National centre for environmental radioisotope analysis and research that addresses issues related to earth and environmental sciences, nuclear energy and health sciences.
The A. E. Lalonde AMS Laboratory uses Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), other specialized mass spectrometers and radiometric counting equipment to provide analyses of long-lived radioactive and rare stable isotopes for earth, planetary, environmental, biomedical and archaeological sciences, as well as for forensic, authentication and reference material development applications. Sample-specific chemistry laboratories are available in-house to provide extensive sample extraction and preparation services for a wide variety of materials and applications. Lalonde AMS specializes in the development and validation of AMS and sample preparation techniques and procedures for new materials and applications.
- Radiocarbon Analysis
- Radioiodine Analysis
- Tritium Analysis
- Noble Gas Analysis
- Actinides and Fission Product Analysis
- Cosmogenic Isotope Analysis
- Agriculture, animal science and food
- Arts and cultural industries
- Defence and security industries
- Energy
- Environmental technologies and related services
Specialized labs and equipment
|
Specialized Lab |
Equipment |
Function |
|---|---|---|
|
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Hall |
High Voltage Engineering 3 MV tandem accelerator mass spectrometer equipped with high mass-energy product injection and analysis magnets |
Measurement of isotope ratios for long-lived radioactive and rare stable isotopes over the full range of elements (masses 3 to 280, isotope ratios from 10-10 to 10-15) |
|
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Hall |
Research Injector Line |
|
|
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Hall |
Isobarex Isobar Separator for Anions (ISA) |
Uses radio-frequency quadrupole ion-guided reaction cell to remove unwanted isobars (other elements with the same mass as analyte) by ion-gas collisions |
|
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Hall |
Perkin Elmer Quantulus Liquid Scintillation Counter (LSC) |
Radiometric measurement of beta particle emitting isotopes (e.g. Tritium) |
|
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Hall |
Ortec Hyper-Pure Germanium Well Counter |
Radiometric measurement of gamma-ray emitting isotopes |
|
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Hall |
Canberra–Mirion Hyper-Pure Germanium Well Counter
|
Radiometric measurement of gamma-ray emitting isotopes |
|
Tritium Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Electrolytic tritium concentrator (custom built) |
Concentrates tritium in aqueous samples for higher sensitivity measurements |
|
Tritium Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Helium-3 in-growth equipment (custom built) |
Seals low level tritium to capture 3He decay of tritium for high sensitivity detection (e.g. organically bound tritium) |
|
Noble Gas Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Thermo Scientific Helix SFT™ Split Flight Tube Noble Gas Mass Spectrometer |
Measurement of helium and neon isotope ratios |
|
Noble Gas Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Thermo Scientific Helix MC Plus™ Multicollector Noble Gas Mass Spectrometer |
Measurement of noble gas isotope ratios (argon to xenon) |
|
Radiocarbon Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Semi-automated sample combustion line (Thermo Fisher Scientific, custom adapted) |
High temperature (elemental analyzer) combustion of samples, cleaning and encapsulating of resulting CO2 |
|
Radiocarbon Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Semi-automated graphitization lines (custom built) (3) |
Converts CO2 to filamentous graphite on the surface of an iron catalyst for AMS analysis |
|
Actinide and Fission Product Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Flow-through tube furnace (custom built) |
For oxidation and trapping of iodine isotopes from solid samples |
|
Radiohalides Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Iodine isotope extraction and purification equipment (custom built) |
To extract iodine in any oxidation state, purify and produce AgI for AMS analysis |
|
Radiohalides Sample Preparation Laboratory |
Katanax X-300 Fusion Fluxer |
Dissolution of rock samples for efficient extraction of radioisotopes |
Private and public sector research partners
- University of Ottawa - Ján Veizer Stable Isotope Laboratory
- University of Ottawa - Walker Marine Organic Geochemistry Laboratory
- Laval University - Centre for northern studies
- Dalhousie University - Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclide Facility
- University of Ottawa - Geochemistry Laboratory
- University of Ottawa - Canadian Museum of Nature Microanalysis Laboratory
- University of Calgary - Isotope Science Lab
- Isobarex Corp.