The current instrument utilized in the RAIL Program is a Dionex Nitrates System consisting of a Dionex ICS 5000 Pump, a Dionex AS-AP Autosampler, a Dionex UV-Vis, and a computer. Currently, the system is primarily used for the analysis of nitrate levels in aquatic environments because it detects nitrate levels in water quickly and easily. Using Ion Chromatography (IC), a type of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and a chromatographic technique that separates, identifies, and quantitates compounds in a liquid sample, nitrate levels in water are easily monitored. Requiring little sample preparation (simply dilutions), it identifies and quantifies the nitrates present in a water sample. The instrumentation is controlled by Chromeleon software which is used for configuring the instruments, controlling the instruments, queuing samples, and analyzing data.
All of the instrumentation used in the RAIL program is housed in the Molecular Characterization and Analysis Complex (MCAC). The MCAC is a core laboratory facility under the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at UMBC that aims to provide investigators and scientistis with access to modern analytical instrumentation and/or sample analysis. For more information on the full capabilities and resources of the MCAC please visit mcac.umbc.edu.