Finnish Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometer And Metal-Free Cleanroom Facility (FINTIMS)

Introduction

The significance of FINTIMS as a local research infrastructure is establishing a novel chemical fingerprinting technique not available in Finland. FINTIMS forms the basis of Cosmochemistry, Geosciences, Biosciences, Chemistry, Environmental and Food Science, Humanities and Medicine research in Finland, and the capital region and targets natural, environmental, biological and artefactual materials. The high-resolution technology allows analysing previously unexplored heavy isotopes (e.g., ⁴³Ca, ⁴²Ca, ¹⁴²Nd, ²³⁴U, Pu, Mo, Cr, Os, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, Pb) advancing Finnish science and education, i.e. in metal and water resource monitoring, green mining re-quired for the green transition and carbon neutrality, and circular economy. The TIMS technique differs significantly from other in-situ isotope approaches (e.g. SIMS, QQQ-ICP-MS) in that it allows for a much higher analytical precision at ultra-trace quantities applied to the entire range of elemental masses.

The use of isotope systems in material fingerprinting unites the temporal and spatial perspective establishing a unique methodology not available in Finland to date with a multi collector ICP-MS at GTK reaching the end of its lifetime (>15 years) not being replaced before 2025 and no designated clean laboratory and personnel. