The ElMiE Lab is a research-oriented facility and part of the Helmholtz center in Potsdam. The ElMiE – Lab offers the sample preparation and analyses of geological or environmental inorganic samples for element concentrations and mineralogy of inorganic materials. Laboratories and instruments associated with the ElMiE Lab include the XRD, XRF, …

Pre-treatment of river sediment and soil samples for cosmogenic isotope analyses (¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al) includes purification steps to obtain pure quartz sands prior to dissolution and element separation by ion chromatography column chemistry. From sieved samples, minerals are separated by magnetic separation and/or heavy liquids, and silicate and oxide minerals are chemically separated from quartz by leaching with acids (HF, HCl, HNO₃) at elevated temperatures.

Ion chromatography is used to analyze anions in aqueous solutions. This physical-chemical separation process is based on the distribution of the substance into a mobile fluid phase and a solid stationary phase. We analyze mostly chloride (Cl⁻), fluoride (F⁻), bromide (Br⁻), sulfate (SO₄²⁻) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) in our Thermo Scientific Dionex Integrion HPIC System.
The IC Lab is associated to the ElMiE Lab. Information on how to apply for …

The Isotope Geochemistry Labs are equipped with a clean room facility (including several low-blank chemistry laboratories (class 100), sample preparation and ion-exchange chromatography, a set up for isotope systems: Pb, U-Pb, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd as well as B and Li isotopes), two thermal ionization mass-spectrometers (TIMS) and a multi-collector mass-spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma source (MC-ICP-MS).

In the Pore Water Geochemistry Lab pore water from sediment samples is extracted using a hydraulic press with Titanium extractors. Extremely small (µl) volumes of aqueous samples are analysed with ion chromatographs for inorganic ions, cations and organic acids and a photometer.

For quantification of organic (e.g. acetate, formate) and inorganic anions (e.g. chloride, sulfate) in aqueous samples ion exchange chromatography is used.
The quantification of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aqueous samples and chromatographic separation of the DOC into different fractions and quantification of these fractions in aqueous samples is done via liquid chromatography – organic carbon detection (LC-OCD).