MRI: Acquisition of an ICP for Environmental Metals Analysis and Undergraduate Training at Hope College

Hope College, Holland MI

Investigators

Abstract

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Hope College will acquire an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). The research programs that will benefit from the purchase of this instrument are centered on biogeochemical studies of the local Lake Macatawa watershed, specifically the fate and transport of metals within the watershed. This instrument will also be used to train undergraduate students in state-of-the-art analytical methods commonly employed in chemistry, geology and environmental science. Electrically generated plasmas produce energetic sources for the optical emission spectrometer. An inductively coupled plasma is a high-temperature source in which energy to form the plasma is generated by a high-frequency magnetic field. The optical emission spectrometer is an extremely useful analytical tool that allows the identification of molecular species and an understanding of the energy levels in the molecule. These studies will have a significant impact in furthering our understanding of environmental chemistry of watersheds.