GAL – Geoanalytical laboratories – Štátny geologický ústav Dionýza Štúra

DIVISION OF GEOANALYTICAL LABORATORIES – GAL

The Laboratories provide a comprehensive service of analytical, physical-chemical and mineralogical works for the needs of geological research, exploration and prospecting of raw minerals, regional geology, hydrogeology, geochemical mapping and environmental monitoring.
In addition, the Laboratories offer wide range of organic pollutants and inorganic components analyses for assessment of environmental compounds contamination, amended on ecotoxicological tests, risk assessment and expert opinions in the sphere of various wastes disposals in terms of the legislation in force in SR.

Contacts

Brief history of Geoanalytical Laboratories

In the course of their 55 years existence the Geoanalytical Laboratories (GAL) in Spišská Nová Ves have executed a rich spectrum of methodologies from classical chemical methods in the sphere of geological materials analyses, ore and non-metallic raw minerals, fuels, all types of waters till the application of state-of-the-art analytical techniques and procedures enabling analyses of inorganic and organic components in trace and macro contents.
The Laboratories have 38 employees, 18 of them with University degree.

1953	01/12/1953 chemical laboratory was established,
1953	Creation of the laboratory under Východoslovenský rudný prieskum n.p. Spišská Nová Ves,
1954	Application of classical analytical methods for Fe and Mn ores and magnesites, the first application of polarography in the industry in Slovakia, spectral analyses,
1965	Reorganization – establishment of Geologický prieskum, š. p.,
1966	The first application of AAS method in geology in ČSSR, Application of dokimastics –Au, Ag analyses,
1969 – 1970	Construction of the new building of Laboratories,
1970	Foundation of laboratory soil mechanics,
1971 – 1975	“Unified analytical methods for raw minerals“ were issued and 20 ore and 25 non-metallic RM were prepared,
1976	Foundation of technical laboratory for coal testing, the first automatic analyser AES – ICP ARL 33 000 in the sphere of geology, ARL 34 000,
1981 – 1984	Creation of RTG and DTA laboratory,
1986	Production of branch RM, launching of non-destructive analyses – Röntgen-fluorescence spectrometry, RFS PHILIPS PW 1404,
1986 – 1989	Production of branch RM of tungsten, siderite and Au, Ag ores,
1989	Reorganization – establishment of the Workplace GEL,
1991 – 1993	Creation of laboratory of organic analyses,
1994	Reorganization – Slovenská geológia, š. p., split into laboratories in Spišská Nová Ves and Turčianske Teplice,
1996	01/01/1996 By the Decision No. 1979/45 of the Minister of Environment SR dated October 10, 1995 GS SR was established, ÚNMS granted GAL Certificate on Accreditation according to EN 45001,
1996 – 2002	GAL participation in international projects: Danak and VKI, EU project SENTER Netherlands (1997), FITA 3, FITA 4 Belgium (1998 – 2001), INCO-Copernicus (1998 – 2001) Netherlands, FOREGS Geochemical Atlas of Europe (1999 – 2002),
1997	Minister of Environment SR awarded GAL Reference Laboratory of the MoE SR,
1999	Pilot project in SR in the sphere of geomedicine, branch methodologies for species and risk assessment,
1999 – 2003	Preparation and Certification RM ZEOLIT-1, BENTONIT-1,
2000	Foundation of laboratory for microbiology and hydrobiology,
2001 – 2002	Reaccreditation, acquisition of Certificate according to EN ISO/IEC 17025,
2002	New generation of AES-ICP Vista – Varian,
2003	Jubilee 50 years of GAL in service for geology in Slovakia,
2003 – 2005	Preparation and Certification RM EVO1, SKO1, KZ1,
2005	Awarding the Prize of Wolfgang Kempelen for testing – working staffs.
2006	Reaccreditation, acquisition of Certificate according to STN EN ISO IEC 17025:2005 – Certificate on accreditation No.: S 004. Acquisition of Affirmation No. S02/2462/2007-3.1., according to which GAL are appointed as permanent subsupplier of authorized measurements according to § 25 part 11a Annex No. 3 item 18 to the Act No. 478/2002 of Coll. on Atmosphere.
2011	Slovak National Accreditation Service in terms of provision of § 9 sect. 7 let. b) Act No. 505/2009 of Coll. on Accreditation of Conformity Assessment Bodies and on Amendment of Certain Acts as amended by later regulations issued a new Decision on accreditation.

Profil GAL

Scope of analytical works

Geoanalytical Laboratories as Reference Laboratory of the MoE SR

Príkazom Ministra ŽP SR z 25. marca 1997 boli ustanovené Geoanalytické laboratóriá ako Referenčné laboratórium MŽP SR pre geológiu a analýzy geologických materiálov a horninového prostredia.

