Micropollution Laboratory

In the cLab, we determine a wide range of micropollutants in various media (water, sediments, air). Depending on the matrix, sample extraction ranges from simple (passive sampler) to complex (sediments) and includes various steps such as filtration, purification and concentration. The substances are separated over time using liquid chromatography and then precisely determined using the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (model K6495D).

In collaboration with the Water and Soil Protection Laboratory of the Canton of Bern we also carry out non-target screening of our samples in order to obtain a more comprehensive characterisation of the samples. This enables us to carry out in-depth trend analyses and environmental reconstructions.

Ultimate mass spectrometry performance

Since August 2024, our research group is proud owner of a new, state-of-the-art mass spectrometer. With the new Agilent 6495D triple quadrupole LC/MS we are able to achieve femtogram LODs even in challenging matrix, such as sediments. With this state-of-the-art instrument, we focus on the analysis and quantification of pesticides and PFAS in a variety of sample types.

If you would like to know more about the instrument or how our analyses can support your research project, please contact Prof. Dr. Aurea Chiaia-Hernández or Eva Anthamatten.

Pesticide analysis in sediments

In various projects, we take short sediment cores from small lakes in the canton of Bern and measure over 100 pesticides approved (and in some cases banned) in Switzerland via target screening. The wet samples are first freeze-dried, then extracted under high pressure and temperature and purified via QUECHERS. The separation is carried out using liquid chromatography and the analysis is performed with our new Agilent K6495D mass spectrometer.

In collaboration with the Water and Soil Protection Laboratory of the Canton of Bern, we are determining pesticides in the surface sediments of 10 small lakes in Bern as part of the “Small Lake Monitoring 2023” project. The final report is expected to be published here in 2025.