The Laboratory for the Analysis of Natural and Commercial Environmental Toxins is a research, development and testing laboratory, focusing on the measurement of natural and synthetic contaminants in the environment. We have combined a unique range of analytical instruments to measure the presence and abundance of natural and synthetic chemicals in the environment.
Our specialization includes the following four areas:
- Natural products (phytochemistry, mycotoxins, and other natural contaminants)
- Organometallics (especially mercury and methyl mercury)
- Synthetic pollutants (such as persistent organic pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), synthetic pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
- Radiometric measurement and dating of sediment and peat horizons for paleoenvironmental research.
The facility is further enhanced with sample handling, storage and tracking facilities, greenhouses, environmental growth cabinets, and herbarium. We are currently supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Major Facilities Access Grant to reduce costs of analysis to NSERC grant holders. We offer a wide variety of analytical services to the broader research and industrial community for negotiated prices.