Jožef Stefan Institute

Department of Environmental Sciences

1. Analytical Chemistry

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) on a Hitachi (Tokyo, Japan) Z-8270 polarised Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometer. (y. 1990)

Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) on a Varian (Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia) SpectrAA 110 atomic absorption spectrometer, (y. 1998)

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) on a Perkin-Elmer (Norwalk, CT, USA) Plasma 40 emission spectrometer at 396.152 nm (y. 1987)

Microwave digestion of samples is performed on a CEM Corporation (Matthews, NC, USA) CEM MARS 5 Microwave Acceleration Reaction System. (y.2002)

Liquid chromatography Varian (Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia) Model 9010 HPLC inert Star Gradient Solvent Delivery System, equipped with a Varian (Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia) Polychrom Model 9065 UV diode array detector(y. 1988)

Others:
A Merck-Hitachi (Darmstadt, Germany) 6200 gradient high-pressure pump, (y. 1988)
Waters (Milford, MA, USA) Model 600E gradient high-pressure pump(y.1999)

Contact Person: radmila.milacic@ijs.si, janez.scancar@ijs.si

Contact Person: zdenka.slejkovec@ijs.si

Cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS, detector Milton Roy, Model 1255, two systems) is used for determination of total mercury with acid digestion in geological, biological and other solid samples. Total, reactive, dissolved and particulate mercury in fresh and sea water samples can be also determined.

Cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV AFS, detector Tekran, model 2500) with double amalgamation system and Hg vapor calibration system (Tekran Hg vapor calibration unit, Model 2505) is used for determination of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in fresh and sea water samples, determination of total mercury in air and mercury exchange on boundaries soil/atmosphere and water/atmosphere. Detector is also used for determination of reactive mercury in air.

Cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV AFS, two systems with Brooks Rand detectors). Both systems are used for determination of metil mercury (MeHg) in biological samples, sediments, soils and other solid samples, and waters after acid digestion, extraction and etilation. Destilation and etilation method is used for pore water samples. Systems are also used for determination of dimetil mercury (DMeHg) in waters and etil mercury (EtHg) in biological samples, sediments, soils and other solid and liquid samples.

Mass spectrometer (IC PMS, Aglient 7500 series)

Zeeman LUMEX RA 915+ is mostly used for field measurements of total gaseous mercury in air, mapping of mercury concentrations, measurements of mercury soil/atmosphere, water/atmosphere exchange. It is used for measurements of Hg pollution in working environments and measurements of industrial mercury emissions.

Radiological laboratory with high purity Ge detectors (Ortec, Oak Ridge) for radioactive tracers experiments and radiochemical determination of Hg.

Sampling equipment

• for sediment sampling up to depth of 25 m corer sampling system UWITEC is used
• sediments and soils up to depth of 1 m samplers EIJKELKAMP are used
• sampling of flue gases and air is performed by system of pump, flow meters and volume meters
• GPS Magellan Meridian Platinum is used for determination of exact geographic position

Software

• software Arc GIS is used for analysis and modeling of GIS data
• SURFER is used for production and analysis of digital maps of pollution and concentrations of elements and pollutants
  
• AMBER is used for production of “box models” of biogeochemical cycling of elements and radionuclides
  
• STELLA is used for production of “box models” of biogeochemical cycling of elements

Contact: milena.horvat@ijs.si, joze.kotnik@ijs.si

2. Centre for Mass Spectrometry

AutoSpecQ mass spectrometer of EBEqQ configuration (Micromass, Manchester, UK) (y 1990)

Hewlett-Packard 6890 gas chromatograph (GC) (Hewlett-Packard, Waldbronn, Germany) coupled to a Hewlett-Packard 5972A mass spectrometry detector (MSD). And electron capture detector (ECD)

Hewlett-Packard 6890 gas chromatograph (GC) (Hewlett-Packard, Waldbronn, Germany) coupled to flame ionisation detector (FID) and an O.I. Analytical 5380 Pulsed Flame photometric Detector (O.I. Analytical, Texsas, USA

Contact: bogdan.kralj@ijs.si, dusan.zigon@ijs.si

Atomic fluorescence spectrometry coupled on-line with high performance liquid chromatography, UV decomposition and hydride generation technique for measurement of low-level arsenic, antimony and selenium and their compounds in aqueous samples or in extracts of solid samples.

