Oceanography Clean Laboratory (OCL)

The samples destined to be analysed by ICP OES/MS are prepared in the clean lab room 225. This is a trace metal clean laboratory equipped with 2 laminar flow benches, 2 extracting eco-power fume hoods, an acid distillation system and hot plates. A micro balance is accessible in the adjacent room 226. The rock, sediment, soil or plant samples to be analysed are digested on a hot plate using clean concentrated acids. The calibration solutions are also prepared in this lab and the standards are kept in a ventilated cabinet in the lab. The digested samples are diluted to required concentration range and/or purified via ion exchange resin column chemistry in the clean lab prior to analyses by ICP-OES or ICP-MS.

All users have access to the clean lab providing they have had the appropriate training and health and safety tour of the lab by the facility manager, Laetitia Pichevin or alternatively Dr Alex Thomas.