Biomonitoring

Chemical Analysis

Water quality in lakes and streams is only as good as the quality of the water draining into them. They’re a reflection of their watershed. We use modern chemistry to diagnose water quality by testing for parameters such as; Escherichia coli, nitrate, total and ortho phosphorous, plankton and many others.

Pathogen Detection

Biosolids are a by-product of the treatment process at wastewater treatment facilities. If the WWTP decides to recycle the biosolids for land application as a fertilizer, it must be tested for pathogens to ensure safety to humans and the environment. Fecal coliforms, Salmonella, enteric viruses, helminth ova, and other pathogens can be detected and measured to meet federal standards before use. A Chain of Custody for these tests can be found here.

Environmental DNA

When a plant or animal is present, small amounts of it’s DNA are constantly being sloughed off from skin, mucus, leaves, or hair, or are directly present in the algae cells themselves. By carefully collecting water samples from a lake or stream, it is possible to determine the animals that are present in the water body. This has applications for species detection and for sourcing water quality problems such as e. coli.