Contact: Dr. Zdenka Šlejkovec

3. Radiochemistry

Neutron activation analysis (NAA). NAA is based on sample irradiation with neutrons and subsequent determination of element content based on gamma-activity measurements of the radionuclides formed.

• Neutron source: TRIGA Mark II reactor, managed by the Reactor Infrastructure Centre of the Jozef Stefan Institute; maximum neutron flux 1013 cm-2 s-1
• Sample transfer to and from the reactor via three specialised pneumatic systems
• Gamma spectrometric analysis: 9 HP Ge detectors connected with modern multichannel analysers and appropriate software
  
  

NAA may be applied as:

• Non-destructive elemental analysis (Instrumental NAA – INAA) for simultaneous determination of a large number of elements (up to 65) in a broad concentration range (from μg/kg to % level) using element standards or without them (so-called k0 –INAA). This method is particularly suitable for the analysis of matrices that are hard to dissolve or materials that are difficult to analyse by other chemical methods (e.g., ceramics, glass, semiconductors, plastics, resins).
• Destructive elemental analysis (Radiochemical NAA – RNAA) for the determination of elements that are difficult to analyse by other chemical methods (e.g., Au, As, I, Se), in low concentration ranges. This mode of NAA is particularly suitable for biological materials and as a reference method for other analytical techniques.

Alpha spectrometry: 2 Tennelec 256 alpha spectrometers and a Nucleus 5030 alpha spectrometer, coupled with appropriate software for spectral analysis and determination of specific activities of alpha emitters. The equipment is suitable for the analysis of both natural and man-made alpha emitters (e.g., actinides) in all kinds of samples, as well as in tracer experiments for developing environmental technologies.

Beta proportional counter (Berthold LB-5310) for the determination of specific activities of beta emitters. The equipment is suitable for the analysis of both natural and man-made beta emitters (e.g., 90Sr) in all kinds of samples, as well as in tracer experiments for developing environmental technologies.

Liquid scintillation analyser (Canberra TRI-Carb) for the determination of specific activities of alpha and beta emitters. The equipment is suitable for the analysis of both natural and man-made alpha and beta emitters (e.g., 3H, 14C) in all kinds of samples, as well as in tracer experiments for developing environmental technologies.

High-resolution gamma spectrometry: 2 low-background gamma spectrometers (one has a high efficiency well type HP Ge detector). The equipment is suitable for the analysis of both natural and man-made gamma emitters in solid and liquid samples, as well as in tracer experiments for developing environmental technologies.

Laboratories for work with sources of ionising radiation. The radiochemical laboratories are equipped and licensed for work with alpha, beta and gamma emitters. They are appropriate for both analytical work and tracer experiments in developing new procedures and technologies.

Contact: borut.smodis@ijs.si

4. Stable analysis of light elements

Dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometer (MAT 250) is used for analyses of stable isotope composition of H and O in water, as well as C and O in carbonate samples prepared off-line.

Europa 20-20 Stable Isotope Analyser is a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer connected to elemental analyser and gas separation units (ANCA- SL and ANCA-TG) for analysis of solid, liquid and gaseous samples. Stable isotope analyses of C, N and S in solid samples and concentrated solutions can be performed, following the extraction of compounds of interest, as well as gas mixtures (N2, CH4 and CO2 in concentrations below 1000 ppm). A variety of samples can be analysed, such as geological materials, groundwater, biological tissues, coal gases, breath tests, foodstuffs (wine, honey) etc.

Contact: sonja.lojen@ijs.si, nives.ogrinc@ijs.si

Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Technology

X-ray powder diffractometer SEIFERT ISO-DEBYFLEX 3000 (Fig. 1)

X-ray diffractometer for analysis of monocrystals RIGAKU AFC-7 V (Fig. 2,3)