Highlights from the Environmental Biogeochemistry Field Sampling course with the BIOGRIP Water & Soil Node

Attendees of the Environmental Biogeochemistry Field Sampling Course hosted by the BIOGRIP Soil & Water Node at Stellenbosch University over 17 – 19 March 2025.

The BIOGRIP Water & Soil Node at Stellenbosch University hosted a 3-day Environmental Biogeochemistry Field Sampling Course from 17 – 19 March 2025. Twenty-one attendees from various universities and industry took part. The course covered various sampling techniques in the biogeochemistry field, giving detailed attention to methodology and good sampling practices to ensure that results accurately represent the sampled environment. The sampling course focused on sampling considerations, collection methods, laboratory procedures and data handling.

 Research topics covered included the following:

• Roger Diamond (UCT/BIOGRIP) on environmental isotopes (H, O, N, Rn) in water

• Alno Carstens (Water Institute, SU) on contaminants of emerging concern (CEC’s)

• Casper Crous (SU) on plant stable isotopes (C, N) for detecting water stress and other factors

• Aldwin Ndhlovu (BIOGRIP/UCT) on trace metals in water, sediments and biological samples

• Andrew Ndhlovu (School of Climate Studies, SU) on carbon quantities and isotopes of seagrasses (‘blue carbon’)

• Suzanne Fietz, Heleen Vos (SU) & Johanna von Holdt (UCT) on dust

• Janine Colling & Volante Moonsamy gave a tour of the BIOGRIP Water & Soil Node laboratory, including the discrete analyser and ion chromatograph for water quality, and the IRMS and CRDS isotope instruments

• Riana Rossouw, Charney Small and Herschel Achilles gave a tour of the XRF prep labs

• Erick van Schalkwyk and Malcolm Taylor gave a tour of the LC-MS laboratory where organic compounds (drugs, pesticides, etc) can be measured to ppt levels. 

This was the first field sampling course hosted by BIOGRIP and hopefully this course will be offered every year due to the demand shown from the many applications received from interested people willing to learn more about environmental biogeochemistry.

Dr Roger Diamond demonstrating the use of the RAD8 radon meter with a sample taken only minutes before from a borehole nearby on campus.

Riana Rossouw (in pink) guiding a visit to the X-Ray Fluorescence laboratory to learn about sample preparation for analysis of trace elements.

Attendees sampling a borehole on campus for immediate radon measurement, and discussing procedures for trace metals, isotopes and other analytes.