As I had already passed my Higher Diploma in Analytical Science and Biotechnology at home in Hong Kong, I was able to progress straight to the final year of the Chemistry degree. One of the modules, forensic analysis was particularly appealing and it was also a chance for me to go beyond my country, to broaden my horizons and become more independent.
My classmates, professors and technicians were nice and very helpful. The lab lessons and my research project enabled me to gain a lot of practical experience. I won the Syngenta Prize for my final year project which was to determine the heavy metals and arsenic speciation in shellfish.
As Assistant Chemist at Intertek I am responsible for conducting chemical testing of toys, food and/or hardlines, operating testing instruments, preparing food samples and generating reports. My work includes analysing samples, for example toys and clothing to see if they contain allergic dyes, carcinogenic dyes and nonylphenol ethoxylate using liquid chromatography.
The best thing about my work is that I get to apply the knowledge that I have gained from the Chemistry course at Plymouth to my work.