Water Test Network

ERDF funded from the Interreg NWE programme

Sector: Aquaculture,   The Environment

James Hutton Limited is one of eight European partners of the Water Test Network; an ERDF funded project which provides SMEs in North-West Europe (NWE) with both funding and the correct resources to test, develop and validate new products for the water sector, supporting innovation, accelerating time to market and increasing the proportion of new innovations that reach the market. 

Water Test Network fosters the uptake of water innovation in Europe by providing transparency on and making it easier to undertake full-scale testing. A tightly-meshed transnational network of facilities and accompanying services are at the disposal of SMEs to reduce the cost, administrative burden and time needed to bring innovations to market that meet the increasing pressures on our water resources.

The Water Test Network also has close links with the with NW European water utilities, Government support agencies and industrial end users which supports the promotion of verified innovations across these industry sectors and ensures that innovations are developed for sector needs. 

Our Water Test Network Partners are:

 

The Water Test Network is now ready to receive applications. If you are an SME in North West Europe and you can make use of the transnational network of testing facilities and the accompanying services for water innovation, please visit: http://www.nweurope.eu/water-test-network or watch this short video to find out more ...

 

Water on landscapeAs a Water Test Network partner, James Hutton Limited can offer analytical testing, technology verification and water resource management with respect to: 

  • Pharmceutical and agricultural chemical removal from water
  • Irrigation systems
  • Catchment management
  • Soil and sludge quality
  • Heavy metals concentration 
  • Various bacterialogical parameters
  • PAHs and other organic compounds
  • Salinity
  • And additional analytical services

James Hutton Limited is the commercial arm of the James Hutton Institute, Scotland.  James Hutton Institute research is at the forefront of innovative and transformative science for sustainable management of land, crop and natural resources to support thriving global communities. 

On behalf of the Water Test Network, we verify innovative technology for the chemical and microbiological treatment of water to the Environmental Technology Standard (ETV) ISO14034.  Our scientific team has many years’ expertise in these areas, analysing environmental waters and private water supply samples.

We analyse waters for inorganic and organic pollutants, much of which is accredited to ISO17025.

A full list of our UKAS accredited techniques is found here. Please note, metals analysis by ICP-OES and ICP-MS is covered by flexible scope which extends to all metals analysis of anything that can be put into solution. 

ICP MS and ICP-OES
To determine the elemental concentrations of metals in water, ranging from percentages to ppt. A dedicated low-level mercury analyser is available for ultra-low-level mercury analysis.

GC-MS and FID
To separate and quantify volatile and semi volatile organic components. Typically used for aromatic and aliphatic pollutants. Other uses can be applied to isotopes of carbon and nitrogen.

LC-MS MS
Quantifies non- volatile liquid organic components in solution.

Colourimetry 
To determine concentrations of chemicals that are colour reactive with applied reagents. Such analyses include ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus, nitrate, nitrite and total alkalinity.

Ion Chromatography
To determine concentrations of anions in water.

FTIR
To qualitatively analyse inorganic and organic compounds.

SEM
To examine material at microscopic level and determine the elemental composition by EDS.

XRD
To examine the crystalline structure of minerals.

Isotope Analysis
To analyse a wide range of stable isotopes.

UKAS Accredited Methods for the Analysis of Water/Soils/Sludges

Method Number

Summarised name

Accredited analytes

Accredited matrix

Instrument type & name

AM002

15N and Total N, and 13C and Total C by CF IRMS

Total C & N 15N and 13C

Biologicals, botanicals, inorganic (incl dried waters), sediments and soils.

CF IRMS

ConFlow

AM004

Sm and Nd ID and isotopes by TIMS

Sm & Nd isotopes and concs, province age

Geological , sediments and soils

TIMS

Sector 54

AM005

Sr isotopes by TIMS

87Sr/86Sr

Geological, soils and sediments, waters and soil extracts

TIMS

Sector 54

BM002

Estimation Of Common Inorganic Anions In Aqueous Solutions By Ion Chromatography

chloride, nitrate and sulphate

Waters

Ion Chromatography - Dionex

BM003

Ammonia, O-Phosphate, Alkalinity, Nitrate, Nitrite And Kjeldahl Nitrogen In Aqueous And KCl Extracts

Ammonia, O-Phosphate, Alkalinity, Nitrate, Nitrite And Kjeldahl Nitrogen

Botanical and animal feedstuffs, sediments and soils, waters

Discrete analysis – Konelab

 

BM014

Flexible scope ICP-OES

Depends on mini-validation

Sediments and soils, + everything if done validation

ICP-OES

BM015

Flexible scope ICP-MS

Depends on mini-validation

Sediments and soils, + everything if done validation

ICP-MS

BM019

Total Inorganic And Organic Carbon And Total Nitrogen in waters

Total Inorganic (TIC) And Organic Carbon (TOC) And Total Nitrogen (TN)

