Analytical services unit

The Analytical Services Unit (ASU) in CSIRO Land and Water is based in Adelaide, South Australia and has been providing analytical services for over thirty years.

The primary purpose of ASU is to provide analytical services to CSIRO researchers and their collaborators on a fee-for-service basis. Our laboratory may also provide government and industry clients with specialised analysis upon request.

Our ASU laboratory

ASU has accreditation from the Australasian Soil and Plant Analysis Council (ASPAC) for selected soil and plant analysis. Our laboratory actively participates in the water Environmental Nutrient Collaborative Trials (ENCT) and in ASPAC proficiency programs for soil and plant analyses.

ASU is a well equipped laboratory and provides an extensive range of chemical analyses on environmental samples.

Instrumentation

• ICP-OES
• LECO
• Ion chromatography
• Nutrient analyser
• Carbon and nitrogen analyser
• ICPMS

Analytical capabilities

Water analysis

• Nitrogen forms (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, total nitrogen)
• Anion analysis (sulphate, phosphate, chloride, bromide and fluoride)
• Carbon forms (total carbon, inorganic carbon and dissolved organic carbon)
• Cation analysis (Ca, Mg, Na, K and S)
• Metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Zn)
• Trace metal analysis (including rare earths)

Plant analysis

• Total carbon and total nitrogen
• Elemental analysis (Ca, Mg, Na, K, S, P, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Zn)
• Trace metal analysis

Soil analysis

• Carbon forms (total carbon, inorganic carbon (carbonate) and organic carbon determined by difference)
• Nitrogen (total, ammonia and nitrate)
• Elemental analysis (Ca, Mg, Na, K, S, P, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Zn)
• Physical properties including particle size, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations
• Trace metal analysis (including rare earths)