Činnosť RL je zabezpečená v priamej nadväznosti na koncepcie ŠGUDŠ SR a MŽP – Sekcie geológie a prírodných zdrojov, na projektové zámery MŽP, na požiadavky MŽP k zdokonaľovaniu systémov zabezpečovania kontroly kvality laboratórnych prác vykonávaných pre MŽP a na harmonizáciu slovenskej a európskej legislatívy v oblasti ŽP.

Geoanalytické laboratóriá ako referenčné laboratóriá MŽP SR od roku 1999 zabezpečujú nasledovný program a odborné činnosti :

vývoj, verifikáciu a validáciu nových analytických a laboratórnych metód v geológii, geochémii, hydrogeológii, environmentálnych disciplínach a novom vednom odbore – geomedicíne,
vypracovanie metodík komplexného posudzovania environmentálnych rizík z trojzložkových prírodných systémov
pôda-voda-streamsediment,
kontrolné analytické rozbory pre štátne geologické, environmentálne a monitorovacie projekty,
harmonizáciu pripravovaných progresívnych analytických metód v súlade so štátmi Európskej únie a tvorbu odvetvových technických noriem,
implementáciu účinného systému pre zabezpečovanie a kontrolu kvality všetkých druhov laboratórnych prác,
organizáciu medzilaboratórnych porovnávacích skúšok (EnviPT) pre slovenské a zahraničné laboratóriá,
organizáciu odborných konferencií, školení a kurzov pre akreditované rezortné a ostatné laboratóriá a pre širokú odbornú verejnosť,
prípravu certifikovaných referenčných materiálov, interných a kalibračných štandardov,
spoluprácu s VŠ pri riešení výskumných úloh, diplomových a doktorandských prác.

Geoanalytické laboratóriá ako referenčné laboratóriá MŽP SR od roku 1999 zabezpečujú nasledovný program a odborné činnosti :

vývoj, verifikáciu a validáciu nových analytických a laboratórnych metód v geológii, geochémii, hydrogeológii, environmentálnych disciplínach a novom vednom odbore – geomedicíne,
vypracovanie metodík komplexného posudzovania environmentálnych rizík z trojzložkových prírodných systémov
pôda-voda-streamsediment,
kontrolné analytické rozbory pre štátne geologické, environmentálne a monitorovacie projekty,
harmonizáciu pripravovaných progresívnych analytických metód v súlade so štátmi Európskej únie a tvorbu odvetvových technických noriem,
implementáciu účinného systému pre zabezpečovanie a kontrolu kvality všetkých druhov laboratórnych prác,
organizáciu medzilaboratórnych porovnávacích skúšok (EnviPT) pre slovenské a zahraničné laboratóriá,
organizáciu odborných konferencií, školení a kurzov pre akreditované rezortné a ostatné laboratóriá a pre širokú odbornú verejnosť,
prípravu certifikovaných referenčných materiálov, interných a kalibračných štandardov,
spoluprácu s VŠ pri riešení výskumných úloh, diplomových a doktorandských prác.

References

Certificates on Accreditation

SNAS* – SLOVAK NATIONAL ACCREDITATION SERVICE issued Geoanalytical Laboratories – GAL, in terms of the provision of § 9 sect. 7 let. b) of the Act No. 505/2009 Coll. on Accreditation of Conformity Assessment Bodies and on Amendment of Certain Acts as amended by later regulations, new decision on accreditation.

- criteria according to Standard STN EN ISO/IEC 17025: 2005

Certificate on Accreditation No.: S 004.

The GAL are authorized to execute chemical, physical-chemical and physical tests of geological materials, solid, liquid fuels, biofuels and combustion products, working environment, internal atmosphere in buildings, imissions, emissions, soils, sediments, slurries, wastes, plant materials, chemical, physical-chemical, hydrobiological, microbiological and ecotoxicological tests of all types of waters, water leachates, sampling of water, soils, sediments, wastes, coal and atmosphere and to express the opinions and to interpret tests results in the sphere of authorized measurements according to specified range in Annex to the Certificate on Accreditation No.: S 004 .

- authorization requirements for specific sphere of authorized measurements

Certificate on Fulfilment of Authorization/Notification Requirements No.: N 005.

Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic as the appointed body of the state administration of the atmosphere protection according to § 29 let. n) point 3 of the Act No. 478/2002 Coll. on Air Protection which supplements the Act No. 401/1998 Coll. on charges for air pollution in wording of Act No. 161/2001 Coll. and Act No. 478/2002 Coll. issued CERTIFICATE No. S02/2462/2007-3.1,

by which the GAL are appointed as permanent subsupplier of authorized measurements according to § 25 sect. 11a Annex No. 3 point 18 to the Act No. 478/2002 Coll. on Air Protection; the subsupplier is authorized to execute quantitative and qualitative analyses of selected pollutants in samples of emissions of waste gases and unfiltered gases sampled by authorized persons according to § 25 sect. 6 Act on Air for the purpose of determination of emission characteristics values, by which the emission limits are defined or general operational conditions, for the purposes of emissions volume calculation, identification of pollutants by adopted analytical methods with an option of their modification (type 2 accreditation) and for the purposes of calibration and comparative tests of automatized emission measuring systems in the range according to Annex to Attestation No. S02/2462/2007-3.1, which is its indispensable component.

