Analytical Core
Function Facilities Techniques
Staffing Administration Justification
Function . The main function of the Analytical Chemistry Core will be to identify and quantify those chemicals of potential concern, or those chemicals what are the most toxic, most mobile, or most prevalent. The Analytical Chemistry Core will provide to the Texas A&M University Superfund PIs access to analytical equipment that is not used on a routine basis in their laboratories. The Analytical Chemistry Core will assist the Superfund Investigators with identification and quantification of endocrine disruptive chemicals, genotoxic chemicals, non-genotoxic chemicals, and developmental hazard chemicals. The determination of these chemical species will assist the Superfund Investigators in their remediation and risk assessment projects and models. The primary objectives of the Analytical Chemistry Core are:
1)To prepare and analyze sediments, tissues, waters, and miscellaneous matrices for organic & inorganic chemical constituents.
2)Identify and quantify organic and inorganic analytes of interest for the principal investigators.
3)To assist investigators with the management and analysis of the analytical data.
4)Develop or implement analytical techniques that lower detection limits increase the number of analytes that can be identified and quantified, and that minimize laboratory waste.
Facilities. The major facilities provided by the Analytical Chemistry Core are housed within the Civil Engineering Department-Environmental Engineering Division of the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. The major analytical instruments include a TSQ-700 GC-LC/MS-MS, three Hewlett-Packard bench-top mass spectrometers, a Hewlett-Packard ICP-MS, a Mercury analyzer, Hewlett-Packard and Dionex HPLCs with UV/VIS, radiometric, and Photo-Diode Array Detectors. In addition to the analytical instruments a fully equipped extraction and digestion laboratory is available along with instruments to determine routine/bulk chemical parameters (pH, total organic carbon, nutrients, etc.). The Analytical Chemistry Core utilizes extraction and digestion procedures that minimize solvent and acid usage. Although not considered part of the Analytical Chemistry Core the investigators routinely work with other laboratories at Texas A&M University and with nearby commercial laboratories to provide the principal investigators access to additional instruments and techniques. These laboratories will be used to maximize the research efforts of this project.
Techniques. Techniques and applications employed for the determination of the organic analytes will involve mainly identification and quantification by mass spectrometry. These techniques will involve both standard gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography or liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (GC-LS/MS-MS). The inorganic analytes other than mercury will be determined by Inductive Coupled Plasma/ Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS), mercury will be quantified using a hydride generator.
Staffing (Professional and Support). The Analytical Chemistry Core will be staffed by a Research Associate and graduate students. Drs. Autenrieth and McDonald will be responsible for the daily supervision of the Analytical Chemistry Core staff. The Analytical Chemistry staff will be responsible for the preparation and analysis of water, sediment, and tissues. The duties include but are not limited to extraction or digestion of the samples, cleanup of the extracts if required, and analysis of the extract for organic and inorganic analytes, calibration and maintenance of the instruments, data analysis and storage of data and extracts. They will also assist the Superfund Investigators will the preparation of reports and peer reviewed journal articles.
Administration. Drs. Autenrieth and McDonald will directly administrate the analytical Chemistry Core for the Superfund Project. Decisions related to organization and oversight of core activities will be the responsibility of the principal investigators in consultation with Drs. Autenrieth and McDonald. Issues related to the use and operation of the analytical instruments and the general operation of the core will be discussed at monthly meetings of the PIs and at the meetings of the internal review committee.
Justification. Though not a major research focus, the Analytical Chemistry Core is a necessary component of the Superfund Research Project. In order to utilize either chemical or biological-risk bases assessment; there is a need for analytical procedures that will allow for the isolation and identification of numerous chemical classes. Detailed chemical analysis will be prepared for extracts of environmental samples as well as selected samples from the toxicological experiments. All chemical analysis will be conducted under strict QA/QC guidelines utilizing guidelines set forth by the USEPA, ASTM, and NOAA.