Science Resource

The University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) has the facilities and the pool of scientists needed to operate a Science Resource Center (SRC). Located at the UIC-Father Selga campus in Davao City, the SRC is the university’s full-service laboratory.

The SRC has facilities for physical/chemical, pharmaceutical and microbiological testing and research. Licensed chemists, pharmacists, medical technologists, and seasoned laboratory analysts serve at the center.

SRC services include analysis of the following:

Physico-chemical analysis of Water/ Wastewater

• pH
• Color
• Turbidity
• Electrical Conductivity
• Acidity/Alkalinity
• Carbonate/bicarbonate
• Volatile Acidity
• Hardness (Total)
• COD
• BOD
• Oil & Grease
• Total Solids
• Total Suspended Solids
• Volatile Suspended Solids
• Settleable Solids
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Phenols
• Surfactants (MBAS)
• Organophosphates
• Carbamate Screening
• Calcium/Magnesium
• Potassium/Sodium
• Iron/Copper
• Manganese/Zinc
• Phosphate/Phosphate-P
• Sulfate/Sulfate-Sulfur
• Borate/Borate-Boron
• Silicate/Silica
• Total Copper
• Organic matter
• Chloride
• Chlorine, Residual
• Nitrogen, Total
• Nitrogen, Ammoniacal
• Nitrate/Nitrate-N
• Nitrite/Nitrite-N
• Aluminum
• Antimony
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Chromium (hexavalent)
• Chromium (total)
• Cyanide, Total
• Cyanide, Free
• Fluoride
• Formaldehyde
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Lead
• Mercury, Total
• Tin
• Silver
• Screening for alkaloids
• Screening for Tannins
• Chlorophyll

Microbiological Analyses of  Water/Wastewater:

• Heterotrophic Plate Count
• Coliform Count, MPN
• coli Count/ Fecal coliform, MPN
• Yeast and Molds Count
• aeruginosa detection
• aureus Detection
• Salmonella

Food Analysis

A. For Nutrition Labelling

• Calories
• Total (crude) Fat
• Saturated Fat
• Sodium
• Total Carbohydrates
• Total sugars
• Crude protein
• Vitamin C
• Iron
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Phosphorus

B. Proximate Analysis

• Moisture content
• Total solids
• Ash content
• Crude protein
• Crude fat
• Crude fiber
• Carbohydrates
• Calories

C. Microbiological Tests

• Aerobic Plate Count
• Yeasts and Molds Count
• coli count
• Coliform Count

• Salmonella detection
• aureus detection
• aeruginosa detection

D. Physical/Inorganic Analysis

• pH
• Density
• Viscosity
• Alcohol content
• Nitrogen, amino
• Nitrogen, ammoniacal
• Nitrogen, non-protein (NPN)
• Nitrate/Nitrite
• Benzoic acid/benzoate
• Salinity (as sodium chloride)
• Titratable acidity
• Total soluble solids (brix reading)
• Invert sugar
• Total sugar/starch

• Copper/Manganese/Zinc
• Arsenic
• Boron/Borax
• Permanganate Oxidation Number
• Cadmium
• Chromium
• Cyanide (free)
• Formaldehyde
• Lead
• Mercury (total)

E. Lipid-Related Analyses

• Free fatty acid/Acid value
• Peroxide value
• Iodine value (Wij’s)
• Volatile fatty acid
• Reichert Meissl Number
• Unsafonifiable matter
• Insoluble acids
• Insoluble matter
• Melting point
• Specific gravity
• Moisture (immiscible solvent

distillation)

F. Aflatoxin test

Plant Tissue Analysis

A. Nutrient Analysis

• Dry Ashing
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Copper
• Iron
• Manganese
• Zinc
• Chloride
• Boron
• Sulfur
• Sodium
• Molybdinum

B. Contaminants

• Lead
• Cyanide(free)
• Mercury (total)
• Organophosphorus
• Carbamate screening

C. Phytochemical Screening

• Aldehydes
• Alkaloids
• Steroids
• Glycosides
• Saponins

Soil Analysis

A. Nutrient Analysis

• pH in water
• Organic Matter
• Nitrogen
• Available Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Available Sulfur
• Available Iron
• Available Zinc
• Available Manganese
• Available Copper
• Boron
• Chloride
• Moisture content
• Electrical conductivity

