Laboratory of National Centre of Forest and Water Research

The purpose of the Laboratory of National Centre of Forest and Water Research is to ensure the study process, to yield solutions in scientific research tasks, as well as to provide environmental stakeholders with the required data.

The right approach to environmental protection cannot be formulated without accurate and reliable results of environmental analysis. We are convinced that high-quality environmental analysis provides a crucial basis for environmental protection work. The laboratory's activities are aimed at improving both the international-level quality assurance within the country and the reliability of our environmental analysis. Applying experience in environmental analysis and training specialists is one of our main directions of work. We promote and strengthen cooperation with various partners and agencies, private and non-governmental sector.

The laboratory provides an opportunity for students of bachelor's, master's and doctoral study programmes to conduct research on the following topics:

• biologically active compounds in mosses and lichens;
• surfactants in the environment;
• sterols and fatty acid derivatives in plant extracts;
• pesticide content in plants as an indicator of safety level;
• petroleum products in the soil;
• polyaromatic hydrocarbons in bryophytes of Latvian fens.

Laboratory provides a range of physicochemical research resources to study environmental contamination, toxic substances, waste and soil analysis, environmental biological testing, and water analysis. The analyses are performed using both gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) methods, as well as sophisticated and high-sensitivity mass spectrometry (MS). The range of test objects includes slight chemical residues, complex matrices, liquids, solids, organic materials with the presence of inorganic parts, unknown chemicals, fibres, silicones and surfactants, gels, reaction byproducts, decomposition products, lubricants, cleaning agents, unknown fragment particles and others.