Expertise
- Air Quality
- Mobile & Area Source Air Pollutant Emissions
- Basin-Scale Water Quality Modeling & Measurement
- Bioremediation
- Biosolids Management
- Drinking Water Treatment & Production
- Water & Wastewater Treatment & Reclamation
- Fate & Transport of Toxic and Hazardous Contaminants
- On-site Wastewater Treatment
- Stormwater Management
- Surface Water / Groundwater Quality
Highlighted Projects
Environmental Quality Laboratory Policies & Rates
The EQL now offers laboratory space and instruments to the USU community in hourly/daily rates, as well as sample analysis for USU researchers and the public.
Environmental Quality Laboratory Instrumentation
Organic Analysis
Analysis of non-volatile organic compounds in water (reverse phase chromatography)
Diode array and fluorescence detectors
Pharmaceutical and personal care products analysis
Limit of detection in μg/L range
Fully automated 96-well microplate analysis system: fluid handling, plate mixing, incubation timing, optical reading, calculating, and reporting
Uses enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits for analysis of :
- Nodularin + microcystins
- Anatoxin-a
- Cylindrospermopsin
- Saxatoxins
- Assay kits also available for
- Pesticides, herbicides
- PCBs
Analysis of 40 + PFAS compounds in various matrices in a PFAS free system minimizing background noise and contamination
PFAS MRM date base for rapid method development and quantitation
High sensitivity
Application focused tuning and workflow facilitate analysis and quantitation of personnel care products and pharmaceuticals, lipids, metabolites, and pesticides in addition of PFAS
Detection levels at ng/L levels
Direct liquid injection or headspace analysis with a CTC PAL autosampler system for the analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds
Frontier Laboratories Multi-shot micro furnace pyrolyzer
Characterization of natural organic matter and humic materials
Identify and quantify different types of plastic polymers
High sensitivity and low background results in 0.1 ug detection limits
Analysis of total organic carbon or dissolved organic carbon in water samples with a working range from 5 µg/L to 10,000 mg/L carbon
Analysis of total nitrogen in water samples using chemiluminesence detection
Inorganic Analysis
Analysis of major cations and anions in water
Analysis of low molecular weight organic acids in water
Conductivity detector
Automated eluent generation
Analysis of 30+ elements in water, soil, sediment, tissue samples
High sensitivity and low background results in ng/L detection limits
MS/MS ensures reliable results for difficult elements such as Si, P, and S
MS/MS analysis of raw earth elements
Stable isotope analysis
Particle size analysis of microplastics by single particle (sp) ICPMS
Characterization of metal nanoparticles by sp-ICPMS
Spectroscopy
Scanning range 185-900 nm
Integrating sphere allows generation of spectrum for films, gels, creams, and metallic foils
High-throughput absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence assays
Performs A-TEEM spectroscopy, simultaneous Absorbance, Transmittance, and Fluorescence Excitation-Emission-Matrix (EEMs). Commonly used to monitor and track dissolved organic matter composition.
Many applications in water analysis:
- Measuring colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) composition, with applications in tracking DOM in wastewater treatment and early identification of HABs
- oil-in-water analysis
- benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) analysis
- identifying and quantifying complex biomolecules
Microbiology
Real-time gene quantification and microbial community profiling with qPCR (e.g., ARGs, HABs)
Fluorescence imaging of microbial and eukaryotic cells; biofilm and cell physiology studies
NanoBrook 90 Plus PALS
Dynamic light scattering for particles/molecules size over the range of 0.3 nm-6 µm at 90° and 15°
Phase light scattering for particle/molecular surface charge determination (zeta potential)
Sample Preparation
Inorganics
- Milestone Ethos EZ Microwave Digestion System
- Environmental Express Hotblocks
Organics
- Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) of organic compounds in water samples on C18 or mixed-mode resin cartridges.
- CEM EDGE automated solvent extraction system
- Liquid-Solid extractions via traditional Sohxlet
Other Microbiology
- Bio-Rad iQ5 Real Time PCR Detection System for quantitation of targeted DNA sequences
- Thermo Scientific Nanodrop 1000 spectrophotometer for quantitation of total DNA
- Thermo Scientific Nanodrop 3300 fluorospectrometer for quantitation of total DNA
- CO2 incubators that can be operated at sub- and super-ambient temperatures, a laminar flow hood, biological safety hood, a -70° C Revco freezer, and microscopes with phase-contrast and epifluorescence capability
Other Resources
- Two Coy anaerobic glove bags
- Two constant temperature rooms of approximately 400 square feet of floor space each that are capable of maintaining temperatures of between 10° and 30 ± 2° C
Environmental Engineering Education
Faculty in the Environmental Engineering Division hold joint appointments with the Utah Water Research Laboratory and either the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering or the Department of Biological Engineering in the College of Engineering at USU.
The academic curriculum incorporates specialized coursework and research and training experiences that give students valuable experience in understanding and addressing environmental issues and challenges in the State of Utah and throughout the world.