Analytical Services

Analytical Services Unit | Infrared Soil Analysis Service

Analytical Services Unit

The Analytical Services Unit (ASU) in CSIRO Land and Water is based in Adelaide, South Australia and has been providing analytical services for over thirty years.

The primary purpose of ASU is to provide analytical services to CSIRO researchers and their collaborators on a fee-for-service basis.  Our laboratory may also provide government and industry clients with specialised analysis upon request.

Our laboratory

ASU has accreditation from the Australasian Soil and Plant Analysis Council (ASPAC) for selected soil and plant analysis.  Our laboratory actively participates in the water Environmental Nutrient Collaborative Trials (ENCT) and in ASPAC proficiency programs for soil and plant analyses.

ASU is a well equipped laboratory and provides an extensive range of chemical analyses on environmental samples. 

Analytical capabilities

Some of the services we offer include:

Water analysis

• Nitrogen forms (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, total nitrogen)
• Anion analysis (sulphate, phosphate, chloride, bromide and fluoride)
• Carbon forms (total carbon, inorganic carbon and dissolved organic carbon)
• Cation analysis (Ca, Mg, Na, K and S)
• Metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Zn)
• Trace metal analysis (including rare earths)

Plant analysis

• Total carbon and total nitrogen
• Elemental analysis (Ca, Mg, Na, K, S, P, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Zn)
• Trace metal analysis

Soil analysis

• Carbon forms (total carbon, inorganic carbon (carbonate) and organic carbon determined by difference)
• Nitrogen (total, ammonia and nitrate)
• Elemental analysis (Ca, Mg, Na, K, S, P, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Zn)
• Physical properties including particle size, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations
• Trace metal analysis (including rare earths)

Contact Details

For any further information on analytical capability, prices and sample submission please contact Julie Smith on Julie.Smith@csiro.au or phone (08) 8303 8447.

Infrared Soil Analysis Service

The Infrared Soil Analysis Service in CSIRO Land and Water is based in Adelaide, South Australia.  Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy has been available as a fee-for-service analysis since 2004 but the technology has been used in research at CSIRO for many years.

MIR is a very cost effective technique that can be used to predict a wide range of chemical and soil properties quickly.

The CSIRO Infrared Soil Analysis Service is available to

• Universities
• Government agencies
• Research institutes
• Industry

MIR is being used to provide fundamental information on soil chemistry, soil organic matter and soil mineralogy and can be used in soil surveys, environmental monitoring and precision agriculture.

Specialised sample preparation is required for MIR analysis.  Whenever possible soil samples should be presented as air dried nominally < 100mm particle size.  At CSIRO this is achieved using a 60 second grind using a single puck Rocklabs mill head.  Samples not ground appropriately will be charged an additional sample preparation fee.

Contact Details

For any further information on analytical capability, prices and sample submission please contact Julie Smith on Julie.Smith@csiro.au or phone (08) 8303 8447.

Read more about other CSIRO Land and Water testing and analytical services.