Environmental Chemistry

The environmental chemistry group has developed procedures for determining low levels of a variety of inorganic substances in environmental and other media. Laboratory space for the group includes a primary laboratory for sample preparation and an instrumental analysis laboratory. The preparation laboratory is equipped with chemical hoods, two microwave sample digestion units, an acid purification system, an electronic balance, and other standard laboratory equipment.

The environmental chemistry instrumentation laboratory is equipped with several instruments used for the analyses of trace elements, including heavy metals, in environmental and other samples. Two inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometers and an ICP atomic emission spectrometer are available for the trace element work. An ion chromatograph is used for routine analyses of anions (chloride, fluoride, nitrate and sulfate) in water and air samples. The instrumentation lab also is equipped with an ultra-pure water system.