Laboratory Facilities

• 4200-ft², fully equipped, exceedingly clean laboratory with seven fume hoods
• VG PQ ExCell Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) with collision cell technology
• Leeman Labs PS1000 ICP-AES
• CETAC M6000A cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometer (CVAAS) mercury analyzer
• Perkin Elmer 5100 Zeeman and Varian SpectraAA graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometers (GFAAS)
• Mitsubishi Chlorine Analyzer with oxidative hydrolysis microcoulometry
• Dionex 2020i ion chromatograph (IC) with UV-VIS, conductivity, and electrochemical detection
• Dionex CES-1 CE
• Varian flame atomic absorption spectrometer
• CEM MDS 2100 microwave with temperature and pressure control
• Pyrohydrolysis/ion-specific electrode for fluorine analysis of fossil fuels

Laboratory Capabilities
The Analytical Research Laboratory (ARL) provides quality data, flexibility, and rapid turnaround time in support of research activities at the EERC. The lab is equipped for routine and specialized analyses of inorganic and organic constituents, which are performed using classical wet-chemistry and state-of-the-art instrumental procedures. Established analytical techniques allow for the chemical characterization of a variety of environmental sample types, including fossil fuels, biomass, geologic materials, fine particulate matter, groundwater, and wastewater. Particular attention is directed toward trace element analysis, including mercury.

Quality Assurance
The staff follows U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ASTM International, and other standard methods for the analysis of samples. Analytical methods are routinely monitored for precision and accuracy with certified reference materials from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and other sources. The ARL has certification from the state of North Dakota for wastewater analysis. An on-site evaluation is conducted every 3 years by the state environmental laboratory certification officer. The ARL analyzes certified parameters annually in a water pollution study acquired from an NIST/National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) accredited provider. Additional external quality assurance is maintained by participating in interlaboratory studies and proficiency programs such as CANSPEX. This participation allows the ARL to demonstrate competence in methods of analysis by comparing analytical results and techniques with other laboratories throughout the United States and Canada.

Research Activities

• Mercury: The ARL plays a major role in the support of mercury research at the EERC. With several EERC projects focusing on the occurrence and fate of mercury in combustion systems, the ARL staff has gained considerable experience in mercury chemistry and analytical techniques for providing precise and accurate data. The ARL was intimately involved with the activities that supported the EPA Information Collection Request (ICR) in 1999. The laboratory participated in a round-robin sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute that helped evaluate methods for mercury and chlorine analysis of coal and ash. The ARL provided technical advice to other laboratories contracted to analyze Hg in samples collected in response to the ICR.
• Center for Air Toxic Metals^® (CATM^®): The analytical efforts that support CATM^® projects include nickel speciation of particulate matter emitted from oil-fired units; mercury determination in alternative fuel sources such as biomass, oil/tar sands, and oil shale; and selenium determination in biological matrices to help determine the effect of selenium on methylmercury deposition in hair.
• Trace element transformations in combustion systems: The ARL supports trace element research at the EERC by developing improved digestion techniques and lowering instrument detection limits on GFAAS and ICP-MS.
• Solid waste characterization: toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and other leaching procedures are employed for determining the leachability of RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) metals.
• Biomass characterization: The ARL employs a variety of sample preparation and analytical techniques for the determination of major, minor, and trace constituents in biomass materials.