debrezeit agricultural research center labs renovation report

Report o

Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory

ANRL, Debre

Report on Laboratory Renovation

Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory

ebre Zeit Agricultural Research Center

Introduction

Agricultural chemistry laboratory at DZARC is one of renovated laboratories to modernize its

facility for generating quality analytical data in agricultural research system. Before renovation

(as Soil Laboratory), its facility was not suitable to accrediting the laboratory systems on the

way to international standard (ISO, 17025). It has been also limited capacity to provide services

for different research process other than soil research process. As a result of this, the updating

of the laboratory facility as well the management system is very important to accrediting this

laboratory with international standard plus to growing its scope of testing services to other

research process. After the renovation, the laboratory design, configurations and equipment

setups changed as agricultural chemistry laboratory that allow to used by a different research

disciplines for their purpose.

After the laboratory management changes, the following renovation activities conducted on

chemistry laboratory at DZARC.

1. The single laboratory room divided by the aluminum partions based on different analytical

process to prevent the interference effect between different testes.

2. The laboratory floor and the roofs is covered by epoxy and plastic tile, respectively to

maintain dust free environment in the laboratory.

3. Offices materials

The office materials such as tables , chairs and Wi-Fi ICT materials also purchased for

researchers and custodian. However, the tables for researchers are not used so far due to

office limitation for and internet capacity limitation for Wi-Fi facility in the center.

3.1. Custodian office (Room 1)

The custodian office is furnished with office tables, chairs, disk top computer and other office

materials. The soil, plant, water ,feed and food samples are received in the custodian room for

registration, coding and distributed to technician for analysis and collected back the samples

and the result.

2.2. laboratory head /QMR office( Room 2)

The room equipped with office materials and shelf's to document the laboratory quality

manual and different files.

4. The laboratory is furnished by benches, Laboratory stools, and cabinets in all rooms.

Kaliti Construction Materials Production Factory offered the laboratory bench , storage cabinet

and safety showers based on his agreement. but the laboratory Lab Trollys and white board are

not availed until now.

Table 1. Lab benches and cabinets installed by KCMPF

Sr

No

Materials Unit Request

ed Qnty

Offered

Qnty

Location room Remark

1 Lab Bench Wall Stand

(3.25*0.75*0.90 m)

PCS

3 3 Room 7,8,9


(2.55*0.75*0.90 m)

PCS

5 5 Room

5(2),7,8,11


(4.05*0.75*0.90 m)

PCS

4 4 Room 7,8,9,11


(8.95*0.75*0.90 m)

PCS

1 1 Room 10


(7.26*0.75*0.90 m)

PCS

1 1 Room 10


(5.41*0.80*0.90 m) PCS

1 1 Room 6


(1.88*0.80*0.90 m) PCS

1 1 Room 3


(1.50*0.80*0.90 m) PCS

1 1 Room 5


(2.50*0.80*0.90 m) PCS

1 1 Room 11

10 Lab sinks Pcs 14 14 Room 5(2), 6(2),

7(3), 8(2), 9(2),

10(3), 11(1)

The water tap

is not standard

for lab

11 Base Cabinet (900*600*600mm) 2-

drawer & 2-doors 18mm L-MDF PCS

40 40 All rooms It is better if it

has a key to

locked

12 Base Cabinet (1350*600*600mm)

2-drawer & 2-doors 18mm L-MDF PCS

6 6 All rooms not lockable

13 Base Cabinet (450*600*600mm) 2-

drawer & 2-doors 18mm L-MDF PCS

10 10 All rooms not lockable

14 Storage Cabinet(0.80*0.40*2.00m)

20mm MOP T PCS

3 3 Room 10

Room 6

Room 4

not lockable

15 Storage Cabinet (1.20*0.40*2.00m)

20mm MDF PCS

4 4 Room 7,8, 11

and Seed lab

not lockable

16 Storage Cabinet (1.50*0.40*2.00m)

20mm MDF PCS

12 12 Room 2(2), 3(2),

4, 5 ,6(3),9 &

Corridor

not lockable

17 Emergency Shower & Eye Wash PCS 2 2 Room 6, 10 Good

18 White Board Movable (1.90*1.20m) 2 Not

offered

19 Lab Trollys (0.90*0.60*0.90) 2 Not

offered

Generally, Agricultural chemistry research laboratory of DZARC has the following facilities in

each room for the specific testing process.