B. Other Analyses

• Particle size distribution:

1. a)  Sand fractions
2. b)  Sand, silt and clays

• Soil reaction:

1. a) pH in KCl
2. b) SMP pH

• Lime requirement

Exchangeable Aluminum

• Hydrogen / Acidity
• Total Exch. Bases
• Cation Exchange Capacity
• CEC as TEB + EA
• Carbonates/Bicarbonates
• Molybdenum
• Mercury (total)
• Cadmium
• Lead

Fertilizer

A. Organic:

Compost/chicken dung

• Sample prep’n/ashing
• Organic matter
• Nitrogen (total)
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Moisture

Guano

• Sample Preparation
• Moisture
• Nitrogen
• Potassium

B. Inorganic:

Ammonium chloride

• Sample preparation
• Ammoniacal Nitrogen
• Chloride
• Moisture

Ammonium sulfate

• Sample preparation
• Ammoniacal Nitrogen
• Sulfate
• Moisture

Ammonium phosphate

• Sample preparation
• Ammoniacal Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Moisture

Muriate of potash

• Sample preparation
• Chloride
• Moisture

Sulfate of potash

• Sample preparation
• Potassium
• Sulfate
• Moisture

Kieserite

• Sample preparation
• Magnesium
• Sulfate
• Moisture

Lime/Limestone

• Sample preparation
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Moisture

Gypsum

• Sample preparation
• Calcium
• Sulfate
• Moisture

Borax

• Sample preparation
• Boron
• Moisture

Urea

• Sample preparation
• Total Nitrogen
• Moisture

Copper sulfate / Ferrous sulfate / Manganese sulfate / Zinc sulfate

• Sample preparation
• Copper
• Iron
• Manganese
• Zinc
• Sulfate

Magnesium oxide

• Sample prep’n/ashing
  • Magnesium
  • Moisture

Potassium nitrate

• Sample preparation
• Potassium
• Nitrate-Nitrogen
• Moisture

Rock phosphate

• Sample prep’n/ashing
• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Moisture

Sul-Po-Mag

• Sample preparation
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Sulfate
• Moisture

Miscellaneous analyses:

• Biuret
• Fluoride
• Free acidity

Liquid / foliar fertilizer         

• Sample digestion (total element        analysis only)
• Nitrate-Nitrogen
• Nitrogen, total
• Nitrogen, ammoniacal
• Total / Available Phosporus
• Total / Available Potassium
• Total / Available Calcium
• Total / Available Magnesium
• Total / Available Sodium
• Total / Available Iron
• Total / Available Copper
• Total / Available Manganese

• Total / Available Zinc
• Sulfate – sulfur
• Borate – boron
• Chloride
• pH
• Specific gravity
• Lead
• Mercury, total
• Organic matter
• Cadmium
• Chromium (hexavalent)

Pharmaceuticals         

• Rotary evaporation
• Moisture (Oven method)
• Moisture (Xylene method)
• Ash
• Hydroquinone
• Benzalkonium chloride
• Retinoin
• Gravity
• pH
• Activated carbon / charcoal
• Moisture
• Ash
• Volatile matter
• Fixed carbon
• Silica (crude)
• Sulfate-sulfur
• pH
• EC
• Chloride
• K, Ca, Mg, Na
• Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn
• Add ashing to total
• Apparent density

Ores/minerals             

• Gold
• Lead
• Silver
• Platinum (gravimetric)
• Copper / Iron / Manganese
• Chromite
• Silica quartz

Miscellaneous Samples   

• Assay of Alum (% K alum or % NH4 alum)
• Aluminum sulfate (% Al & % SO4-S)
• Oxalic acid (% oxalic acid)
• Sodium/calcium hypochlorite (%Chlorine)
• Formalin/formaldehyde (%HCHO)
• Phosphoric acid, %

Plant Extracts

• Alkaloids
• Aldehydes
• Anthraquinones
• Cardenolides & bufadenolides
• Flavonoids
• Glycosides
• Saponins
• Steroids
• Tannins

 

The SRC is a DENR-recognized environmental laboratory and has complied with the documentation, analytical performance and technical requirements of DENR Administrative Order No. 63, series of 1998.

For inquiries, please contact (082) 221-8090 local 133 / (082) 221-8181 local 133.