Autotitrator for alkalinity analysis

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We are proposing to purchase an autotitrator for the University of Alberta Biogeochemical Analytical Laboratory (formally known as the Limnology Laboratory).  This laboratory is a jointly-operated non-profit analytical facility equipped with instruments obtained from NSERC, CFI and other resources by the faculty members of the Department of Biological Sciences. It provides one-stop and cost-effective analytical service not only for researchers at the University of Alberta, but to users from other universities and government agencies.An autotitrator is an instrument used to measure alkalinity, a basic limnological parameter used to estimate the capacity of natural waters to neutralize strong acids such as those found in, for example, acidic rain or industrial waste runoff. The autotitrator currently used in the laboratory was purchased in 1992 with the support of an NSERC equipment grant.  After 15 years of operation, most of the parts on the autotitrator are beyond repair, and the manufacturer, Mettler Toledo, no longer provides any technical support for the instrument.  It has therefore reached the point at which it will soon be out of service permanently.  While our autotitrator has aged, the number of samples it has been required to analyse has increased 3.5 times during the same period.  Because our aging autotitrator is not longer reliable or able to handle the current volume of samples sometimes received in the Laboratory, three of my colleagues and I propose to purchase a new autotitrator and couple it with a Gilson 222 XL liquid handler which we already have in the lab.  This combination of instruments will enable us to load 104 samples at once, and if needed, leave it to operate unattended overnight.    It can also perform multiple parameter analysis from a single sample, such as conductivity, turbidity and color.  We will also order an auto-range conductivity probe with the system to measure the conductivity which is measured manually by our staff, in addition to alkalinity.  The fully automated system will reduce three fourth of our staff's time on these tests, allowing for possible reductions in costs of these analyse.