Analytical / Environmental Chemistry Research Activities
Research activities in this field comprise of the following:
1. Chemical sedimentation, the fate of solutes and processes of solute retention in the Mkuze Wetland system; KwaZulu-Natal.
2. Metal analysis and elemental speciation in water and sediments.
3. Macro, minor and toxic elemental uptake and their distribution in various plant species.
4. Voltammetric analysis of inorganic and organic compounds in environmental samples
5. Method development for analysis of inorganic and organic extractives in dissolving pulp.
6. Profiling of metals in soils, wood and processing stages in production of pulp.
7. The characterisation of organic components of the main stream and effluents at different stages of paper and pulp processes.
8. Sample pretreatment using membrane technology for determination of organic compounds in various sample matrices.
9. Method development for removal of inorganic and organic pollutants in water using biopolymer nanofibers.
Techniques used in the above research activities
A range of analytical techniques have been utilized to carry out the above research activities. These include but are not limited to the following techniques:
1. Atomic spectroscopy: FAAS, GFAAS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS
2. Molecular spectroscopy: FTIR, UV-Vis, NMR, etc
3. Chromatography: Ion exchange, HPLC, and GC, LC-MS, GC-MS
4. Electrochemical methods: ion selective electrodes, voltammetry
5. Surface characterization techniques: FTIR-ATR, SEM, AFM, XRD, XRF
NB. For details on specific research activities in analytical /environmental chemistry, visit the webpage for individual staff members