Determination of inorganic pollutants in liquid samples at parts per billion (ppb) levels is essential for the studies of environmental impact, waste toxicity characteristics, waste treatment, disposal, and utilization. Many environmental samples are time-sensitive and delivered in small quantities thereby limiting the number of tests that can be performed. This is especially problematic when a large number of elements or contaminants need to be analyzed within the same sample. Therefore, an instrument that can analyze multiple elements simultaneously in small sample volumes is highly desired. The Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) is an ideal instrument to meet these requirements. It can simultaneously measure all the heavy metals that are of environmental and health concerns at lower ppb levels. The objective of this project is to acquire an ICP-OES to improve the environmental studies at Jackson State University (JSU). The instrument will be housed in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE The project is for the requisition of an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) to enhance the environmental studies and training at Jackson State University (JSU). In addition to the PI and Co-PI from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, other four professors from Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Department of Technology, and the Environmental Science Ph.D. Program served as Senior Scientists for this project. An ICPE 9000 manufactured by Shimadzu Scientific was acquired in spring 2011. This instrument can simultaneously measure all the heavy metals that are of environmental and health concerns at lower ppb levels. This instrument has greatly enhanced the analytical capability for research and education at JSU in the studies of the environmental science and engineering, chemistry, and biology. Sessions of organized training for the use of this instrument have been organized and more than 30 JSU graduate and undergraduate research assistants, postdoctoral fellows, research scholars, technicians, and professors have been trained. The instrument has been demonstrated to groups of visitors from outside, including more than 140 high school students who were either visiting JSU campus or attending JSU summer special programs. The demonstrations raised the public awareness of heavy metals environmental contamination and increased the students’ interests in pursuing studies in environmental science and engineering. The instrument has been used to analyze more than two hundreds samples generated from an ongoing research projects managed by the PI, Co-PI and Senior Scientists. One of the projects was entitled "Environmental Impact from the Use of Fly Ash in Roadway Embankments." Two graduate students from Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering were involved in this study. The samples from batch leaching test and dynamic column leaching test were analyzed for trace metals Ag, As, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and Zn simultaneously using this ICPE 9000, and timely results were obtained for planning next steps of the research activities and making important conclusions. The research groups on environmental impact of metallic nanoparticles at JSU have been and are still using this instrument to analyze samples. The Environmental Engineering Laboratory course (CIVL 340) has been enriched with the addition of this major piece of instrument. About 30 students are enrolled in this class each year. The ICP analytical technology is practiced in the analysis of samples generated from the experiments of the class. The instrument brings collaboration opportunities with external institutions and companies. The PI collaborated with Professor Zhanping You at Michigan Technological University in September 2012 in developing a research proposal to NSF for "Polymer Modification of Hydrocarbon-based Road Surfaces." In this proposal, JSU offers analytical service using the ICPE 9000. The PI, Co-PI and their research team provided sample testing service to a Huston-based rubber manufacturing company INSA, LLC in 2012 using this ICPE 9000. This service not only generated some revenues that could cover the operation and maintenance (O&M) costs for the instrument, but also resulted in a 3-year sample testing agreement (January 2013-December 2015) with the company with a total amount of $72,927. These dollars can sustain the O&M of the instrument, and provide stipends for graduate and undergraduate research assistants over the three-year agreement period. The company has indicated interest in renewing the agreement after these three years. In conclusion, this MRI project has been successfully implemented. Even it is near the end of the NSF funding period, the instrument acquired through the project will continue to serve the research and education at JSU in the areas of chemistry, biology, and environmental science and engineering. The collaborations and services that this instrument has produced and will produce in the future will keep this instrument viable and financially-sustainable over its life span.
