The Laboratory of Organic Compounds Analysis, which has been operating since 2000, is one of the five organizational units of the Department of Environmental Monitoring in the Central Mining Institute. The Laboratory, together with other laboratories and the rest of the Institute, is working by a certified Integrated Management System that meets the requirements of PN-EN ISO 9001, PN-N-18001 and PN-EN ISO 14001.
We are a group of qualified chemists with years of experience and professionalism is our advantage. We have constantly developed perfecting research team over the years. We have created many innovative analytical solutions. The management system is according to PN-EN ISO / IEC 17025: 2005. Our credibility and unquestionable competence are confirmed by a testing laboratory accreditation No. AB 145 by the Polish Centre for Accreditation. We guarantee reliable results for the most demanding customer.
The Laboratory is also involved in the work of the Polish Committee for Standardization section.
Laboratory makes difficult environmental studies. We can determinant various types of organic compounds in samples. We research to the chemical industry, waste management, mining, environmental engineering, construction, energy, food industry and agriculture. We also make non-commercial researches which are require a scientific approaching to the problem.
We worked with chromatographs equipped with detectors, such as detector mass spectrometry (GC-MS), flame ionization detector (GC-FID), electron capture detector (GC-ECD) detector, thermo-Conductive (GC-TCD) detector, UV-VIS spectrophotometer (HPLC / UV-VIS), a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD), fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD).
We use extraction for sample preparation. We have equipment for solid phase extraction (SPE) and the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE).
The laboratory makes tests on various types of matrices, including:
- groundwater and surface water;
- drinking water, mineral water, medicinal water and spring water;
- rain water (waste rain);
- waste water (industrial and municipal landfill leachate);
- ground and soil;
- wastes;
- building materials, aggregates, sediments, dusts;
- liquid mixtures of solvents and diluents;
- plants and food products.
The laboratory performes researches the following parameters (research in the scope of the accreditation PCA):
a) in water and wastewater:
- trihalomethanes THM: trichloromethane, bromodichloromethane, chlorodibromometan, tribomomethane and carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethylene (TRI ), tetrachlorethylene (PER), 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC), dichloromethane (DCM);
- index of mineral oil (petroleum hydrocarbons);
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH);
- trichlorobenzenes (TCB);
- volatile aromatics (BTEX) in water and waste water;
- organochlorine pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, organonitrogen pesticides.
b) in grounds and soils:
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH);
- mineral oil (C10-C40);
- volatile aromatics (BTEX and styrene).
The Laboratory also performes researches out of accreditation scope:
- gasoline in environmental samples;
- extraction yield of solid samples polar and non-polar solvents;
- composition of solvents and diluents;
- polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water, wastewater, soil and grounds.
- Energy wastes, coal mining wastes, industrial and municipal wastes;
- Grounds;
- Soils;
- Mineral aggregates;
- The binders;
- Solid fuels;
- Alternative fuels;
- Solid biofuels.
We also have huge experience in working with other objects which are not in scope of the accreditation yet:
- Brown coals, cokes, atmospheric dust, dust filters with drown air, mineral resources, different types of sediments and other environmental samples.
The Laboratory performes tests in scope of accredited by the Polish Center for Accreditation:
- Moisture content analysis and total dry matter;
- Ash content and volative matter;
- Nitrogen, chlorine, chlorides, sulfur, hydrogen;
- Total organic carbon and inorganic carbon;
- Heat of combustion and calorific value;
- Chemical compositons: SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, K2O, SO3, TiO2, P2O5;
- Trace elements: arsenic As, barium Ba, cadmium Cd, cobalt Co, chromium Cr, copper Cu, Hg mercury, manganese Mn, molybdenum Mo, nickel Ni, lead Pb, antimony Sb, selenium Se, tin Sn, and Zn
- Free CaO;
- Ammonium compounds (ammonium nitrogen);
- Size distribution by sieving and laser diffraction;
- The pH of the aqueous extracts.
Tests out of scope an accreditation are:
- True density, bulk density, water absorption, resistance to frost, specific surface area;
- Moisture of the distillation, volatile components;
- Available phosphorus, reactive silicon dioxide, sulfates soluble in acid and water;
- Fluorine, free cyanide and fixed cyanide, phenols, sulfides;
- Trace elements: boron B, bromine Br, beryllium Be, vanadium V, Sr strontium, thallium Tl;
- Rare earth metals: scandium Sc, yttrium Y, lanthanum La, cerium Ce, praseodymium Pr, neodymium Nd, samarium Sm, europium Eu, gadolinium Gd, terbium Tb, dysprosium Dy, holmium Ho, erbium Er, thulium Tm, ytterbium Yb , lutetium Lu;
- Stearin, microspheres;
- The chemical resistance of the materials used in the production;
- Other according to customer.
Division of Ecological Researches is a part of Department of Environmental Monitoring in Central Mining Institute. Institute has implemented certified Integrated Management System according the requirements of PN-EN ISO 9001, PN-N-18001 and PN-EN ISO 14001. The credibility of research and technical competence of the Laboratory has been also certified by accredited No. AB 145.
