The laboratory contains a variety of instrumentation for the trace analysis of air and natural waters. These include:

Gas chromatographs with mass spectrometric detection. Three quadrupole mass selective detectors (Agilent 5973) are used in seagoing and laboratory sytems for analysis of trace halocarbons, sulfur gases, and alkyl nitrates.

Atmospheric pressure, chemical ionization mass spectrometers (APCI) for the detection of reactive trace gases in air. API/CIMS instruments based on Extrel components use atmospheric pressure ionization techniques and quadrupole mass filtering to achieve high sensitivity and rapid time response for gases like dimethylsulfide, acetone, sulfur dioxide ... Recently, we've developed an API/CIMS based on the Stanford Research Systems Residual Gas Analyzer. This compact instrument, called the UCI mini-CIMS, is designed for measuring dissolved gases in seawater.

Micromass Ultima (Waters, Inc.) double-focusing magnetic sector mass spectrometer, with automated gas inlet. This instrument is used to measure trace halocarbons, hydrocarbons, sulfur, and nitrogen gases in air. Air samples are extracted from the bubbles in polar ice cores, pumped from polar firn, and obtained from various stations around the world sampled by the NOAA flask air sampling network.

Finnigan TSQ Quantum - electrospray triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. This instrument is being used for the measurement of atmospheric tracers in ice cores and aerosols. It has also been adapted for use as a CIMS instrument for gas phase measurements of reactive halogen gases.