"Once built, the new ultraclean lab will allow us to push analytical methods to their limits while
offering the highest possible safety for the analyst and the environment. This is a prerequisite for
staying at the forefront of research in geochemistry on topics ranging from rapid climate change
to deep Earth evolution."
                                                                                --Cornelia Class, Doherty Research Scientist 

Making An Impact: the Proposed Ultra Clean Laboratory

Vital to the mission of a research institution such as the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is the capacity to
raise funds for innovative infrastructure that will attract world-class scientists and keep pace with the requirements
of research and discovery. 

With designs in place, the Observatory has proposed the construction of an ultra clean laboratory, to be housed within
the new Gary C. Comer Geochemistry building at Lamont-Doherty. Analytical methods used at Comer require an ultra
clean laboratory for the separation of geochemical tracers that are present in only very small quantities and are often
highly sensitive to environmental contamination. The lab will be conducive to sophisticated chemical preparations, such
as the separation of trace elements from a broad variety of samples, a prerequisite for high precision measurements.

Because applications of these geochemical tracers range from climate to solid earth research, the ultra clean lab
will benefit a large number of researchers within Lamont's five divisions. The ultra clean lab will be utilized by the Observatory’s talented graduate students, and will serve as a magnet for visiting researchers. In addition, the planned facility will set an example for a safe laboratory environment with its efficient perchloric acid fume hood workstations
that minimize the filtered air breathed by the analyst.

 
Total Anticipated Costs

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