9313473 Ondov This award to the University of Maryland allows them to renovate the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry's Environmental Low Contamination Facility. This facility was constructed in 1978, primarily, for the preparation and handling of materials and samples associated with aerosol particulate collections in urban and remote areas, and the packaging of these materials for instrumental neutron activation analysis. A laminar-flow clean bench, installed at this time, continues to provide the department's only clean facility for sample digestion and chemical separation. Due to increased activity in this scientific area and due to the deterioration of the facility, there is a great need to modernize this laboratory space. Based on numbers of Ph.D. graduates, the Analytical- Nuclear-Environmental Division's efforts make the University of Maryland one of the largest institutions for graduate environmental research. Recognized internationally for their research in marine geochemistry, nuclear and marine chemistry, and atmospheric aerosol chemistry, the Maryland professors offer one of the few nationally-recognized graduate environmental science programs, and one of the few programs that train students in nuclear analytical methods. Trends in environmental research continue to demand larger numbers of analyses with ever increasing analytical sensitivity, thereby intensifying the demand for improved analytical technology, methods and concomitant clean room facilities. The renovations to be completed will support the work of outstanding researchers in this field as well as 22 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. ***
