At left, Orion pH meter with combination electrode for measurement of H ion activity in water and soil extracts. T he Lab for Contaminant Analysis has a range of capabilities for determining other routine and customized analtyical services for geologic, aqueous, and environmental samples. In addition to the instrumentation and services located at the Whitehall Forest lab facility, the Soil Charactertization Lab located in the Crop and Soil Sciences Department on campus has a range of instrumentation for basic characterization of solid materials that can be accessed thru the Contaminants Lab. Pricing for the various services are given in the fee schedule .
Precision is typically only good to two decimal places.
Redox potential is an estimate of the oxidation-reduction status, indicative of dissolved oxygen and the potential for formation of reduced gas species such as hydrogen sulfide. Particle Size Analysis Particle size distribution of a soil or sediment material is determined using sedimentation rate of particles in water as described by Stokes' Law. Materials are disaggregated and suspended in water, and suspension densities or particle concentrations measured over time of settling to obtain a particle size distribution. Anion concentrations are determined by ion chromatography or colorimetry. A Micromeretics BET surface area instrument located in the Soil Characterization Lab automates the process of measuring the amount of N 2 gas adsorbed by a sample, which is used to calculate surface area in m 2 per g of solid, assuming a monolayer coverage of the surface with adsorbed gas.