In 2026, we are very excited to announce we are adding metals sampling to our Citizen Science program.
Why metals?
Inorganics like iron, manganese, arsenic and lithium can be present in drinking water, and while some of these contaminants are regulated, others are not but are becoming a health concern as more research is conducted. Dr. Kaycie Lane has been working with rural communities in Nebraska over the past years and noted many of the communities who come to the Civil and Environmental Engineering department with requests for help with drinking water treatment are bringing up aesthetic and health concerns related to manganese. In Fall 2026, we are piloting adding manganese and iron to our Citizen Science sampling program. With our upgraded detection devices at UNL, we can also measure a suite of other metals in drinking water, and have decided to therefore offer metals drinking water sampling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get my water tested for metals by UNL’s team?
There are two ways we are currently offering metals testing in our Fall 2025 pilot:
- If you send in sample kits for our current nitrate sampling effort and we have a positive detection of nitrate, we will follow-up with you directly to ask if you are interested in more testing, including metals.
- If you are interested in specifically having your well tested for metals, you can reach out to Dr. Kaycie Lane at kaycie.lane@unl.edu
Why should I test for metals in my well?
Metals are often colorless, odorless and not easy to detect in drinking water. While it is likely most metals concentrations will be low, sometimes, based on the geology of where you live, a particular metal can have a higher concentration. While most metals concentrations will not immediately make you sick (unless the concentration is very high!), metals can lead to chronic exposure. In other words, drinking low concentrations of metals over tie could lead to the development of diseases over time. To ensure you are not exposed to chronic impacts, testing for metals in your well is an important preventative health measure.
How many metals can UNL test?
Twelve. Currently, our atomic adsorption spectrometer can test for the following metals:
- Manganese
- Iron
- Lead
- Cobalt
- Chromium
- Strontium
- Lithium
- Vanadium
- Nickel
- Cadmium
- Copper
- Selenium
We also have connections to other laboratories that can test other metals if desired. Only one sample is required for all of these metals.