Yukon’s first metal analyzer dedicated to research and training

Yukon College has exciting news to announce at this year’s Geoscience Forum. The College owns the first metal analyzer to be dedicated to research and training in the Yukon.

The Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) was purchased by the Yukon Research Centre (YRC) and the Mineral Resource Technologist program, for a total of $90,000, including installation.

The AAS will increase research capacity at Yukon College within the Yukon Research Centre laboratory. The instrument can be used to analyze metal concentrations in water, soil, rock, plant, and tissue samples, and will be used by Yukon College researchers, students, and visiting scientists.

“The AAS increases our laboratory capacity and allows us to provide training opportunities for our students, while advancing northern research,” said Karen Barnes, President of Yukon College.

The AAS is currently supporting environmental remediation projects, and has the potential to contribute to research in exploration and community health.

“The metal analyzer greatly increases our analytical capacity at the YRC and is a significant addition to the services we offer to researchers working in the territory,” said Clint Sawicki, Director, Research Services, Yukon Research Centre.

This AAS includes both graphite furnace and flame spectrometry capability and will be used for both research and training purposes in the Yukon. It will also be a significant asset to geology and chemistry instruction at Yukon College.

The AAS was funded in part by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

The Yukon Research Centre (YRC) at Yukon College has seven key programs: Biodiversity Monitoring, Cold Climate Innovation, Northern Climate ExChange, NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Mine Life Cycle, Technology Innovation, Science Adventures, and Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic. Core funding for the Yukon Research Centre is provided by Yukon Education and Yukon Economic Development.