Program Overview

WMRC’s analytical laboratory is a support facility providing solutions to analytical problems posed by research scientists. The laboratory supports the analytical needs of the Center’s Pollution Prevention Program scientists, and provides analytical services upon request to researchers receiving funding through the Center. In addition, researchers from Illinois universities and the Scientific Surveys, and occasionally other institutions and businesses, come to us for assistance with their analytical chemistry needs.

We offer analytical capabilities for most regulated environmental contaminants and for a variety of industrial process and waste stream constituents. Special expertise is available in the analysis of ultra-trace level metals, mercury, arsenic and selenium speciation, and isotope ratios. We also have expertise in the analysis of explosive compounds and their degradation products, pesticides and PCB congeners, and a variety of surfactants and industrial cleaner constituents.

Our standard quality assurance practices include careful instrument calibration, analysis of blanks, duplicates, matrix spikes, and standard reference materials, when appropriate. Our major analytical systems are maintained under maintenance contract to optimize performance and up-time.

Staff provide guidance on sampling and analytical aspects of project design, assist with data interpretation, and attempt to resolve most analytical problems. Our services are available for a fee, with special pricing offered for collaborative efforts.

We also engage in various educational outreach activities, the most prominent of which are providing lab tours, demonstrations and lectures to students from grade school to college level.