Please note that turnaround time after sample submission may be 2 – 3 weeks or longer, depending on how busy our labs are at the time. Please contact the respective lab manager to discuss your specific analytical needs.
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The Laboratory for Isotopes and Metals in the Environment (LIME) at Penn State University is a world-class facility used for the measurement of isotopic composition (C, N, O, Ca, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Sr, U), major elements (e.g., Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Si), and trace elemental compositions (e.g., rare earth elements, Pb) in a multitude of materials.
COVID-19 and other Updates
We ask that LIME users wear a mask or refrain from lab work if experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness. LIME personnel will wear masks when meeting with others upon request. Thanks for your consideration of the health and well-being of others!
Applications
High quality data provided by LIME assists researchers in dealing with a diverse suite of applications including:
Isotopic and elemental composition of samples as source tracers (i.e., provenance)
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- Indicators of processes (e.g., redox chemistry, mineral dissolution, recrystallization, petrogenesis)
- Geochronology (i.e., telling time and constraining reaction rates on a range of time scales)
- Materials characterization
Materials Characterization
Materials that can be analyzed in the LIME laboratory include:
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- organic/biological (e.g., tree rings, bone, animal tissue),
- geological (e.g., silicates, oxides, sulfides, metals, carbonates, etc.),
- natural waters (e.g., brines, surface water, ground water stream water, soil pore fluid), synthetic (e.g., ceramics, thin films, glass).
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Interested users are encouraged to contact LIME to discuss their analysis of interest and the sample preparation procedures that may be required to attain high quality analyses for the specific sample type.