Facility for Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS)

Location: 2424 Geology

The Facility for Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS) at UC Riverside began operation in January 2009 and offers a full suite of analytical capabilities for researchers in the fields of ecology and environmental sciences. The facility is built around the Delta-V Advantage, isotope ratio mass spectrometer operating in continuous-flow mode. Attached to the Delta-V, are four inlet systems:

• Costech elemental analyzer for C and N isotope measurements of solid materials (plants, soils, sediments etc.)
• Pyrolysis elemental analyzer for O and H isotope measurements of solid materials (plants, feathers etc.) and water
• Gasbench and GC-PAL for headspace gas sampling (water isotopes, dual isotope analysis of NO3, ambient CO2 isotope measurements etc.)
• Total inorganic / total organic carbon analyzer for liquid samples (C isotopes of dissolved inorganic carbon and dissolved organic carbon)

In addition to the FIRMS and inlets, the facility has a full range of sample preparatory equipment, including microbalances, freeze dryer, ball-mill, refrigerated centrifuge, and ultra-cold freezer. Samples can be submitted to the facility for analysis on a campus-recharge basis. Please see the attached price list for details.