This is an analytical support facility for the analyses of environmental samples via chromatographic separations for liquid and solid samples. As the need for making these types of determinations is great with in the Department and is extensively used throughout the University this lab will primarily be responsible for developing methods on instruments brought in form other labs, maintaining and repairing these types of instruments, and performing a limited number of analytical determinations on instruments housed in this laboratory that are typically used as instruments for comparative purposes in developing methods on other instruments and servicing them. This will greatly benefit the University by providing a "core" facility equipped and staffed to provide expert attention to these analytical needs.

Historically, demands for this type of support, if they were to be meet by outside contract labs, would exceed $500,000 per year. In numerous situations contract labs have been sought to perform these types of analyses on specialized samples and none have been found available. EPA, NASA, AWWARF, NSF, etc. have all relied on the capabilities of this lab to develop methods and perform analyses for projects that they have funded.