Environmental specimens

Environmental samples are taken from the air, water, soil and sediments, vegetation and foods.  The environmental specimen bank collects, stores and analyses environmentally representative specimens.

The samples are analyzed for an extremely wide variety of components. Most analytical methods are only suitable for investigating small sample quantities, even if the available specimens are relatively large.

In many cases it is worthwhile to freeze dry biological material before extraction for elemental analysis.  Changes to the structure and content of the substances to be determined, such as PCBs, PACs and dioxins, are minimized. For many environmental specimens, it is also necessary to determine the water content of the sample. The water content is given by the difference between the fresh mass and the dry mass. The dry mass is determined from the dry residue after freeze drying for several days. This enables long-term storage of dried samples without leading to a change of state or loss of chemical properties.

Martin Christ Freeze Dryers offers a wide range of products.  Choose a laboratory freeze dryer – such as an Alpha 1-4 LSCplus with LyoCube – from our extensive portfolio.