITY:
Electrical conductivity is used to measure the total concentration of salts in a solution. It can be an indicator of certain soil characteristics: salinity, texture and stratification, moisture, density, the level of organic material and its derivatives, nutrient leaching, boundaries in soil classification, drainage classes, and the groundwater recharge among others.
ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES BY HPLC:
HPLC allows the analysis of a multitude of chemical compounds of interest such as, in the field of bioremediation, we can identify hydrocarbons present in contaminated soils and waters (anthracene, perylene, phenanthrene, pyrene, naphthalene...), also in the field of plant physiology pigments are being determined and quantified (carotenoids, xanthophylls, chlorophylls, antheraxanthin, lutein, etc.) that give us data on the physiological state of the plant.
Available equipment
Equipment / Equipment Component |
Manufacturer/ Model |
Range |
Segmented Flow Nutrient Analyzer |
SKALAR / SAN SYSTEM SA3000-5000 |
NO2+NO3 NO2 NH3 P TOTAL No. K TOTAL P |
magnetic stirrer |
SELECT /Agimatic-E |
50 -350ºC 60-1600 rpm |
magnetic stirrer |
RAYPA/AG-2 |
250ºC |
Orbital shaker |
HEIDOLPH/unimax2010 |
20-400 rpm |
Precision scale |
COBOS/ AX-120 |
120 gr |
Balance |
AND/HL200 |
200 gr |
fume hood |
KOTTERMANN/ 2-420H |
|
Freezer |
WHIRPOOL |
-20ºC |
Freezer |
ZANUSSI |
-20ºC |
Drying and sterilization oven |
RAYPA/DO-150 |
250ºC |
Drying and sterilization oven |
SELECT/ digiheat |
250ºC |
Drying and sterilization oven |
SELECT/ incudigit |
80ºC |
micropipette |
GILSON /P100 |
100l |
micropipette |
GILSON/ P1000 |
1000 μl |
micropipette |
GILSON/ P2 |
2l |
micropipette |
GILSON/ P20 |
20 μl |
micropipette |
GILSON/ P200 |
200 μl |
digital micropipettes |
BIOHIT |
0,5-10 μl |
digital micropipettes |
BOECO |
100-1000 μl |
digital micropipettes |
BIOHIT |
10-100 µl |
digital micropipettes |
SOCOREX |
1-10 ml |
Grinder |
SCHOTT/Yellow line |
|
fridge freezer |
FAGOR/ |
no frost |
Fridge |
PHAGOR |
no frost |
oximeter |
Metrohon / Titrand 808 |
|
pH meter |
GILSON/LPG 21 |
|
Pipette |
Eppendorf / Multipetta Pro |
|
Water destiller |
MILLIPORE/ RiOs8 |
7.5LPH |
Water purifier |
MILLIPORE/Simplicity 185 |
|
ultra freezer |
NUAIR |
-85ºC |
UHPLC |
SHIMADZU / Nexera |
|
FT-NIR |
PERKIN ELMER/Spectrum 100 |
|
Particle counter |
BECKMAN COULTER /Z2 |
|
Analytical balance |
KERN/ABJ 120-4M |
0.0001-120g |
1-door upright refrigerator |
LIEBHERR /SK4210 |
|
1 Door Upright Freezer |
LIEBHERR /SGN3063 |