Geochemistry Teaching Lab

The Geochemistry Teaching Laboratory is a shared department resource with equipment to train users in the analysis of water samples for dissolved ion and trace metal analyses, the analysis of atmospheric gases, and the digestion of solid materials (i.e., soil, rock, bone, shell) for the analysis of trace metals in solution. Additional capabilities are also possible.

Lab Coordinator: Dr. Maggie Chen

Lab request form

Instrumentation in the Geochemistry Teaching Classroom

Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES)

Thermo Scientific iCAP7400 DUO Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) with integrated Teledyne CETAC ASX-560 autosampler and Qtegra software, and mobile computer station.

Applications

Trace metal analysis from liquids
Satisfies US EPA SW-846 Method 6010D, as well as other methods

Sample Types

Filtered water samples (groundwater, surface water; ocean water)
Digested soil, rock, sludge, ash powders

High Pressure Ion Chromatography (HPIC)

Thermo Scientific Dionex Integrion High Pressure Ion Chromatography (HPIC) System with eluent generation and degassing, conductivity detector, Chromeleon software, integrated autosampler, and wireless control.

Applications

Wide-range of inorganic and organic ion analyses
Satisfies US EPA method 300.0.1

Sample Types

Filtered water samples

Gas Chromatography Systems with flame ionization detector (FID)

SRI Instruments 8610C Gas Chromatography Systems with flame ionization detector (FID), electron capture detector (ECD), methanizer accessory, and PeakSimple software with touchscreen computer control, as well as another SRI Instruments 8610C Gas Chromatography System with FID, flame photometric detector (FPD), FID/FPD with methanizer, and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). Both systems run using high purity carrier grade H2 gas, produced by a Parker Hanninfin H2PEM-100 Hydrogen Generator.

Applications

Greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O), hydrocarbons, CO, and electronegative (chlorinated, fluorinated, and brominated) compounds

Sample Types

Gases
Volatile compounds in headspace
*One of the GCs was purchased with funds provided through the Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment (ISSE).

UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

Thermo Scientific NanoDrop One/One UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, for sample analysis in a droplet or cuvette, with touchscreen and wifi control.

Applications

Colorimetric analyses and assays, optical density, and nucleic acids, proteins, and contaminants analyses

Sample Types

Solutions

Additional Instruments

Smaller instruments are also available, including a Mettler Toledo Analytical Balance, Fisher Scientific IsoTemp drying (and heating) oven (forced air convection), Thermo Scientific Thermolyne benchtop muffle furnace, Thermo Scientific Barnstead E-PURE system (series 1090) to convert tap water into Type 1 ultrapure (18.2 megohm) water, hot/stir plates, pH/temperature benchtop meters, air quality meters (for VOCs, CO, CO2), microburets, benchtop centrifuge, flammable refrigerator, incubator, pipettes, glassware, plasticware, and Teflon-ware, porcelain crucibles, disposable supplies, PPE, and field sampling supplies.

Applications

Various liquid, solid, gas analyses, including physiochemical characterization, solids digestion, centrifugation, and sample collection

General use chemicals

General use chemicals are also available in the laboratory for courses, such as pH buffers, calibration standards, nitric acid, etc. However, non-course users and researchers should supply their own chemicals, including standards, for their work.

Geochemistry Classroom Project Examples

Effects of outdoor rock climbing on the geochemical composition of cliff soils
Influence of urban runoff contamination on water quality of a public spring in Knoxville
Trace metal analysis of acidic volcanic hydrothermal systems
Texture and clay mineralogy of Ag Research and Education Center soils
ICP-OES analysis of trace metal distribution across the Cordillera Blanca Shear Zone
Historical comparison of groundwater from Area 2 in the Y-12 National Security Complex
Trace element incorporation in Echinometra lucunter
Major ion chemistry changes during extracellular enzyme degradation experiments

Who can use the lab?

Individual laboratory sessions and periodically offered courses provide experiential training to undergraduate and graduate students in the use of the classroom instrumentation and in theoretical and applied geochemical methods. Outside of traditional courses, instruments in the classroom and the space are available for students and/or faculty and staff who would like to conduct independent research and have received the appropriate training.

All users are required to have recently completed Laboratory Safety Training, provided by Environmental Health and Safety, and site-specific training. Students also receive site-specific training as part of a University Registered Course. Depending on the type of research to be conducted, training could take several days, to weeks, to over a month, and proficiency in any of the analytical methods and equipment use, as well as proper data analysis, could take several months.

There is no technical staff support for this teaching laboratory and no turn-key analyses are available. If analytical services are needed, then people should contact the University of Tennessee’s Water Quality Core Facility (WQCF).