Porvair plc, a filtration and environmental technology group, has strengthened its offering to the water quality markets after buying Seal Analytical.

Seal, a manufacturer of water quality analysis equipment for environmental and industrial laboratories, cost Porvair £3.8 million. The balance was settled in up to £2.3 million cash and £1.5 million worth of shares. Under the terms of the deal, Porvair assumes £2.2 million of Seal’s debt.

The company was sold by its managing director, Tim Brittain, and the South East Growth Fund. Key managers will remain with the business post-completion.

Porvair chief executive Ben Stocks said the board has been looking to expand the company’s water quality operations.

“Water quality concerns are growing around the world, driven by population growth, water scarcity and pollution,” he added. “The combined Porvair and Seal businesses are ideally placed to serve this growing requirement for domestic and commercial clean water analysis.”

Seal is based in Burgess Hill, West Sussex and also has operations in the US and Europe with 15 per cent of its sales generated in the UK. In the year to July 2007, it made a pre-tax loss of £700,000 from a £6 million turnover with its assets valued at £3.9 million.