Equipment

For high quality analysis reliable, state-of-the-art equipment is essential. Backup equipment is needed as well to assure sample turn around time without missing holding times.

• The radiochemistry department uses 5 low background gas proportional counters 5XLB by Tennelec for gross alpha and beta as well as for radium analyses. A Beckman scintillation counter is used for tritium and radon analysis.
• The organics departments have 17 HP gas chromatographs (GCs) with 8 Mass Spectrometry detectors (GC/MS) as well as 7 Electron Capture (EC), 2 ELCD, 1 PID and 3 FID detectors. Additionally we use 4 Tekmar and OI Purge and Trap units for sample concentration.
• High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is used for SOC analysis.
• The metals department has a ICP-MS PE ELAN 9000 for trace analysis of metals, uranium as well as arsenic speciation. Two ICP-OES PE OPTIMA 4300DV for all other metals analysis. Mercury analysis is done by FIMS with a PE 400 for low levels and fast turn around time.
• Two Ion Chromatography (IC) uses a Dionex analyzer for anions including perchlorate.
• The wet chemistry departments uses Lachat  flow injection/continuous flow analyzers for high capacity fast turn around analyses of nutrients. Multiple TOC analyzers are used for TOC and DOC analysis. The Beckman Coulter D720 is our UV/VIS for several wet chemistry tests.
• The microbiology and dairy departments use microscopes and incubators for a large variety of tests.