* SNAS is a regular member of EA (European Cooperation for Accreditation) and a signatory of MLA EA (MLA – Multilateral Agreement) for accrediting of testing and calibration laboratories (2001).
At a global level the SNAS is a regular member of ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) and is a signatory of MRA ILAC (Mutual Recognition Arrangement) for accrediting of testing and calibration laboratories (2001).

Other competences

Decision of the State Balneological Commission of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic on enrolment of the Geoanalytical Laboratories in the List of accredited laboratories for execution of analyses of natural healing waters and natural mineral waters.

Authorization of the State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic to execute analyses of groundwater, sediments and control analyses of waters – Decree No. 221 of April 29, 2005.

Order of the Minister of Environment of the Slovak Republic, establishing GAL as the Reference Laboratory in the sphere of „geology and analysis of geological materials and rock environment“.

Enrolment in the List of laboratories, which are authorized by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic to execute the analyses of wastes and to carry out ecotoxicity tests.

Awarding the Prize of Wolfgang Kempelen for testing – working staffs.

Participation in international and national comparative tests

Technical equipment

Atomic emission spectrometer simultaneous with inductively-coupled plasma VISTA MPX, Varian
Macro-elementary analyser CHNS, Vario Macro CHNS, Hanau
valorimeter IKA C-400, IKA Werk Staufen, Germany,
Carbon analyser TOC DC – 190, Model 183 Rosemount Dohrmann
Carbon analyser TOC – VCPN, Shimadzu
Automatic weights, Sartorius
Microwave mineralisator MDS 2000, CEM
Derivatograph Q-1500 D, MOM Budapest
Atomic absorption spectrometer with flame technique and hydride generation SPECTR AA – 220, VGA – 76, Varian
Atomic absorption spectrometer with electro-thermic atomization SPECTR AA – 400, GTA – 96, Varian
Single atomic absorption spectrometer for mercury determination AMA – 254, Altec s.r.o., Prague
Single atomic absorption spectrometer for mercury determination AMA – 254 with highly sensitive cuvette for determination of trace concentration of mercury in drinking waters, Altec s.r.o., Prague
Röntgen-fluorescence energodispersion spectrometer X-LAB 2000, Spectro

Department of laboratory analyses waters

Ion chromatograph DIONEX DX -120, DIONEX CORPORATION
Isotachophoretic analyser EA 102, Villa Labeco
Spectrometer UV-VIS 1601, Shimadzu
Oximeter Oxi 538, WTW GmbH, Germany2
System for deionized water MILIPORE
Analyser of organo-halogens DX – 2000, Dohrmann
Spectrophotometer UV VIS DR 5000, Hach-Lange
Electrochemical analyser EP- 100, HSC Bratislava
Analyser of organo-halogens LTX – 2000
Portable conductometer WTW MULTI 340i, Germany
Portable colorimeter DR/ 890, Hach-Lange
Portable dissolved oxygen meter LDO HQ 10, Hach-Lange
pX meter PHM 63, Copenhagen, Denmark

Department of laboratory organic analyses

Gas chromatograph with mass detector GC-MS, GC 6890N, MSD-5975, Agilent
Gas chromatograph with flame-ionization detector GC FID 3900, Varian
Gas chromatograph with flame-ionization detector GC 3400 and separator PURGE and TRAP LSC 2000 Tekmar, Varian
Gas chromatograph with mass detector GC 3400 SATURN II, Varian
Gas chromatograph with detector electron capture ECD 3400 CX, Varian
Spectrophotometer JENWAY 6300, Great Britain

Workplace of sample preparation

Quartering facility FRITSCH 27
Planetary mills FRITSCH
Jaw crushers D-160, BB-3, DLS-80X150
Sieving facility RETSCH
Vibration mill VM-4
Centrifugal mill RETSCH ZM-1
Columnar mill VM-7
Cutting mill Retsch – SM 2000

DIVISION OF GEOANALYTICAL LABORATORIES – GAL

Contacts

Head of GAL

Head of the Department of Operation and Samples Preparation

Quality Manager at GAL SGIDS Metrologist

Head of Dept. of Inorganic Analyses Laboratory

Head of Dept. of Organic Analyses Laboratory

Head of Dept. of Water Analyses Laboratory