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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.

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!



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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)

    • 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:

      • 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).

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.

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Facilities

LIME offers access to several high precision instruments for isotopic and chemical characterization. In addition to state-of-the-art instrumentation, LIME contains a class 1000 trace metal clean laboratory for ultra-trace chemical and sample preparation prior to analysis.

Clean Lab

Our LIME analytical team is ready to work with you to assist in the determination of how the LIME geochemical tools can be used to answer your specific research questions. We currently accept samples for analysis by appointment only, contact the appropriate lab manager to make arrangements for sample drop-off and submission forms.

Contact us prior to sample delivery to ensure that we are able to meet your analytical needs.


CURRENT LIME FEE SCHEDULE

Equipment Time (/hr)Staff Time (/hr)
INTERNAL PSU$69.21$60.59
EXTERNAL ACADEMIC$177.21$97.13
EXTERNAL NON-ACADEMIC$182.74$100.16
*please contact us for a detailed cost breakdown

If using LIME services for publication, please credit, “Laboratory for Isotopes and Metals in the Environment (LIME) at the Pennsylvania State University”. Thank you!

Please note that the newly updated rates listed for 2024 are provisional, pending final approval.