Division performs field works including:
- Collecting of environmental samples of grounds, soils, water and wastewater;
- Descriptions of geological profiles;
- Researching of permeability index (filtration);
- Researching of the flow of watercourses and filtration coefficient of ground surface;
- Study stability of landfill slopes.
Collecting and transport of samples is carried around the Poland. A team of experienced employees samplers, who are equipped with specialized sets, guarantees high quality of services provided under all conditions.
Division of Ecological Researches offers monitoring of environmental according Polish law. We guarantee the participation and assistance in the process of obtaining administrative decisions.
Division of Ecological Researches prepares evaluations, expert reports and opinions of:
- Contamination of soils and grounds in relation to quality standards;
- State of the investment areas;
- The quality of surface water and groundwater;
- Basic characteristics of the waste to deposition;
- Economic deposition of waste underground and on the ground surface;
- The possibility of using recycled aggregates;
- Determine the suitability of mineral wastes for their use as aggregates in building, road construction and as a raw material in industries;
- The possibility of using various types of waste as alternative fuels;
- The possibility of using municipal sewage sludge;
- Binders used in underground construction.
Division of Ecological Researches uses modern equipment and uses highly specialized software to interpretation of the measurement results and visualization.
Employees working in the Division of Ecological Researches have wide expertise and years of experience. The team includes specialists in geology, hydrogeology, physics and environmental protection. They have powers of experts from a list of Silesian Governor for the protection of nature, the preparation of environmental impact assessments, as well as the powers of the Minister of the Environment in the field of hydrogeology.
Division of Ecological Researches performs field works including:
- collecting of environmental samples of grounds, soils, water and wastewater;
- descriptions of geological profiles;
- researching of permeability index (filtration);
- researching of the flow of watercourses and filtration coefficient of ground surface;
- study stability of landfill slopes.
Collecting and transport of samples is carried around whole Poland. A team of experienced employees, who are equipped with specialized sets, guarantees high quality of services provided under all conditions.
- Reports of environmental impact assessments with participation in administrative proceedings in order to obtain the environmental decision;
- Initial reports;
- Environmental reviews;
- Integrated permits;
- Expertise, evaluation and opinions on the protection and opportunities for environmentally safe use of waste on the surface and underground mining excavations and recovered raw materials;
- Environmental opinions on binder materials and formulations used in underground mines in the area of voluntary certification for safety mark ""B"";
- Research (identification), and disposal of hazardous waste, eligibility codes corresponding to the hazardous waste or non - hazardous waste;
- Physicochemical analysis of materials, including waste used as an additive for fuels, alternative fuels and renewable fuels;
- Comprehensive monitoring of landfills in the full range of phases resulting from their operation – pre-operational, the operational and the after-closure;
- A comprehensive studies of soil quality and the ground quality to making decisions about way of using or remediation in accordance with applicable standards, together with an assessment of their chemism and their health risks;
- Monitoring the state of environment before investments and also monitoring the state of the degraded post-industry environment (and post-mining) to make decisions about restoration or further use;
- Evaluates corrosivity of water against concrete and steel (on the basis of physical and chemical analysis) and performs tests of water used to prepare concrete, etc.
The laboratory conducts research and service on the wide mineral engineering. Researches covers issues related to the identification of the chemical composition and mineral compositions and technological characteristics of the mineral and waste. The laboratory is equipped with modern digital scanning electron microscope Hitachi Model SU-3500N included with the EDS and the sputter device and Morphologi G3S-ID Malvern to analyze the size, shape and number of particles of the Raman adapter to identify the chemical composition. Laboratory is working on identification and optimization technical and technological conditions of valorization and acquisition of commercial products from minerals and waste.
We make the following laboratory tests about the technological characteristics of minerals and waste:
- Analysis of grain composition in the range of 0 - 200 mm;
- Analysis of density (density scan) coals in the full range of granulation;
- An assessment of the suitability of waste materials for hydraulic filling, road construction and hydro-technical and production of ceramics building;
- Physico - mechanical researches of binding materials (curing time, bulk density, fluidity, compressive strength and flexural strength, coefficient of softening);
- Technology research ashes and slogs from electrical power engineering to row material recovery;
- Assessment the morphological composition of municipal waste;
- Analysis of the hopper materials to liquidation coal pits;
- Research on new technologies using wastes;
- Research the materials using advanced microscopic techniques.
Experience of the staff of the laboratory and the technical equipment allows research and optimization following processes on a laboratory scale:
- Froth flotation of suspended coal and other raw materials;
- Sedimentation and refining of the suspensions;
- Conditioning and optimization of the quality parameters of mineral suspensions and sewage sludge for drainage;
- Dewatering mineral suspensions and sludge using method of pressure filtration and vacuum;
- We have the technical capabilities to carry out verification tests dewatering processes suspended sediment in the centrifuge and in the filter press in the full industrial scale.
