Renovation of an Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory for North Carolina Triangle Universities Consortium

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This ARI award will provide funding for the renovation of an obsolete Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) on behalf of The North Carolina Triangle Universities Consortium. Housed in Mitchell Hall, the 32 year old lab is used to support analytical procedures including acid digestion of samples, elemental chromatographic separations, mineral leaching and purification, and sample loading preparation for mass spectrometry. Faculty and students of three Geoscience Departments, UNC-CH, Duke University, and North Carolina State University, use the facility to prepare samples for isotopic and chemical analysis using the VG Sector 54 thermal ionization mass spectrometer. However, the instrument cannot be used to full capability because the laboratory lacks modern, clean facilities required to prepare small, low-level samples for high-precision analyses. An inordinate amount of time has been spent discovering and eliminating sources of contamination, therefore impeding progress. Corrosion of metallic light fixtures, ceiling grids, fume hood casings, and pipes contribute significant contaminating particles, especially since air in the lab is not filtered. Air flow is low, and acid fumes are not adequately vented from work areas, thus creating a potential hazardous health environment for research personnel. Current space design limits the training opportunities for additional students and limits the range of research and analytical experiments that can be performed. Laboratory renovations will consist of: installing new fume hoods, including four Class 100 laminar flow hoods; installing benchtop workstations, and providing HEPA filter evaporating boxes. Corroded electrical outlets, gas and water pipes will be replaced as well as ceiling grids. Renovations will enable research personnel to: analyze a wider variety of samples, and smaller quantities of a sample at very low concentrations; decrease errors associated with isotopic measurements, and accommodate additional users. This will allow research growth in areas that require accurate Pb abundances and isotopic ratios; perform source apportionment studies to assess relative contribution of trace pollutants for natural and anthropogenic sources, perform exposure assessment of humans to atmospheric pollutants, and expand isotopic tracer studies to plant and animal research. More students, including students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in North Carolina, will learn a broader range of scientific procedures of geologic and environmental importance.