Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC)

The research group EnVOC of the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University focuses on analytical, chemical and engineering issues related to organic trace compounds in technical and natural ecosystems. Research activities deal with both fundamental (e.g. method development and validation, quality assurance and control) and applied (e.g. exposure measurements, partitioning and/or reactivity of trace organics) aspects of environmental analytical chemistry and technology (with focus on air and water treatment) at (sub-)trace levels. Apart from its environmentally oriented research, EnVOC is also actively involved in multi-partner research on bio-active trace compounds in plant sciences, e.g. for the measurement of phytohormones or volatile signaling molecules.

The group is headed by Prof. Kristof Demeestere and Prof. Christophe Walgraeve. A broad and profound scientific knowledge and experience has been built up with innovative sampling/sample preparation and cutting-edge instrumental analysis based on gas- and liquid chromatography and (on-line) high-resolution mass spectrometry for screening and ultra-trace quantification of small organic molecules. Since more than 15 years, EnVOC is main partner of the AMBERLab (Lab for Advanced Mass Spectrometry) and through successful consortium-based research, EnVOC built an advanced chemical-analytical lab, now housing amongst others 2 benchtop GC-MS instruments with thermal desorption facilities, a Voice200 Selected Ion Flow Tube mass spectrometer (SIFT-MS) and a Proton Transfer Reaction high-resolution Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer (PTR-Qi-TOF-MS, Ionicon) for on-line real-time measurements, a double-focusing high-resolution magnetic sector ion-trap MS/MS system coupled to both PTV-GC and HPLC, and a UHPLC-Q-Exactive high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry instrument for high-throughput analysis of a wide range of emerging and bio-active organic trace compounds. Next to that, the lab is equipped with multiple (home-made) technological engineering set-ups for physical-chemical and biological treatment of airborne and aqueous organic trace contaminants.