9632680 Kahl This initiative represents a timely new cooperative initiative between the University of Maine and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It will assess the statewide extent and magnitude of surface water contamination from organic and inorganic toxins, and provide a mechanism for creating further cooperative research at the University, and between the University and state agencies. To facilitate this collaboration, the University will construct a clean room for processing samples with trace concentrations of toxic substances, and install a high resolution Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer for trace organic analysis. The addition of an analytical chemist and support staff will enhance long-term research interactions among University researchers, industry and state agencies. Thus, this project is ideally suited to the ESPCoR goal of improving long-term research competitiveness.