We develop and consult:
- Concepts of enrichment technology of mineral raw materials;
- Programs of the mining wastes management;
- Instructions for the conduct of landfills;
- Applications for licenses / permits connected with waste management;
- Technologies water treatment out of mineral suspensions;
- Expertise in terms of achieving the environmental benefits of investments;
- Tools supporting the waste management.
Laboratory of Water and Wastewater Analysis is a part of Department of Environmental Monitoring in the Central Mininig Institute.
Many years of experience in the researches of the environment, qualified staff, modern analytical equipment and also the application of the principles of good laboratory practices, made it possible in 1997 to implement the management system that meets the requirements of standards and documents (PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005). The credibility of research and technical competence of the Laboratory has been certified by accredited No. AB 145. Laboratory performs researches in the Institute, which implemented the Integrated Management System that meets the requirements of PN-EN ISO 9001, EN-18001 and PN-EN ISO 14001.
Laboratory performes researches related to the development of new procedures used in the analytics of natural waters and leachate with a high content of dissolved substances. Laboratory staff is taking part in the Polish Committee for Standardization Section for Inorganic Chemistry Water Quality. Laboratory examines more than 3000 physicochemical samples per year according to customer requirements in the area of mining industry, energy, food, pharmaceutical, environmental protection services and others.
We measure over a hundred physicochemical parameters in the samples using various measuring techniques, including most modern, for example:
- inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy method (ICP-OES) to determine metals and non-metals;
- mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine trace elements;
- high temperature decomposition methods (TOC, total nitrogen, AOX analyzers);
- ion chromatography (IC) for the determination of inorganic anions and for the determination of by-products of water disinfection;
- flow techniques – flow injection analyzers (FIA) and continuous flow analyzers with segmented flow (SFA) with spectrophotometric detection for the determination of cyanides, phenol index, surfactants, ammonium ions, sulphide, sulphite etc.
The subject of research in the laboratory is:
- drinking water;
- mineral water and spring water;
- thermal water and medicine water;
- surface water;
- groundwater (particularly mine waters, including brines);
- leachates from waste dumping from closed excavations or landfills;
- industrial and technological water;
- industrial and municipal wastewater;
- water extracts;
- salts;
- selected foodstuffs.
The Laboratory performes researches following parameters (in scope of the PCA accreditation):
- adsorbable organically bound halogens (AOX),;
- ammonium ions;
- nitrates;
- ammonia nitrogen, nitrate and nitrite;
- total nitrogen, organic nitrogen and Kjeldahl nitrogen;
- nitrites;
- colour;
- biochemical oxygen demand after n days (BODn);
- bromates, bromides, chlorates and chlorites;
- chemical oxygen demand by dichromate method or permanganate method;
- chlorides;
- chromium (VI);
- free cyanides, total cyanides and bound cyanides;
- aggressive carbon dioxide and free carbon dioxide;
- ether extract (substances extracted with petroleum ether);
- fluorides;
- formaldehyde;
- phosphates;
- phenol index (volatile phenols);
- heavy metal index;
- permanganate index;
- iodides;
- magnesium;
- metals and non-metals (sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, cadmium, cobalt, copper, chromium, nickel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, arsenic, boron, bar, beryllium, bismuth, mercury, lanthanum, lithium, molybdenum, phosphorus , sulfur, antimony, selenium, silicon, tin, strontium, tellurium, titanium, thallium, vanadium, and zirconium);
- turbidity;
- pH;
- total organic carbon (TOC);
- trace elements;
- electrical conductivity;
- sulfates, sulfides and sulfites;
- non-dissociated hydrogen sulfide;
- surface-active substances, anionic (anionic detergents, MBAS);
- surface-active substances nonionic (nonionic detergents);
- total dissolved solids, volatile and non-volatile dissolved solids;
- dry residue, non-volatile and volatile;
- dissolved oxygen;
- total water hardness, carbonate and non-carbonate water hardness;
- calcium;
- carbonates, bicarbonates and hydroxides;
- alkalinity;
- suspended solids;
- iron (II) and iron (III).
The Laboratory also researches some parameters out of scope of the PCA accreditation:
- free and total chlorine;
- chlorophyll;
- density;
- acidity;
- volatile fatty acids;
- rare earth metals ( ""lanthanides"");
- some trace elements;
- redox potential;
- thiocyanates;
- soluble organic compounds (with 254 nm absorbance and with 436 nm absorbance);
- sum of the dissolved minerals;
- thermal stability;
- putrescibility;
- threshold odour number (TON);
- settleable suspended solids (Imhoff).
Moreover, the Laboratory of Water and Wastewater Analysis evaluates corrosivity of water against concrete and steel (on the basis of physical and chemical analysis) and performs tests of water used to prepare concrete. Laboratory also carries out the migration test (determination of the effect of material for drinking water) and researches also different kind of salt (food salt, road salt and bathing salt).
