The Trace Element Research Laboratory (TERL) is dedicated to providing students with a high-quality education
in environmental chemistry and sponsors with high-quality trace element data. TERL offers an uncommon combination
of academic research expertise and extensive experience in the environmental monitoring and regulation arenas.

The lab has an international reputation, earned through numerous blind intercalibration exercises, for consistently producing high-quality, low-detection limit trace element data for environmental samples (including water, wastewater, sediment, and biota). All work is conducted under a comprehensive quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program. TERL is experienced in the use of clean (1 part per billion level) and ultra-clean (< 0.1ppb level) sampling and pre-concentration procedures required to make accurate measurements of trace metals at ambient levels in both freshwater and seawater. The lab has participated in most major US environmental monitoring programs over the past decade (e.g. NOAA Mussel Watch, EPA EMAP, USFWS Contaminants Program, etc.) and has an established reputation for accurately measuring trace metal levels in samples from even the most pristine environments.

TERL facilities for low-level analyses include a clean room, three modern graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometers, a PSA hydride generation atomic fluorescence analyzer, a Hewlett-Packard model 4500 ICP/MS, a Perkin-Elmer Optima 3000 dual-view ICP, and complete neutron activation analysis facilities.

The lab has successfully completed over 300 projects for government agencies (e.g. U.S. Navy, NOAA, FWS, EPA, NSF, ONR) and private sector corporations (e.g. Science Applications Inc., CH2M-Hill, Phillips Petroleum, Exxon). Selected recent projects are described below. A complete list of projects including intercalibration (QA/QC) exercise results and detailed project summaries are available upon request.

 

Contact Us

Dr. Robert J. Taylor, Director
Trace Element Research Laboratory | Veterinary Integrative Biosciences
4458 TAMU |Texas A&M University | College Station, TX 77843-4458
Email: rtaylor@cvm.tamu.edu | Tel: 979.845.1568