Elemental analyzer for isotope ratio mass spectrometer for carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements

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Funds are requested to purchase an elemental analyzer to be combined with a mass spectrometer for determining isotopic compositions of carbon and nitrogen compounds in solid, liquid, and gaseous samples. The obtained isotopic compositions serve as tracers that provide information about the sources and the biogeochemical history of carbon and nitrogen in the environment. The new instrumentation will enable the applicant and his colleagues, their postdoctoral fellows, research associates, graduate students and undergraduate students to conduct innovative research on many aspects of the global carbon and nitrogen cycles including the following: 1) determine sources and the fate of nitrate in surface water and groundwater in Canada; 2) assess the fate of anthropogenic CO2 injected into oil fields; while CO2 is injected primarily for the purpose of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), it is anticipated that subsurface storage of CO2 may contribute significantly to reducing Canada's anthropogenic CO2 emissions;   3) improve methods to exploit Canada's large oilsand resources by investigating the feasibility for in-situ upgrading of bitumen in the reservoir; the goal is to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of oilsands recovery; 4) ensure environmentally sound practices during the exploitation of Canada's coalbed methane resources; 5) investigate the influence of nutrient release into rivers on aquatic food webs, 6) study the influence of food webs and sedimentation in lakes on the global carbon cycle, and 7) contribute to archaeological research via reconstruction of prehistoric human diets. The newly obtained instrumentation will also play a pivotal role in training a new generation of students in many different disciplines contributing to sustainable and environmentally sound exploitation of Canada's natural resources.