The Water Quality Laboratory of the Segura Hydrographic Confederation, O.A. it is located in the south wing of the first floor of the Casa del Agua, next to the Santomera reservoir (Murcia), with a total area of 324 m2 .
Its objective is to monitor the quality of inland waters (surface and groundwater) and that of wastewater discharges that occur in the basin. To do this, it carries out an exhaustive control of discharges, investigative tasks in the event of any death of fish or of affecting the quality of the waters (appearance of foams, coloration, etc.) and any other related function. Equally noteworthy are the tasks of collaboration with other organisms or entities of joint actions of sampling and / or analysis of samples.
For this, the Laboratory receives samples of water, sediment or biota for processing and analysis from different origins: mostly, from its own staff, following accredited interim procedures, but also from the Confederation's Water Police Service (Environmental Agents and River Nursery) and other entities such as the Civil Guard, Collaborating Entities of the Hydraulic Administration, Cedex, etc.
The Laboratory is divided into five areas:
- Sampling area and on-site analysis.
- Physical-chemical analysis area.
- Instrumental analysis area: spectroscopy and chromatography sections.
- Microbiological analysis area.
- Quality.
The following table shows the working techniques and the parameters analyzed:
| Area | Techniques | Teams | Parameters |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-situ sampling and analysis | Sample ID | LIMS | |
| Sampling | Equipment for water and sediment sampling, Secci disks, GPS | Flow, transparency | |
| Sample transport and preservation | Portable fridge with compressor, cold rooms and freezer | ||
| Electrometry | Multiparameter probes | pH, conductivity, oxygen, temperature | |
| Physical-Chemical Analysis | Sample pretreatment | Desiccators, agitators, centrifuges, ultrasonic baths, stills, digestion and extraction equipment, fume cupboard | |
| Gravimetry | Scales | Suspended solids, oils and greases | |
| Volumetry | Volumetric material | Alkalinity, organic matter | |
| Electrometry | Selective electrodes | pH, conductivity, BOD5 | |
| UV-VIS spectrophotometry | UV-VIS spectrometers | Ammonium, Boron, Nitrites, Chromium (VI), Phenols, Chlorophylls | |
| Photometry | Photometers | COD, ammonium, phosphate and total phosphorus, nitrate and total nitrogen, cyanide, surfactants, chlorine (free, total and combined). | |
| Manometry | Thermostatic cabinets and oxitop heads | DBO5 | |
| Ion chromatography | Ion chromatograph | Anions: Fluorides, chlorides, nitrates, phosphates, sulfates Cations: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and hardness |
|
| Infrared spectrometry | Infrared Spectrometer | Dissolved hydrocarbons | |
| Instrumental Analysis | Gas chromatography | Chromatograph with mass detector; injection systems: P&T, thermal desorption | Pesticides - Organochlorines - Organonitrogens - Organophosphates Comp. Volatile and semi-volatile organic Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons |
| Plasma emission | Optical Plasma (ICP-AES) | Chemical elements: arsenic, copper, zinc, cadmium, chromium, iron, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, etc. | |
| Microbiological Analysis | Ecotoxicity | Toxicity Analyzer | Ecotoxicity (UT50) |
| Filtration and cultivation | Stoves, autoclaves | Ecotoxicity (UT50) Coliform Bacteria, Salmonella, Intestinal Enterococci, E-Coli, etc. |
The activity and intervention of the laboratory is in constant adaptation to the regulatory requirements, conditions of the basin and advances científico-técnicos. Sample of the effort made by the laboratory staff is the evolution in the number of samples and analytical determinations observed in recent years. To highlight, in 2012 the number of samples taken by laboratory personnel fell over the previous period however, the number of tests has increased in the same period due to increased samples taken by external staff (Police service of Waters and Channels of this body, Seprona and collaborating entities):
Evolución del número de muestras tomadas (2008-2018)
Evolución del número de ensayos realizados (2008-2018)
Accreditation
In 2006 the Laboratory passed the first accreditation audit of ENAC (National Accreditation Entity) by the UNE-EN ISO / IEC 17025 standard. Since then it has passed the mandatory follow-up audits, expanding the scope of its accreditation according to the regulatory obligations or needs of the service.
Download the accreditation granted (nº 527 / LE1133 rev. 13 of the Technical Annex, 11/16/2018) which can also be consulted at www.enac.es
