Analytical services and fees
Analytical services
The SIF gives the highest priority to the analyses for the members of LIENSs, but its capabilities and competitive rates allow it to give analytical services for research and industry, and to participate in collaborations with other public laboratories.
The services concern only sample analysis, no sample preparation can be done by the SIF, for lack of available technical personel. However, preparation labs, equipments and consumables can be freely used by anyone, provided that the SIF operating guidelines are respected and that equipments and work stations are booked first.
Visiting scientists should comply with all of the administrative rules (official agreement, professional insurance ..) , they should contact the SIF personnel for booking the equipments.
Dowloadable documents concerning preparation and sending samples are available (see bottom of page)
Analytical services currently offered include :
δ13C, δ15N, %C, et %N analyses in organic and inorganic solid samples, at the natural or enriched abundance level, through EA-IRMS (please contact us for sediments of samples on filtres, as for enriched samples)
δ34S, %S analyses in organic and inorganic solid samples through EA-IRMS (capabilities are presently limited, please contact us)
δ13C and δ18O analyses in microquantities (down to 10 μg) of carbonates through acid treatment (the equipment is available to qualified personel, provided IRMS availability. The SIF does not perform theses analyses, by lack of available technical personel).
Presently being developed :
δ2H and δ18O analyses in water and organic and inorganic solid samples through pyrolysis (TC/EA-IRMS)
δ13C analyses of specific compounds through GC -C- IRMS (fatty acids, methyl-mercury)
Turnaround times depend on the workload, the number of samples, and the type of analysis. For C and N, turnaround times is tyically less than 4 weeks. For other analyses, please contact us.
Service process :
Inform us first of the number and type of samples to analyze. We then send you an offer.
Samples should be sent along with a sample submission form and an order from your institution or company (these documents should also be sent by e-mail)
Invoices are sent after acknowledgment of results receipt
QA/QC :
QA/QC arrangements concern not only the analytical side but all the processes set up from the good use of preparation equipments till results ouput. They include SIF functioning rules, preparation protocols, sample and analysis traceability instructions, intended to SIF personel and users, all being defined within diverse documents, that can be download on this web page.
The core point of the analytical quality is the mass spectrometers calibration. Besides daily stability tests and more deep tests carried out regularly, a thorough calibration is done after any maintenance action, change of a reference gas cylinder or of an internal standard bottle.
Sample gas are compared to reference gas, thoroughly calibrated to international standards. For δ13CV-PDB the gas is calibrated against USGS-24, IAEA-CH6 and IAEA-600. For δ15Nair the gas is calibrated against IAEA-N1, -N2, and -N3, and for δ34SCDT against IAEA-S1 and -S2.
Internal standards (acetanilide Thermo Scientific for C and N) are interspersed between samples to correct for any drift. Sample size effect is almost null, thanks to the SmartEA option that automatically adjust the sample gas level to the reference level.
The mean precision obtained during daily series (2011-2012) is ± 0.04 ‰ for δ13C and ± 0.07 ‰ for δ15N.
Downloading :
- Sample submission forms (comply with the instructions given in the Protocols appendix) :
. for external users : External Submission Form - Protocols
- Instrumentation