Environmental chemical analysis of the Zschopau river during the practical course

On 5 April, the Master’s students in Genomic Biotechnology had to swap their lab coats for walking boots, at least for a short while. As part of the environmental chemistry practical, the aim is to investigate and assess the water quality of the River Zschopau and the impact of the Mittweida sewage treatment works on this river; at the same time, it offers an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the methods of water analysis. To this end, water samples were taken at three different sampling points (upstream, at and downstream of the sewage treatment plant). Parameters such as temperature, pH and conductivity were measured by the students directly on site, whilst more extensive concentration analyses – for example, of phosphate, nitrate and ammonium ions – were subsequently carried out in the laboratory. The field trip is to be repeated in early summer, with sampling carried out once again, in order to analyse the influence of the seasons on the selected parameters.