Proposal

Narrative

Students in various degree programs (geosciences, chemistry, engineering, FAU High, Honors College) need advanced instrumentation to identify/quantify environmental pollutants. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a high-performance instrument used in environmental labs at universities, research centers, etc. GC-MS separates different pollutants and then quantifies individual constituents at very low environmentally relevant concentrations in water and soil. Another GC-MS application is the quantification of air pollutants such as hydrocarbons and many other gaseous pollutants, e.g. ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, ozone, and carbon monoxide. Getting trained on GC-MS will be beneficial to our undergrad students, giving them a competitive edge in job market. In courses such as Environmental Science & Engineering (ENV3001C) and Water & Wastewater Treatment Systems (ENV4514), which are taken by all civil/environmental eng. majors, students can use GC-MS to measure the concentration of organic contaminants in the influent/effluent of a lab-scale water treatment unit. The students will gain an in-depth understanding of the effectiveness of treatment processes in removing organic contaminants. Also, GC-MS will be needed in other courses, e.g. Environmental Fate & Transport (ENV4053), Air Pollution & Control Systems (ENV4112), and Air Pollution Lab (ENV4112L), which are taken by all environmental eng. majors. Students who enroll in these courses will have a chance to utilize GC-MS to detect the concentration of trace organic contaminants in rivers, lakes, and the effluent of wastewater treatment plants and monitoring gaseous pollutants in indoor/outdoor air. Thus, acquiring a GC-MS is crucial to the growth of our undergrad programs. The chosen instrument is Agilent 5977C Inert Plus MSD Turbo EI Bundle with 8890 Mainframe MS Ready S/SL, a popular model used in academia and industries, for a deeply discounted price of $85,774 (see quote).

Facilities

In case of successful funding of this Tech Fee proposal, the purchased instrument will be housed in EW-36, Room 263, which can readily accommodate the instrument at no extra cost and with no renovations required.

Hardware Requirements

5977C Inert Plus MSD Turbo EI Bundle with 8890 Mainframe MS Ready S/SL Quantity: 1 Total Cost: $85,774 All required hardware is included in the enclosed formal quote except (i) helium and nitrogen gas cylinders for use as carrier gas, and (ii) a desktop computer. The former cost will be covered by lab fees. The PI works closely with a local vendor (NexAir, West Palm Beach) to purchase gas cylinders at discounted rates. The latter item will be provided by the PI.

Software Requirements

The quoted instrument includes the required software.

Personnel Costs

No additional personnel costs are anticipated.

Other Costs

Using this instrument requires consumables such as glassware and syringes, the costs for which would be covered through lab fees.

Timeline

Once the award is announced, the instrument will be ordered. The manufacturer currently expects a 4-week lead time for delivering the instrument. Upon its arrival, the instrument would be installed and operated immediately for the purposes stated.

Sustainability

The PI is experienced in operating and maintaining different GC instruments, including similar models from the manufacturer considered here. Benefiting from the PI’s experience, the instrument will be maintained in good operational conditions to serve the FAU community for many years to come.

Resource Matching

As mentioned earlier, the costs of gas cylinders, consumables, and instrument maintenance will be covered from lab fees and other departmental funds set aside for this purpose.

Implementing Organization

The Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatics Engineering faculty and students will facilitate the installation of instrument and will be trained on its operation, calibration, analysis, and maintenance.