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Government Of Assam Environment & Forest Pollution Control Board

Laboratory

The State Pollution Control Board, Assam has one Central Laboratory attached to Head office at Bamunimaidam, Guwahati and 4 (four) Regional Laboratories attached to the Regional offices at Sibsagar, Tezpur, Silchar and Bongaigaon under it equipped with manpower and equipments for analysis of environmental pollution related parameters for regular pollution control enforcement and for scientific research in the field.

Central Laboratory

The Central Laboratory has mainly five sections : viz, Water Section, Wastewater section, Bacteriology Section, Bio-monitoring & Bioassay Section and Air Section. This Laboratory is equipped with a few sophisticated instruments for analysis of water, air and solids for all possible pollutants and is the referral laboratory for the Board. A list of parameters analysed in the Central Laboratory together with the methodology used for analysis with available instruments are mentioned below:

Methodology Employed for Analysis of Parameters

(A) Physical Parameters
Sl. No.ParametersMethod
1.ColourVisible Comparison Method (only potable waters)
2.ConductivityConductivity Meter
3.pH ValuepH Meter
4.Suspended Solids (Total Number filterable)Membrane filter apparatus (Millipore vacuum filtration apparatus)
5.Settleable SolidsImhoff concentration: By Volume (mg/L)
6.Sludge Volume IndexImhoff conc. Membrane filter apparatus or Gooch crucible
7.Total SolidsGravimetric
8.TemperatureThermometer
9.TurbidityNephelometric
(B) Chemical Parameters
Sl. No.ParametersMethod
1.Aciditya. Electrometric/Potentiometric titration
b. Color Indicator titration
2.Alkalinitya. Electrometric/Potentiometric titration
b. Color Indicator titration
3.Ammonical Nitrigena. Distillation followed by colorimetric method   (Nesselerization
b. Distillation followed by titrimetric method
c. Distillation followed by ion selective electrode     Method.
4.ArsenicSilver Diethyl dithiocarbonate
5.BoronUV-VIS Spectrophotometer
6.Carbon DioxideTitrimetric
7.CadmiumAtomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
8.Chemical Oxygen DemandDichromate Reflux
9.Biochemical Oxygen DemandThree day BOD at 27 degree Celsius
10.ChlorideTitrimetric (Argentometric or Mercuric Nitrate)
11.Chloride ResidualTitrimetric
12.CalciumTitrimetric (EDTA
13.Chromiuma. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (For Total)
b.Colorometric (Diphenylcarbazide) (For hexavalent, trivalent and total
14.Coppera. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
15.Dissolved OxygenWinkler titrimetric-azide-modification (Iodometric)
16.Fluoridea. Distillation followed by Colorimetric(SPADNS)
b. Distillation followed by Fluoride Selective Electrode.
17.Hardness TotalTitrimetric (EDTA)
18.IodineColorimetric (Leuce Crystal violet of Catalytic reduction)
19.IronColorimetric (Phenanthroline)
20.LeadAtomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
21.ManganeseAtomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Total)
22.MagnesiumBy difference (between total hardness and calcium determined titrimetrically)
23.MercuryFlameless (cold vapour) Atomic Absorption (Mercury Analyzer)
24.NickelAtomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
25.Nitrite NitrogenColorimetric (Diazotization)
26.Nitrate NitrogenColorimetric (Chromotropic Acid)
27.Oil & GreaseGravimetric (Simple extraction)
28.Phosphatea. Orthophosphate-Pretreatment followed by Colorimetric (Stannous-Chloride or Vanadium Molybdate)
b. Polyphosphate - -do-
c. Total - -do-
29.PhenolsDistillation followed by Colorimetric(4-Aminoantipyrine) or (Chloroform extraction)
30.PotassiumFlame photometer
31.SilicaColorimetric (Heteropoly blue or Molybdosilicate)
32.SodiumFlame photometer
33.SulphiteTitrimetric (Iodometric)
34.SulphateTurbidimetric
35.ZincAtomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
(C) Bacteriological Prameters
Sl. No.ParametersMethod
1.Total ColiformMultiple Tube Dilution Technique
2.Fecal ColiformMultiple Tube Dilution Technique
(D) (i) Bio-monitoring:

The use of living things to detect changes in the environment is called bio-monitoring. Both the occurrence of bio-accumulation and biological effects has often demonstrated useful and reliable information on the state environment. Bio-monitoring methods are cheaper, precise and sensitive to detect adverse conditions in the environment.

Both the natural and artificial substratum methods are so far being used for bio-monitoring. The Pollution Control Board, Assam has already started bio-monitoring in the regular water quality monitoring programme being conducted under the Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic River System. Some more projects under the guidance of CPCB are undergoing in the bio-monitoring laboratory. The list of parameters studied so far are :

Sl. No.ParametersMethod
1.Saprobatic IndexNatural Substratum - Artificial Substratum
2.Diversity Index-DO-
3.P/R ratio--
(D) (ii) Bio-Assay:

In the bio-assay lab nursing home samples are analysed to detect toxicity level on the basis of survival of fishes in several concentrations of the effluent. Method applied so far is Lethal Concentration (L/C 50).

(E) Air Parameters
Sl. No.ParametersMethod
1.NOxSodium Arsenite Method
2.SPMHigh Volume Method
3.SO2Modified West and Gacke Method
4.COIR Spectroscopy Method
5.NH3Chemical
6.VelocityFlue Gas Monitor
 Micro meteorological 
7.Wind SpeedAnimometer
8.TemperatureThermometer
 Vehicular Emission 
9.Carbon monoxideN.D.I.R. Spectroscopy Method
Regional Laboratories:

The 4 (four) Regional Laboratories attached to the Regional offices at Sibsagar, Tezpur, Silchar and Bongaigaon are also equipped with manpower and equipments for analysis of environmental pollution related parameters for regular monitoring under their jurisdictions.