FAQ
No, the EAL is not EPA certified. This does not mean that our methods are any less adequate than what the EPA requires. The focus of the EAL is on both sound analyses and teaching; maintaining EPA certification would take valuable time away from our teaching mission. We encourage students to learn the instrumentation and collect their own data under the supervision of the EAL Analyst.
Absolutely. We enjoy introducing people to the world of environmental analytical chemistry. Feel free to stop by Leon Johnson 824 from 8am - 3pm, or email us to schedule an appointment.
We all wish that science could be free. We're fortunate to have funding sources to financially support some of our instrumentation and staff salaries, however we do charge a fee to use our facility.
We welcome anyone in the Montana University System (MUS) to use our facility. Although the lab is within the College of Agriculture (Land Resources & Environmental Sciences), we welcome collaboration with departments across MSU-Bozeman and across Montana.
The EAL is generally open from 8am - 3pm M-F, however this is highly dependent on the schedule of the analyst.
Some experiments require the lab to close for days at a time; these closures will be announced on the EAL homepage.
If you become a frequent user of the lab, we will eventually assign you a door key code so you may use the facility after hours.
This depends on the type and quantity of samples you would like to have analyzed, and which instruments we use. We aim to report data within two to three weeks. Rush delivery (data reported < 5 days after we get your samples) may be available at double our normal fee. For a better estimate on timing or to schedule rush data delivery, please email us.
In general, no, we don't do testing outside of the MUS. However, if you have an interesting question or problem that may spark interest in the scientific community at MSU, please let us know. As scientists, we're always looking to better understand our environment, and perhaps you can help us do that!