BioGeochemistry-laboratory
Main content
The Biogeochemistry Laboratory is used for diverse aqueous and organic geochemistry sample preparation, chromatography analyses and experimentation, in addition to field (sea-going) sampling and analytical equipment for deep-sea expeditions. In addition to ultrapure (Type I) water supply, Mettler Toledo analytical and precision balances for fluid/solid weighing and preparation, this laboratory maintains and is responsible for the following infrastructure:
Electrochemical Methods:
Various electrodes for routine electrochemical procedures such the determination of pH (combination electrode), hydrogen sulfide concentration (ion specific electrode) and Alkalinity.
High Temperature-Pressure Reactors:
The lab hosts 3 x custom-built high temperature and pressure experimental batch reactors rated to ca. 350°C at 350 bar (see publications here). These are the traditional ‘Dickson' flexible cell type, suitable for hydrothermal fluid-rock experiments under realistic seafloor conditions.
Diverse Gas Analyses:
The laboratory hosts a variety of gas chromatographs (GCs) for diverse low-molecular-weight gas analyses (carbon dioxide/monoxide, methane & light hydrocarbons, hydrogen, light organosulfur gases etc.) using either of two SRI Model 8610C series GCs with TCD, FID, HID detection, or the GC-SCD below.
Purge-and-Trap (VOA) or traditional solvent-based Gas Chromatography with Sulfur-specific Detection:
Packed (purge & trap) or capillary column Agilent 7890A GC with TCD-FID detection and tandem Agilent 8355 Sulfur Chemiluminescence Detector.
Purge-and-Trap (VOA) or traditional solvent-based Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry:
More detailed organic analyses (quantification and identification) are possible with the GC/FID-MS (Agilent 7890B GC-FID / 5977B Series MSD) with 7693A Automatic Liquid Sampler (solvent-based samples), Cool On-Column (COC) and Multimode (MMI) Inlets, with connection to a Teledyne Tekmar Lumin Purge-and-Trap Concentrator and AQUATek 100 Autosampler (Volatile Organic Analysis (VOA)).
High Performance Ion Chromatography (HPIC):
Quantification of major to trace anions, cations and organic acids is carried out with a dual-channel Thermo Dionex ICS-5000+ HPIC system equipped with conductivity (CD) and electrochemical (ED) detection. See our publication on this instrument here.
Isobaric Gas-Tight Submarine Fluid Sampling:
The lab is responsible for and maintains 4 x Isobaric Gas-Tight (IGT, WHOI-style) high-pressure fluid samplers, appropriate for diverse submarine fluid sampling with real-time temperature monitoring (e.g. hydrothermal vents, oil well leaks) by ROV or other submersible vehicles. Analytical facilities at the laboratory are also specifically designed to handle and process these samples for diverse inorganic-organic analyses (gases, major-minor element and trace metal chemistry - see our Publications).
