This grant provides 50% support for acquisition of an ion chromatograph (IC) for water chemistry analysis at the State University of West Georgia (UWG). UWG will provide the remaining funding. The PI , James Mayer, is a hydrogeologist who joined the UWG faculty 5 years ago after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. The IC will also be used by Joe Hendricks, Andy Leavitt, and Curtis Hollabaugh of the UWG Biology, Chemistry, and Geology departments, respectively. The IC will reside in the Geosciences Department where it will complement existing equipment and allow rapid, precise and thorough analysis of major anion, cation and inorganic nutrient concentrations in water. Addition of the IC to laboratory and field equipment already owned by the Geoscience Department will create a state-of-the art inorganic water-chemistry laboratory at UWG that will see extensive use by faculty and undergraduate students. UWG is a predominantly undergraduate institution with a strong tradition of student involvement in research. The IC will greatly improve opportunities for students to learn modern, fundamental analytical techniques and produce scientifically valuable research results. The IC will be used primarily for groundwater and surface water geochemical studies in the Piedmont, Valley-and-Ridge and Appalachian Plateau physiographic provinces of the southeastern U.S. It will also be used in studies assessing net primary production implications of different forest management techniques.
***
