ORGANIC CHEMICAL METROLOGY

The organic analytical facility, located on the second floor of the Hollings Marine Laboratory, consists of two laboratories with a combined area of approximately 215 m2. These two laboratories provide the space and instrumentation to achieve two main functions for NIST: (1) the determination of organic pollutants in reference materials and samples from the marine environment and (2) the assessment of protein composition and structure in reference materials and biological samples. An array of instrumentation is available to scientists working in the NIST organic analytical facility. Sample processing equipment includes:

. Pressurized fluid extraction (Dionex ASE)
. Semi-preparative liquid chromatography including size exclusion chromatography
. Automated solid phase extraction workstations (Caliper Life Science Rapid Trace)
. Open-focused microwave extraction (CEM Discoverer)
. Laboratory evaporators (Caliper Life Sciences Turbovap)
. Refrigerated and non-refrigerated centrifugation

Instrumentation specifically for analysis includes:

. Voyager-DE Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Applied Biosystems)
. ABI 4000 liquid chromatography tandem quadrapole mass spectrometer (Applied Biosystems)
. Gas chromatography with single quadrapole mass spectrometers (thee instruments, Agilent Technology, electron impact and negative chemical ionization)
. Gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Waters/Micromass Corporation, electron impact and negative chemical ionization)
. Gas chromatography with electron capture detection
. Liquid chromatography (including nano-liquid chromatography) with linear ion trap mass spectrometry (Thermo LTQ)
. Gel imaging system (Amersham Typhoon)

The 2007 NIST/NOAA Interlaboratory Comparison Exercise for Trace Elements in Marine Mammals is currently in progress. Please contact John Kucklick (john.kucklick@nist.gov) if you would like information about this or future exercises.

Current participants should refer to the link below to access the general documentation and instructions for the 2007 exercise.

• 2007 QA Exercise Letter and Instructions