Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
University of British Columbia
$128,000.00
Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer
FY 2008-09
Summary
A group of active researchers from UBC Civil Engineering urgently needs to expand its inorganic analytical capabilities by purchasing an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) to be housed in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory where there is dedicated technical support. This will remove a major bottleneck in our current research where nearly 30 graduate students and other researchers rely on an AAS which can only analyse one element at a time, causing unacceptable delays and sending samples for expensive outside analyses.
ICP-OES is currently the most widely-used proven multi-element, atomic spectroscopy technique. It has less chemical and ionization interference for samples with complex matrices and comparable detection limits to Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) or Graphite Furnace AAS for most elements of interest in our lab. ICP not only provides a wide dynamic range, but up to 60 elements can be screened per sample run of less than one minute, increasing throughput considerably. In addition to a typical suite of elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Zn), it is possible to determine P, S and N, which would otherwise require multi-step, labour-intensive procedures.
The requested ICP-OES will be a vital and efficient tool for our active innovative research programmes in environmental contamination, risk assessment, wastewater treatment, soil characterization, water supply and solid and hazardous waste containment. It will be utilized by ~20 graduate students annually in support of thesis research, and approximately 5 undergraduate research theses and MEng projects, as well as postdoctoral fellows, faculty members and other research group members. Operator skill requirements are between those for flame AAS, and Graphite Furnace AAS. The instrument will therefore be accessible to graduate students with the assistance of a resident technical staff member. Theory and operation applicable to the technique will be incorporated into an existing graduate level course on instrumental analysis.
Program
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Recipient
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
376288-2009
Name nom
Li, Loretta
Department département
Civil Engineering
Organization id
2
Institution établissement
University of British Columbia
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2008
Competition year année de concours
2009
Award amount
128000
Program id
EQPEQ
Program nane en
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Program name fr
Outils et instruments de recherche - catégorie 1 (<150 000$)
Group en
Discovery grants programs
Group fr
Programmes de subventions à la découverte
Committee code
1062
Committee name en
Civil Engineering - B
Committee name fr
Génie civil - B
Area of application code
406
Area of application group en
Environment
Area of application group fr
Environnement
Area of application en
Pollutants and toxic agents (waste, use 902)
Area of application fr
Polluants et agents toxiques (déchets, utiliser 902)
Research subject code
1002
Research subject group en
Civil engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie civil
Research subject en
Geotechnical engineering (including engineering geology)
Research subject fr
Géotechnique (y compris génie géologique)
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer
Keyword
NA
Application summary
A group of active researchers from UBC Civil Engineering urgently needs to expand its inorganic analytical capabilities by purchasing an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) to be housed in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory where there is dedicated technical support. This will remove a major bottleneck in our current research where nearly 30 graduate students and other researchers rely on an AAS which can only analyse one element at a time, causing unacceptable delays and sending samples for expensive outside analyses.
ICP-OES is currently the most widely-used proven multi-element, atomic spectroscopy technique. It has less chemical and ionization interference for samples with complex matrices and comparable detection limits to Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) or Graphite Furnace AAS for most elements of interest in our lab. ICP not only provides a wide dynamic range, but up to 60 elements can be screened per sample run of less than one minute, increasing throughput considerably. In addition to a typical suite of elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Zn), it is possible to determine P, S and N, which would otherwise require multi-step, labour-intensive procedures.
The requested ICP-OES will be a vital and efficient tool for our active innovative research programmes in environmental contamination, risk assessment, wastewater treatment, soil characterization, water supply and solid and hazardous waste containment. It will be utilized by ~20 graduate students annually in support of thesis research, and approximately 5 undergraduate research theses and MEng projects, as well as postdoctoral fellows, faculty members and other research group members. Operator skill requirements are between those for flame AAS, and Graphite Furnace AAS. The instrument will therefore be accessible to graduate students with the assistance of a resident technical staff member. Theory and operation applicable to the technique will be incorporated into an existing graduate level course on instrumental analysis.
