MRI: Acquisition of a High Resolution Plasma Source Mass Spectrometer and Sample Introduction System for Multidisciplinary Geosciences Research and Education

天然水、沉积物、空中扬尘、雨水和海洋微生物群的元素组成包含了对了解地球系统的运作及其过去和未来的轨迹至关重要的信息，这些轨迹对人类社会至关重要。此外，进行和解释这种化学分析的能力是海洋和地球科学领域内许多科学专业人员教育和培训的重要组成部分。这种元素分析最常用的方法之一是等离子体源质谱，新一代样品引入系统与高分辨率电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(HR-ICP-MS)相耦合，允许在元素浓度的大范围内对各种自然材料进行常规元素测定。这项重大研究仪器奖将支持购买新的、最先进的HR-ICP-MS和专用样品引入系统，该系统将设在老道明大学海洋、地球和大气科学系(OEAS)。该设备是对已有16年历史的系统的必要替换和升级，是满足系教员和研究生研究人员当前和未来的研究需求以及为OEAS博士后研究人员、研究生和本科生专业提供必要的培训和教育所必需的。新的分析设备将由一名在人力资源-电感耦合等离子体质谱分析方面经验丰富的专门研究专家进行维护和操作，并将接受有关使用和维护新仪器和样品引入系统的额外专门培训。

The elemental composition of natural waters, sediments, airborne dust, rainwater and marine microbiota contains information that is essential to an understanding the workings of Earth system, and its past and future trajectories, which are of fundamental importance to human society. Moreover, the ability to perform and interpret such chemical analyses is an essential part of the education and training of many scientific professionals within the field of ocean and earth sciences. Among the most commonly used methods for such elemental analyses is plasma source mass spectrometry, whereby a new generation of sample introduction systems coupled to a high-resolution inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS) allows routine elemental determinations in a wide variety of natural materials, over large ranges in elemental concentrations.This Major Research Instrumentation award will support the acquisition of a new, state-of-the-art HR-ICP-MS and dedicated sample introduction system, which will be housed in Old Dominion University's Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (OEAS). This equipment represents an essential replacement and upgrade of the 16-year-old system now in place, and is critically required to meet the current and future research demands of departmental faculty and graduate researchers, as well as provide essential training and education to OEAS postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate majors. The new analytical equipment will be maintained and operated by a dedicated research specialist who is highly experienced in HR-ICP-MS analysis, and who will receive additional specific training in the use and maintenance of the new instrument and sample introduction system.