Methods We Offer
The Center for Environmental Mass Spectrometry (CEMS) RBSA at CU Boulder provides researchers with advanced analytical capabilities for detecting and quantifying organic contaminants in water and soil systems. The facility supports studies in environmental chemistry, water quality, soil contamination, and emerging pollutant research, offering access to state-of-the-art mass spectrometric instrumentation and expert analytical guidance.
Services include:
- Targeted analysis of emerging contaminants, allowing precise quantification of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other novel pollutants.
- High-resolution screening with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF) for non-targeted compound identification.
- Soil contaminant analysis, including pesticides, industrial chemicals, and other anthropogenic pollutants.
- Hydraulic fracturing water and soil testing, assessing the presence of contaminants from energy and industrial processes.
- Retrospective QTOF analysis, enabling reanalysis of existing data sets to identify previously undetected compounds.
- Method development and adaptation, including custom approaches for sunscreen ingredients, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides.
Compared to other U.S. environmental mass spectrometry cores, CEMS stands out for its combination of targeted and non-targeted high-resolution analyses and its ability to support method development for emerging contaminants. Researchers benefit from direct faculty consultation, cutting-edge instrumentation, and robust data interpretation support, making this RBSA a nationally competitive resource for environmental chemistry studies.
Contact us for custom method development (michael.thurman@colorado.edu).