ASET Lab Equipment

Two Liquid Chromatographs (Agilent HPLC 1200 series) coupled to a Tandem Mass Spectrometer (Agilent 6410B LC MS/MS) and to an Ion Trap (Agilent 1300 LC Msⁿ) are new in the ASET lab through an NSF MRI grant from the chemistry division. The LC MS/MS is used to quantify a wide variety of organic compounds including pharmaceuticals, chlorinated pesticides, herbicides, phthalate, and perchlorate. The Instrument is suitable for ultra low level quantification where compounds are recorded by their initial mass and the mass of a typical fragment of the molecule produced in the collision cell. It consists of two quadrupole units and a collision cell. The IonTrap with its n-time fragmentation capability is used to identify compounds such as phospholipids and proteins through the fragmentation pattern of these molecules. Both Instruments are used in faculty, graduate and undergraduate research across the UA system and in teaching classes.

LC Ms/Ms with HPLC 1200 Series	HPLC with IonTrap Mass Spectrometer

Agilent LC MS/MS system is new in the ASET lab. It will be used for a wide variety of compounds including drugs, hormones,  perchlorate, natural organic substances, and persistant organic pollutants. The Instrument is suitable for ultra low level quantification. It consists of two quadrupole units and a collision cell.  Analytes are recorded by their initial mass and the mass of a typical fragment of the molecule produced in the collision cell.

Two Varian GC-MS/MS systems that allow qualitative and quantitative analysis of volatile or extractable organic compounds up to a molecular weight of about 400 amu. Compounds extracted or purged from samples such as water, soil, and tissues will be analyzed by these fully automated instruments. Presently these instruments are being used for analysis of disinfection byproducts (e.g. total trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids) in treated water, persistent organic pollutants, and fatty acids present in animal tissue, organs, and human plasma. One GC can be connected to an electron capture (ECD) detector for sensitive measurement of halogenated compounds (e.g. PCBs).

Agilent ICP-MS 7000c with reaction cell system for analyzing metals in water, soils, and tissues. This instrument can quantify a large array of metals in the parts per billion to the parts per million range in a matter of minutes. The reaction cell allows measurements of light elements. Presently this instrument is being used for trace metal analysis in soils, groundwater, surface water, plant and animal tissue and for arsenic contaminated drinking water. This instrument can also be linked with a high-pressure liquid chromatograph to carry out metal speciation studies..

Dionex Ion Chromatograph  for quantitative analysis of anions and cations in water, soil, and tissue. This instrument can be connected to a Finngan AQA mass spectrometer. It has been used to measure common anions in surface and ground water, acetate ion concentration in bog water, and perchlorate ion from air deposition samples collected during the latest Kodiak rocket launch and perchlorate levels in threespine sticklebacks and pike.

Dionex and Hewlett Packard Liquid Chromatograph Mass spectrometer (LC-MS) that provides the ability to identify and conduct quantitative analysis of polar organic compounds and macromolecules from natural products, biological fluids and tissues. Current interests include potential new drugs from Alaskan plants, plant compounds that are potentially toxic to herbivores, compounds that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, and bioindicators of pollutant exposure excreted by humans.

Dionex Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) system that enhances sample preparation. This automated system provides faster extractions of both major constituents and trace contaminates found in tissue and soil samples. Typical methods run on the ASE require 10 times less solvent than classical methods and can be completed much more quickly.

Tekmar 9000HS Total Organic Carbon Analyzer for the analysis of low and high concentrations of organic and inorganic carbon in water using the total combustion method. This system is fully automated. The system is also equipped with a boat for the analysis of carbon in solid samples.


Three Helwett-Packard Gas Chromatographs equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID). These instruments are automated for both extractable and volatile organic compounds including BTEX, pesticides, alkenes and fuels.

© 2008 ASET Laboratory