Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory
The Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory contains a state-of-the-art “metal free” clean room and a Thermo Scientific Triton multi-collector thermal ionization mass spectrometer (MC-TIMS) funded by the Major Research Instrumentation program at the National Science Foundation. The Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory presently emphasizes the analysis of Ca and Sr isotopes to support research in low-temperature aqueous geochemistry, ground and surface water hydrology, chemical oceanography, paleoceanography, geomicrobiology, chemostratigraphy, and climate change, both modern and ancient.
PicoTrace designed and built the Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory. The chemistry laboratory and TIMS room meet or exceed class 1000 conditions. All work areas, including hoods and counter tops, meet or exceed class 10 conditions. The main chemistry laboratory contains seven exhausting horizontal laminar flow workstations for chromatographic separations, sample evaporations, rock digestions, and other procedures. Additional equipment includes corrosion-free hotplates with time-temperature controllers, a pressure digestion system, sub-boiling stills for acid purification, microscopes, high-precision analytical balances, and a Millipore Milli-Q Element water purifier coupled to an Elix20 RO-EDI pre-treatment system.
Aqueous Geochemistry Laboratory
The Aqueous Geochemistry Laboratory emphasizes the elemental analysis of rocks, soil, water, biologic materials, and experimental laboratory solutions. Major equipment includes a Thermo Scientific iCAP 6500 inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) and a Dionex DX-120 ion chromatograph (IC). The laboratory also contains auxiliary equipment commonly employed in wet chemical research, including balances, pH meters, centrifuges, water baths, and drying ovens.