Waters and soil extracts

Shimadzu TOC

BM022

Mercury  using the Merlin Cold Vapour Analyser

Mercury

Waters (processed), soils, sediments and sludge’s

Atomic Fluorescence Spec - Merlin

CM001

PFAs in biological materials by GLC

Phospholipid fatty acids

Botanical and animal feedstuffs, sediments and soils,

GC

DM001

Total N and C by Elemental analyser

Total N and total C

Botanical and animal feedstuffs, sediments and soils,

Elemental Analyser/ Dumas combustion

DM002

Estimation of Exchangeable Acidity

Exchangeable acidity

Sediments and soils,

Titration

DM003

Estimation of Phosphorus after NaOH Fusion of Soils

Phosphorus

Sediments and soils,

NaOH Fusion of soils

DM004

Estimation of Exchangeable Cations in Soil

Ca, Mg, Na and K

Sediments and soils

Extraction method

DM005

Estimation of Soil Nutrients with 0.43M Acetic Acid

Ca, Mg, K and P

Sediments and soils

Extraction method

DM006

Estimation of pH of Soils in Water and Calcium Chloride Matrices

pH

Sediments and soils, waters,

 

DM007

Moisture and Loss of ignition

Moisture content and loss on ignition

Sediments and soils, biological materials,

Balances, ovens & muffles

DM009

Soluble in Aqua Regia Using B7755

Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn

Sediments and soils

Extraction method

DM011

Particle Size Distribution Using Laser Diffraction

Particle size distribution

Particulate matter, sediments and soils, clay and clay products

Malvern laser diffraction particle size analyser

DM012

Conductivity in aqueous samples

Conductivity

Waters and soil extracts

Glass electrode

EM001

Examination by SEM

Qualitative identification/composition

Inorganic and organic chemical products. Fibre products, geological, soils, sediments, clays

Zeiss SEM

EM002

Qualitative Elemental Analysis SEM-EDX

Qualitative identification / characterisation

Inorganic and organic chemical products. Fibre products, geological, soils, sediments, clays

Zeiss SEM

Bruker EDX

EM003

Digital X-ray Maps and Line Scans by SEM-EDS

Qualitative X-ray mapping

geological, soils, sediments, clays

Zeiss SEM Bruker EDX

FM001

 

Inorganic and Organic Compounds by FTIR

Qualitative identification / characterisation

Biologicals, Inorganic and organic chemical products, fibres, plastics, geological, soils, sediments, clays

FTIR

GM001

Identification by XRD of Clay Minerals

Qualitative identification / characterisation

Inorganic and organic chemical products. geological, soils, sediments, clays

XRD

GM002

Quantitative Analysis by XRD of Clay Minerals

Quantitative estimation of mineralogical composition

Geological, soils, sediments, clays

XRD

GM003

Identification of Polycrystalline Materials by XRD

Qualitative identification / characterisation

Inorganic and organic chemical products. geological, soils, sediments, clays

XRD

GM004

Quantitative Phase Analysis by XRD of Random Powder Samples

Quantitative estimation of mineralogical composition

Inorganic and organic chemical products. geological, soils, sediments, clays

XRD

GM005

Semi-Quant Phase Analysis by XRD of Random Powder Samples

Semi-quantitative mineralogical composition

Geological, soils, sediments, clays

XRD

GM006

Cation Exchange Capacity using Cobalt Hexamine Trichloride

CEC

Geological, soils, sediments, clays

Colorimetry using Discrete Analyser - Konelab

HM002

n-Alkanes in Soil

n-Alkanes,

n-C21

n-C23

n-C25

n-C27

n-C29

n-C31

n-C33

n-C35

Sediments and soils

GC-FID

Available Unaccredited Methods for Analysis of Water/Soils/Sludges

Summarised name

Unaccredited analytes

Unaccredited matrix

Instrument type & name

Pesticides by GCMS

Herbicides, Molluscicide, Fungicide and Insecticides.

Water, Soil and Sediment

GC-MS

Estrogenic hormones by GC-MS

Oestrogen and BPA

Water, Soil and Sediment

GC-MS

Amino acids by GC-MS

Amino acids

Extracts from soil and plant etc.

GC-MS

Phenolic compounds by GC-MS

Phenolic compounds

Water

GC-MS

THMs by GC-MS

Trihalomethanes

Water

GC-MS

Organotin by GC-MS

Organotins

Sediment/soil and Water

GC-MS

Phthalates by GCMS

Phthalates

Soil/sediment, animal tissue and serum

GC-MS

PAHs by GC-MS

PAHs

Water, Soil/sediment, animal tissue and serum

GC-MS

Selected Pharmaceuticals by GC-MS

Selected pharmaceuticals

Water

GC-MS

PCBs and PBDEs by GCMS

PCBs and PDBEs

Soil and Serum

GC-MS

Cryogenic SEM/EDS

Qualitative characterisation/composition

Various

Zeiss SEM

Alkalinity titration

OH, HCO3 and CO3

Waters and brines

titration

Phenol in water

Phenol

Waters and produced waters

Discrete Analyser

Water splashWater Resource Management

A team of researchers at the James Hutton Institute is devoted to biogeochemistry and hydrology, seeking to improve knowledge of biogeochemistry and hydrology and their role in the ecosystem.

This research lends itself to services which include irrigation system management, monitoring programmes, experimental manipulations, modeling, surveys and more, to support and manage water from mountains to coast. 

Other Services