The primary function of the Computer and Laboratory Services Section is to aid the KGS staff with its computer and analytical chemistry needs. In addition, CALS personnel often assist and cooperate with other University departments, State and Federal organizations, industry, and the general public.
During the past year, we cooperated with Dr. Gregory Burg of the UK College of Agriculture in a study on using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy to detect rubidium in ticks. The data produced from this study will determine the feasibility of using rubidium chloride as an elemental marker in ticks. We also worked with the American Society for Testing and Materials, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, three United States laboratories, and two international laboratories to certify fluorine in coal. Another cooperative venture was with the Open University in Milton Keynes, England, to study two rock reference materials. In addition, we participated in a collaborative study with the Association of Official Analytical Chemists to determine atrazine content in water using magnetic particle-based immunoassay.