Equipment and Services


NALS, UNBC, Analytical laboratory service, environmental testing, Kazemian

The University of Northern British Columbia is home to an extensive suite of analytical science instrumentation that enables a broad spectrum of chemical, physical, and biological analyses. UNBC has made these services available to researchers as well as private, public, and non-profit sectors to help meet their research, development, and quality assurance needs through the Northern Analytical Laboratory Service (NALS).

NALS EquipmentLab Equipment

  • Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS)
  • Inductively coupled plasma- optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES)
  • Microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (MP-AES)
  • Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS)
  • Scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS)
  • High-performance liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS)
  • Ion chromatograph (IC)
  • Gas chromatograph (GC/FID)
  • Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS)
  • Isotopic ratio mass spectrometer (IR-MS)
  • Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR)
  • X-ray diffractometer (XRD)
  • X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
  • BET Surface Area Testing
  • Laser particle size analyzer
  • Combustion elemental analyzers (EA) (C, N, S)
  • Total organic / total inorganic analyzer (TOC/TIC)
  • Auto ion analysis system
  • High-pressure microwave digester/ block digester
  • CO2 incubator / high and low temperature incubators
  • pH, conductivity, turbidity, DO and COD meters
  • Colony counters and optical microscopes
  • Freeze dryer
  • Thermogravimetric Analysis instrument (TGA)NALS Equipment

Environmental Samples (Soil, Water, Air)

  • Elemental analysis / trace elements
  • Persistent organic pollutants
  • Volatile organic compounds
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • Micro and macro nutrients
  • Isotope ratioanalysis:
  • 13C/12C, 15N/14N, and 18O/16O, 34S/32S
  • Total carbon, nitrogen and sulphur
  • Available phosphorus assessment
  • Sulphate-sulphur analysis
  • Ammonium and nitrate (nitrogen)
  • Cation exchange capacity (CEC)
  • Water holding capacity (WHC)
  • Moisture, loss on ignition (soil organic matter content) analyses
  • Petroleum hydrocarbons in waste waters, soils and sediments
  • BOD/COD assessment
  • Percentage sand/silt/clay
  • Microwave-assisted acid digestion
  • pH and soil conductivity

NALS EquipmentWater Testing

  • Water quality tests (TSS, VSS, TDS)
  • Total soluble N and P
  • Total organic and inorganic carbon ( TOC / TIC )
  • Anion scans
  • Elemental analysis ( cations and trace elements)
  • pH, turbidity and conductivity
  • E. coli and total coliform
You can download NALS' NALS Water Sampling Instructions here

NALS EquipmentMaterial Science

  • Elemental analysis / chemical composition
  • BET Surface Area Testing
  • Particle size distribution of powered and suspended materials
  • Microstructure and compositional analysis of materials, including minerals and rocks, clays, sand, limestone, gravel, cement by XRD
  • Morphology and composition by SEM-EDS
  • Bulk density
  • Melting point
  • Heating value determination

NALS EquipmentPlant Tissues / Wood

  • Micro and macro nutrients
  • Elemental analysis
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Isotope ratio analysis: 13C/12C, 15N/14N, and 18O/16O
  • N/C/S analysis
  • Wood proximate analysis, heating value determination
  • Ash and woodchip characterization
  • Sulphates in plant tissue
  • Moisture content

To book a service and discuss your testing project: please call 250-960-5713 or e-mail nals@unbc.ca 

Download NALS brochure for more information: The NALS Handbook

Download Sample Submission  forms (fillable PDF): nals_analysisrequestform_frm_20210610_rev1_3.pdf    Additional Sample submission form

Researchers at UNBC and other academic institutions are required to download and sign NALS users' agreement form: NALS User Agreement form (for all academic users)