Water and Environment Lab (WEL)
About the Water and Environment Lab (WEL)
WEL supports Caltech research with a diverse array of state-of-the-art instrumentation for chemical analysis. We collaborate with researchers across campus, providing flexible support based on the unique needs of each project. With our team's guidance, many scientists learn to operate the instrumentation and perform their own analyses. We encourage prospective collaborators to contact us as early as possible to determine the methods to apply to their project.
Leadership + Location
Dr. Nathan Dalleska is the Director of WEL. Please reach out to him with project inquiries. WEL is located in the Ronald and Maxine Linde Laboratory for Global Environmental Science Building: View Map.
Equipment Reservations
Please visit the Instrument Reservation Calendar to make reservations to use the equipment.
Instrument List + Rates
| Instrument | Caltech | Academic or Nonprofit | For Profit | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varian GCMS | $21.06 | $35.28 | $137.62 | hour |
| GC-TCD | $14.67 | $24.57 | $85.42 | hour |
| GC-FID | $6.05 | $10.13 | $50.49 | hour |
| 5972 GCMS | $23.02 | $38.56 | $170.03 | hour |
| 1100 LC | $10.66 | $17.85 | $44.00 | hour |
| TOC | $9.43 | $15.79 | $48.52 | Analysis |
| GCT Premier | $21.51 | $36.03 | $123.28 | hour |
| Xevo QTOF | $36.90 | $61.81 | $174.31 | hour |
| UP 193 | $53.95 | $90.37 | $180.75 | hour |
| ICS 3000 | $8.56 | $14.33 | $66.92 | hour |
| ICP-MS | $24.54 | $41.10 | $111.15 | hour |
| IC-MS | $24.50 | $41.03 | $138.41 | hour |
| L2140i | $3.23 | $5.40 | $17.42 | hour |
| G2401-m | $116.89 | NA | NA | week |
| Dual Channel IC | $8.17 | $13.68 | $48.03 | hour |
| Gas Scouter | $16.88 | NA | NA | day |
| Mastersizer | $8.12 | $13.60 | $47.68 | hour |
Additional Analytical Resources ot Caltech
Beckman Institute
https://beckmaninstitute.caltech.edu/mass-spectrometry-resources/
Multi User Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
https://cce.caltech.edu/research/service-centers/mass-spectrometry
Proteome Exploration Library
Policies
- All users must go through instrument orientation with lab personnel. This requires about one hour.
- You must provide a valid PTA number for instrument recharges. The PTA number you specify will be billed for your instrument usage. If you wish a different PTA number to be charged, fill out a new form and send it to the WEL before the end of the month you want the new number to take effect.
- Keys may be issued at the discretion of the Director.
- All users must sign into the log book before beginning to work on the instrument.
- All users must verify cleanliness of the instrument before and after running their own samples.
- Users should notify WEL personnel if there is any condition that prevents use of the instrument or endangers the life and safety of those present in the lab.
- Users who intentionally or neglectfully misuse, damage, or contaminate the instruments will lose their privilege to use the instruments, and will be billed for any repairs, cleanup or decontamination. This includes but is not limited to physical damage, chemical contamination, or corruption of the data systems.
- Disposable and reusable gloves are provided for your use in the WEL
- At no time should gloves be used at the keyboard or mouse of any computer.
- Your understanding of how to use thin-film gloves is extremely important to your safety.
- You are responsible for evaluating the correct glove for use with your chemicals and procedures.
You should be aware that no glove provides protection from all chemicals used in the laboratory. Therefore, you are personally responsible for evaluating the correct glove. Glove compatibility charts are available on-line.
The WEL strives to keep current information posted but this is not always possible. Please consider the following quotes from glove manufacturers that may help you understand correct use of disposable gloves:
– Kimberly Clark Chemical Resistance Guide
– Microflex Chemical Resistance Guide
– North Chemical Resistance Guide
The WEL is a shared chemical instrumentation facility. The instrumentation in the WEL has been purchased with donated funds. As new chemical instrumentation evolves, and as the equipment we have wears out, we expect to approach foundations and funding agencies for more funds in the future. To assure the greatest possibility of success in that endeavor, we ask for your help in documenting the benefit the WEL has provided to your research program through acknowledgement in the publications that include data obtained on WEL instrumentation.
We ask that you include one of the following acknowledgements any time WEL instruments are involved in a project.
"... instrumentation at the Resnick Sustainability Institute's Water and Environment Lab at the California Institute of Technology was used in this work."
OR
"This project benefited from the use of instrumentation made available by the Resnick Sustainability Institute's Water and Environment Lab at the California Institute of Technology"
The WEL requests a hard-copy reprint of any publication using data obtained on WEL instruments.
If you receive assistance from WEL staff beyond training and selection of a standard analytical method, please follow the guidelines set forth in the Instructions to Authors of the journal submitted to, or the relevant professional society.