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UCL Earth Sciences

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Metal Isotope Facility

Location: 202-203
Telephone Extension:
Laboratory Manager: Dr Susan Little

This laboratory suite houses a Nu Instruments Plasma 3 multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS), and metal-free clean laboratories for sample preparation. 

The MC-ICP-MS can determine the isotope ratio of any metal cation, and is capable of both pseudo- and real high-mass resolution analysis. Effectively, this means that most spectral interferences can be resolved or eliminated, enhancing the accuracy and precision of our analyses. 
The metal-free preparation area consists of Class 100 laminar flow hoods within a Class 10,000 laboratory. 
 
This facility also co-exists with the geochemistry suite, which consists of a quadrupole ICP-MS and an ICP-OES for concentration analysis, as well as standard preparation and experimental laboratories. 
 
At present, this facility is mainly used to examine the Earth’s biogeochemical cycles, and to determine how the present and past Earth systems are responding to rapid climate change.