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v.378P

September 2018

I. Pre-Expedition

II. Port-call / Start of an Expedition

  • Do a thorough cross-over with off-going Chemistry Technicians : read Tech Report, discuss each instrument separately and bring to the attention of the ALO/LO any equipment requiring immediate attention (ie. repair).
  • Unpack new supplies and store in their correct location. Remember to mark on the bag/container the current Expedition number.
  • Do a physical count of critical items.
  • Conduct an inventory of chemicals in the storage cabinets. Look for any chemicals not on our inventory, unmarked containers, or reagents or mixtures left over from the previous expedition. Bring any issues to the attention of the LO.
  • You should calibrate as many instruments as you can. Instructions are in the instrument-specific User Guides. 
  • Make as many reagents as you can.

III. Site preparation / Prior to arrival on site and core-on-deck

On cruises with short transit times, perform, in port, as many of these as possible.

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Register the Chemists with a LIMS login; ask an onboard programmer for assistance. Clear out the CHNS Worklist Generator.
Make sure that each station using a LIMS application, MUT or SampleMaster, is logged into the correct project (Expedition number).

Calibrate instruments

GC3/NGA
The GC3 is used for gas monitoring for shipboard safety, while the NGA serves as both a backup to the GC3 and to analyze higher chain hydrocarbons and some elemental gases.
Check standards injection on the GC to see if the instrument is still calibrated. If a couple of injections give poor results, start the calibration process. It takes a while.
Calibration is done by injecting standards of increasing concentrations into the GC, and using HP ChemStation to acquire the data. Usually, we use nine standards: A, B, C, D, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90%. Each instrument's calibration description is in its respective User's Guide.

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Salinity
For the refractometer, use IAPSO to adjust the scale to the correct salinity (35.0).

IV. During coring operations

Catwalk sampling procedure

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      • Take a 5 cc headspace sample from every sediment core (non-basement), at the top of a section (try to be consistent). This sample is taken until the total depth objective is met. If doing multiple holes, you do not have to repeat the sampling if the sample is taken at a prior depth but just continue after the prior hole's bottom depth.
      • For cores with IW samples, take the headspace sample from the top of the section immediately below the IW sample. Note the core, section and interval of the headspace sample and write it on the Curator's logsheet. The interval will need to be entered into SampleMaster by the Curator/ALO.
      • Make sure nobody sprays acetone on the catwalk before sampling is completed. Acetone will contaminate the sample.
      • It is recommended to occasionally take a sample of the air on the core deck, so that any change in the headspace sample analysis can be correlated to changes in volatilized acetone.
      • Inject a standard (corresponding to a similar concentration seen in the core samples) every fifty injections or so, to check on the instrument calibration.

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      • Set the pressure gauge around 3000 lbf and simultaneously push and hold both green (CLOSE) buttons on the hydraulic unit's base until the auto-pressure engages.
      • After the first drops flow from the hole in the squeezer's base plate, insert the syringe into the hole. Keep an eye on the syringe to make sure the pressure doesn't push out the syringe or plunger (especially for the first few cores). Keep incrementing the pump pressure in steps of 1000 lbf until 10000; after 10000 lbf, increase in steps of 2000. Do not ever increase the pressure above 30,000lbs.
      • Select the correct core, section, and sample, and upload the IW sample splits (using the Excel template) into SampleMaster and distribute the labels.
      • When porewater yield is sufficient/no more water is trickling, release the pump by pressing the red OPEN button and remove the syringe from the squeezer.
      • Start sample distribution (splits).

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  • Once a shift, clean glassware. If glassware/plastic is in the bath, rinse it three times with DI and let dry. Rinse dirty glassware/plastic three times with RO water and place in bath for twelve hours. Do not put metal objects in acid bath.
  • Make new acid baths at least twice an Expedition and whenever going from flux to IW ICP analyses, make a new nitric acid bath.
  • Check daily the manifold pressures of the helium and argon racks.
  • Ensure that the active hydrogen generator's water reservoir is full of DI water. Do not let these run empty. Occasionally check the desiccant.
  • Coulometer Cathode/Anode solutions: these solutions need changing every 2-3 days or 200 runs. Along with the solutions, you will want to change out the pre- and post-scrubber solutions. Any precipitate in the lines should be removed as well. The solutions will also need to be changed if a 100% CaCO3~ standard check does not come within 100 ± 2%.
  • Weekly check the safety shower and eye washes stations.
  • Many filters/traps need to be changed on about a weekly basis (check them frequently): 
    • IC, titrators, SRA - drierite
    • EA - (magnesium perchlorate) if hydrogen not being measured.
  • The nanopure pre-filters and Barnstead filters need to be changed when an indicator light on the unit comes on. See the manual for how to change these. The nanopure final filters should be changed about every four months.
  • Check the freeze-dryer daily for any ice build-up, and defrost as necessary.

V. End-of-Expedition activities

  • Write the End-of-Expedition lab report and send a copy, via e-mail, to the on-coming Technicians.
  • Make sure all data is sent to LIMS and all raw data files are copied to the Data1 volume. 
  • Pack up equipment being returned for repairs and give the ALO the following information: IODP inventory number, value, serial number, model number, vendor's name and country of manufacture.
  • Pack up all samples as per Scientist's requests; work with the Curator/ALOs.
  • Give the LO a list for port purchases, if any
  • Clean the lab and assigned area following the cleaning instruction according to LO's list. Bring all the trash to the incinerator. Glass and sharps get disposed of in port call.
  • Fill the Carver presses with oil (if necessary).
  • Check the oil in the freeze dryer's vacuum pump.
  • Defrost and clean the freeze dryer.
  • Clean (defrost if necessary) the fridges; dispose of old reagents.
  • Change the hydrogen generator's DI bags and vacuum the back vent filters.
  • Check the ovens for debris.
  • Clean any instrument-specific items.
  • Have the lab coats laundered (segregated and tumble dried).
  • Check expiration dates on chemicals, notify ALO/LO if hazardous chemicals/waste need to be disposed in port.

VI. Port call – Off Going