In order to monitor and assess the marine and freshwater environment, regulators and scientists require high quality data, which APEM are proud to produce. Our world-class laboratories and scientists provide external quality assurance and auditing in macroinvertebrate sample analysis for the Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Accurate diatom analysis and identifications are essential to enable a robust calculation of the trophic diatom index and consequent classification of a freshwater water body and assessment of nutrient impact using DARLEQ2.
APEM provide this high standard for projects of any size. We are also experienced in the preparation and identification of marine diatoms from estuarine habitats.
Freshwater diatoms are a key component of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) classifications of lakes and rivers and, because of their sensitivity to nutrient levels, they are very useful indicators of eutrophication. Diatoms can also be used to detect other environmental pressures such as increased acidity.
The APEM team of diatom specialists has a wealth of experience in identifying diatom samples from all types of water bodies across the UK, as well as coastal waters.
We’ve worked on large contracts, such as our analysis of almost 1,000 samples for the Environment Agency’s WFD monitoring in 2013-14; and small projects, such as the analysis of eight samples in 2016 for a Natural Resources Wales wetland restoration project.
The quality of our work is demonstrated by all of our analysts’ consistently accurate results in the UK and Ireland Ring Test. Participation in the Ring Test is a prerequisite for undertaking contracts with the UK regulatory bodies.
APEM are fully conversant in WFD compliant methods of diatom sample collection, slide preparation and enumeration of prepared diatom slides. Our laboratory in Stockport is fully equipped to deal with the processing of raw diatom samples and the creation of permanent slide mounts for all types of diatom samples.
This process is subject to batch control, which ensures samples are rejected and re-processed if statistically significant levels of contamination are found.
We are experienced in the use of the DARLEQ2 tool, which provides observed and expected values of both the trophic diatom index and DAM metrics, for nutrients and acidity respectively. This contributes to assessments of waterbodies that are compatible with the standards used under the WFD.
We provide interpretative reporting of DARLEQ2 outputs and this is supported by our ecological knowledge of the responses of diatom communities to various pressures, which may be lost by focussing only on the bare metrics.
We can also provide analysis of coastal marine samples and lake sediment core samples.
The team at APEM would be happy to answer any questions you have about freshwater and marine diatom analysis. Please use the form below to get in touch.
