Acquisition of a high resolution ICP-MS for environmental research and training in Maine

该奖项通过收购高分辨率电感耦合等离子体质谱仪（HR-ICP-MS），为缅因州大学显著提高元素和同位素分析能力提供支持。 HR-ICP-MS将使环境科学家和学生在UMaine，以及其他教育机构和国家机构，大大拓宽他们的跨学科研究兴趣远远超出目前的可能性。 具体而言，最先进的HR-ICP-MS将使PI能够：1）大幅扩展我们在水性基质中的元素浓度和元素比率分析能力。 缅因大学在第四纪科学、环境地球化学和海洋地球化学方面的现有研究优势依赖于万亿分之一和四分之一水平的精确元素测定。 这些程序中的每一个都需要HR-ICP-MS提供的灵敏度和低检测限，以执行多元素分析，而无需耗时的预浓缩方案;以及2）执行快速和高度精确的元素同位素比测定，或充分约束同位素比以推断主要过程。 用HR-ICP-MS进行的同位素测量将立即用于几个正在进行的项目，调查污染物的来源和运输，地球化学过程和气候变化。 我们将在缅因州的索耶环境研究中心开发一个HR-ICP-MS设备，作为区域资源使用。我们计划收购Finnigan ELEMENT 2，这是唯一的商用高分辨率单收集器ICP-MS。除了其主要研究重点外，HR-ICP-MS还将用于缅因大学的一系列本科和研究生课程。研究和教育的整合将通过研究生论文，本科课程和独立的本科生研究项目在荣誉计划和顶点体验计划下发生。***

EAR-0215724KreutzThis award provides support to significantly enhance the elemental and isotopic analysis capabilities at the University of Maine through the acquisition of a high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS). The HR-ICP-MS will enable environmental scientists and students at UMaine, as well as other educational institutions and state agencies, to substantially broaden their interdisciplinary research interests far beyond the current possibilities. Specifically, a state-of-the-art HR-ICP-MS will enable the PIs to: 1) Dramatically expand our element concentration and element ratio analysis capabilities in aqueous matrices. Existing UMaine research strengths in Quaternary science, environmental geochemistry, and marine biogeochemistry rely upon accurate elemental determinations at part-per-trillion and part-per-quadrillion levels. Each of these programs requires the sensitivity and low detection limits offered by HR-ICP-MS to perform multi-elemental analyses without time-consuming pre-concentration protocols; and 2) Perform rapid and highly precise elemental isotope ratio determinations, or constrain isotope ratios sufficiently for primary processes to be inferred. Isotope measurements made with the HR-ICP-MS will be immediately used in several ongoing projects investigating pollutant source and transport, biogeochemical processes, and climate variability. We will develop a HR-ICP-MS Facility in the Sawyer Environmental Research Center at UMaine for use as a regional resource. We plan to acquire a Finnigan ELEMENT2, the only commercially available high resolution single collector ICP-MS. In addition to its primary research focus, the HR-ICP-MS will be used in a range of undergraduate and graduate programs at UMaine. Integration of research and education will occur through graduate theses, undergraduate courses, and independent undergraduate research projects under the Honors Program and Capstone Experience program. ***