Delving into Technical Skills
Aswita K -
Good morning!
This week, I started learning about gas chromatography (GC) and ion chromatography (IC) to analyze water samples. These techniques are essential for understanding the chemical composition of water and evaluating how microbial electrochemical cells (MECs) impact different contaminants. By using these methods, I can get a clearer picture of how effectively microbial communities break down pollutants and contribute to resource recovery.
Gas chromatography helps separate and identify volatile organic compounds in water. This is useful for detecting pollutants that could impact water quality, as well as for understanding how MECs influence different chemical reactions. Ion chromatography, on the other hand, is used to analyze ions like nitrates, sulfates, and phosphates. These ions are important indicators of water contamination, and tracking their levels allows us to measure how well microbial communities remove or transform them during treatment.
Getting hands-on experience with these techniques has been both exciting and challenging. I’m learning how to prepare samples, calibrate instruments, and interpret results, all of which will be crucial for my work with MECs. As I continue working, I hope to use these methods to compare the efficiency of different microbial setups and electrode materials. This will help guide future improvements in MEC systems, making them more effective for wastewater treatment and sustainable water management.
Stay tuned for next week and thanks for reading!
– Aswita Kode
Comments:
All viewpoints are welcome but profane, threatening, disrespectful, or harassing comments will not be tolerated and are subject to moderation up to, and including, full deletion.