The Geochemistry group is equipped with clean laboratory facilities used for low-blank sample preparation and element separation for isotope abundance measurements and concentration determinations of different elements in rock samples and minerals. Pre-filtered air using various pre-filters and HEPA (H13) filters are employed as well as a slight overpressure, compared to the outside air, to produce clean-lab conditions. Our Clean Laboratory (a total of ca. 105 m²) consists of two separate …

Here we perform high-temperature and high-pressure digestions:

• Parr pressure vessels,
• Borosilicate glass Carius tubes at 220-250 °C and 320 °C (reverse aqua regia for Re-Os, PGE, Au),
• Quartz glass vessels in high-pressure asher HPA-S up to 320 °C (reverse aqua regia for Re-Os, PGE, Au),
• Glassy carbon vessels in high-pressure asher HPA-S up to 260 °C (HF-HNO₃).

The lab is equipped with various instruments for the preparation of sediment and soil samples.

The laboratory deals with the chemical and physical investigation of soil, water and plant materials. The samples to be processed here come, for example, from research projects in the Spreewald, the Lower Havel or Mongolia.
During their studies of geoecology, the students carry out internships in the laboratory. In addition, students from various faculties work on their final theses in the laboratory. Close cooperation takes place with the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry and Didactics of …

Soil samples collected in the study area are placed in a plastic bag on site, sealed and labelled with a unique sample label. After sample storage, some pre-treatments have to be carried out before the physico-chemical investigation. Pre-treatment includes sample splitting, drying, sieving (< 2 mm for fine soil, see Soil Laboratory - Particle Size Analysis) and digestion. The sample is divided by a riffle divider or by quartering to the desired quantity. The samples are either dried in air …