About the Marine Analytical Lab
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The Marine Analytical Lab is an open-access, multi-user core facility focused on marine- and coastal-related research. Major equipment in the MAL are detailed in the following section.
These instruments can be used to measure salinity and the concentrations of various species including anions, total and dissolved carbon, and nutrients in aqueous solutions, generally from fresh to seawater matrices. Gas and liquid chromatographs can be used to measure small and volatile and nonvolatile molecular species in liquids extracted from pesticides, petroleum products, etc. Additional resources include ultra-clean (type 1) water purification system, microdrill, micro-balance, several centrifuges, and a host of standard analytical lab equipment.
The lab also has an array of portable field devices including a conductivity, salinity, temperature meter; a dissolved oxygen probe; and a light meter. The lab provides reagents, acids and bases, and solvents that are commonly used in marine labs, as well as a library of reference methods.
Lachat QuikChem 8000 Flow Injection Analyzer (nutrients)
Lachat QuikChem 8000 Flow Injection Analyzer (nutrients)
Measure NO3 (NOx), NO2, PO4, SiO2, and NH4 in aqueous samples, from fresh to brackish to saline. Our instrument is configured to use up to 3 channels at a time.
SOP a guide to the Lachat, including links to the methods list, detailed methods, the sample loop size record, and recipes for making reagents and standards.
Methods List including links to detailed method SOP
Instrument Manual for the QuikChem 8500, but very similar to the 8000
UIC Carbon Coulometer (total inorganic carbon)
UIC Carbon Coulometer (total inorganic carbon)
Most commonly used to measure total inorganic carbon (TIC) in liquids and solids.
Educational Videos (external link to UIC; note ours is an older but very similar model)
Shimadzu TOC-VCSH (total organic carbon, total nitrogen)
Shimadzu TOC-VCSH (total organic carbon, total nitrogen)
Measure non-purgeable organic carbon (NPOC, a type of TOC) in liquids using Pt-catalyzed combustion at 720degC to CO2. In NPOC analyzes, hydrochloric acid is added to lower the sample to pH ~2, and the solution is sparged until POC and IC are removed. Note: seawater requires special handling due to salt precipitation in the combustion chamber.
Dionex ICS-2000 Ion Chromatography
Dionex ICS-2000 Ion Chromatography
Description
Columns available- coming soon
Dionex ICS-2000 Operation Manual (quite good and detailed)
(note that Chromeleon chromatography management software is used on a range of chromatography instruments from other manufacturers, not just the Dionex ICS-2000; hence, this manual is best as a reference, not necessarily as a "how-to")Other items of potential interest:
Components (what behind the panel door?)
Flow schematic and description
Injection valve and sample loop diagram
Labconco Freeze Dryer
Labconco Freeze Dryer
Freeze dry samples (a process also known as lyophilization). Samples must be pre-frozen to -20degC.
SOP -coming soon
A Guide to Freeze Drying (from Labconco)
Freeze Drying: Basics and Applications (from Buchi)
Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 100 Atomic Absorption Spectrometer
Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 100 Atomic Absorption Spectrometer
Measure the concentration of an element in aqueous solutions using the the absorption of its characteristic wavelength of light (spectral line) after passing through a high temperature flame. Most commonly used to determine the concentration of a single element (e.g,, Pb or Mn) at the mid to high parts-per-million level. We have lamps that allow measurement of about 25 elements. If you wish to measure multiple elements, or require lower detection limits, ICP-OES or ICP-MS techniques are preferred.
SOP (our in-house guide)
An AAS primer
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