Environmental technology is the application of scientific knowledge, engineering and policy to protect the environment and address sustainability.
Our Environmental Technology Laboratory has all the analytical equipment needed for simple water tests – from biochemical oxygen demand to suspended solids, nutrient analysis, pH and conductivity.
Our researchers are currently using the lab to investigate microplastics in wastewater and as indoor air pollutants, using nano technology to remove herbicides from wetlands, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in harbours, and recycling ash waste from incineration in Energy Recovery Facilities.
The lab is mainly used for teaching and projects by students on engineering courses including BEng / MEng Civil Engineering, BEng Construction Project Management and MSc Civil Engineering. Students from other departments, including the School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences and the School of Mechanical and Design Engineering, use the lab equipment for projects on an ad hoc basis.
Equipment
- pH meter
- Conductivity meter
- Field kits for nutrient analysis
- Dissolved oxygen meter
- Chemical oxygen demand digester and meter
- Fume cupboard
- Field microbiology kit for coliform testing
- Drying ovens, fridges and incubators
- Vacuum filtration equipment
- High temperature furnace for heat stress tests and loss on ignition
- Calorimeter
- UV/Vis scanning spectrophotometer