Customs laboratory

The main role of the Customs Laboratory is to make analyses for identification of the samples taken by customs officers and to issue opinions concerning tariff classification of analysed samples, in conformity with the Harmonised System and Combined Nomenclature.

The basic role of the Customs Laboratory changes with its modernisation. From the initial analyses to appropriately determination and collection of customs and other import duties, nowadays the Customs Laboratory is more and more focused on protection of the environment, safety and health of the citizens through detection of goods whose import is subject to restrictions or prohibitions.

Laboratory premises and equipment

The Customs Laboratory consist of two instrumental laboratory and ine preparatory laboratory.

Instruments and auxiliary equipment

• Chromatographic instruments:
  • Gas Chromatography with Flame ionization detector (GC/FID)
  • Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
  • High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
• Spectroscopic instruments:
  • Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF)
  • Inductive Coupled Plasma spectrometry (ICP)
  • Fourier Transform Infra-red spectrometry (FT-IR)
  • Ultra-Violet /Visible spectrometry (UV-VIS)
• Other instrument:
  • Soxhlet- for extraction
  • Soxtherm for hydrolysis
  • Kjeldahl- for determination of nitrogen and proteins
  • Instrument for distillation
  • Instrument for density
  • Microscope
  • Refractometer
  • Tensiometer etc

Type of analyses made at the Customs Laboratory

• Lubricating oils (Chapter 27 vs. Chapter 34):
  • distillation,
  • density,
  • FTIR method
• Oil derivatives - fuels:
  • Oil derivatives - fuels:
  • FTIR method,
  • Determination of Solvent Yellow 124 in Gas Oil
• Dairy products:
  • Determination of the fat content,
  • Determination of the fat content of milk,
  • Identification of the Dairy Fat Substitutes and Oil Substitutes,
  • Acid number,
  • Free fatty acid content,
  • Iodine value
• Other samples:
  • The amount of sugar in sugar products,
  • The amount of sugar in cacao and cacao products,
  • Identification of plastics,
  • Chlorides in form of Sodium Chloride contained in products of fruits and vegetables,
  • Iodates in salt for human consumption,
  • Surface-active agents-surface tension,
  • Textile materials – identification

Analytical methods applied at the Customs Laboratory

• Enzymatic determination of starch and products of its degradation, in food products,
• Distillation of oil products at atmospheric pressure,
• The Determination of:
  • Euromarker (Solvent Yellow 124) in gas oils and kerosene,
  • Acid value and free fatty acids content,
  • Sulphur in Petroleum Products, by using the X-ray fluorescence spectrometry,
  • Proteins content,
  • Theobromine in products containing cacao with high-performance liquid chromatography,
  • Iodine value,
  • Ash content in sugar by a Colorimetric method,
  • Chlorides in vegetables,
  • Volatile acids,
  • Surface tension of a liquids,
  • Alcohol content of beer,
  • Chloride content in frozen and salted chicken breasts,
  • Sugar content in food products,
  • Metals content,
  • Milk fats content,
  • The amount of Phosphate in a Detergent,
  • Colour and marker concentration, by UV VIS spectrophotometer,
  • Salt iodate content and
• Determination of gold percentage of the gold alloys (jewellery), by using the method of abrasive plate with carat needle