4.1. Balancing room (Room 3)

Balancing room equipped with different types of analytical balances to weighing the samples

and chemicals for analysis and cabinets for temporary storage of samples and chemicals during

ongoing analysis activity

4.2. Digestion room (Room 4)

The facilities includes fume hood, block digester and furnaces are available in this room . The

pressure plate apparatus also facilitated in this room for soil water holding capacity

determination. Wet Digestion of soil, plant, feed and food samples are conducted in this room

for macro and micro nutrient analysis. it is the first steps of chemical analysis in chemistry

laboratory. In addition, for the digestion and preparation of reagents, chemicals carry out in the

Fume Hood.

4.3. High tech instrument room ( Room 5)

This room is furnished with three benches including one small bench for AAS placement and

the other two benches used as working bench during analysis. One water sink and One cabinet

(150cm width ) are also available in this room. The instrumental reading of micro nutrients

and heavy metals under take in this room by AAS . The room has also enough space and facility

if ICP-MS will installed in this room.

4.4. Food, feed and water sample preparation and washing room (Room 6)

In this room one bench with two water sinks are installed for washing of different glassware's

and plant sample preparation. It is equipped with various equipment such as washing machine,

refrigerator, plant grinding mail, safety shower and four different size cabinets plant sample and

glassware storage.

4.5 Distillation room (Room 7)

This room is equipped with three benches , one cabinets, water distiller and distillation units for

TN, NO3 ,NH4 , CEC contents and protein contents determination of soil, food and feed

samples. The distilled water also produced in this room for analysis.

4.6. Titration room (Room 8)

In this room the more traditional analytical processes are carried out, e.g., pH, electrical

conductivity, and anions and cations. Various items of equipment and associated with titration

such as digital burette, titrat , calcimeter , pH meter, and conductivity meter are generally found

in this room.

4.7. Instrumental Room (Room 9)

In this room the instrumental reading are conducted by using different instruments including

flame photometer ,spectrophotometer and near infrareds spectroscope. This room is also

equipped with refrigerator for storage of standard reagent chemicals and computer for data

calculation and records.

4.8 Extraction room (Room 10)

In the extraction room the analytical processes of shaking, stirring, filtering and centrifuging are

done almost exclusively with the aid of electrical machines and devices. In addition, preparation

of reagents, chemicals carry out in this room.

4.9. Ashing and Oven dry room (room 11)

This is where the sub-samples are dried in oven for moisture content determination . the

hygroscopic natured chemicals are also dried in oven to remove the moisture content for

measuring the actual weight in reagent preparation. Dry ashing process and ash content

determination is also conducted in this room. The room generally equipped with furnace ,

ovens and different hot plates.

5. Soil and plant Preparation & storage Room(Separate building)

In this room the bulk soil and plant sample from customers are received for preparation (dried

and sieved). This facility is equipped with drying oven, soil grinder, plant mill, stainless steel

soil sieve sets, different types of soil sampling (augers, spade, and metal rings), shelves and

sample containers . Soil and plant samples are dried and placed in clean containers and then

transferee to the chemistry laboratory for requested analysis. All samples after analysis will

retained in this room until discarded date reached.

6. Chemical store rooms (separate building)

This is where the solid and liquid chemicals stored for chemistry laboratory in separate

sections. and all chemicals in each shelves arranged alphabetically and the bin cards prepared

for prober stoke management.

. Chemical store rooms (separate building)





With the above facility and current arrangement system, this laboratory can be provide

effective analytical service for different research process including crop research process to

testing nutritional profile for their newly released crop verities, Animal production research

process to testing animal nutrition and animal product quality , land and water research process

used to soil, water plant and fertilizer testing. This facility also allows ANRL researchers to

make agricultural chemistry and nutritional research related agricultural product quality,

environmental sustainability, food chemistry and nutritional quality researches. This

multidiscipline laboratory service approach will benefit the researchers to working together to

raises overall agricultural productivity and product quality , promote open communication, and

facilitates resource sharing.

Thank you for the nice work

Mohammed Yimam

debrezeit agricultural research center labs renovation report

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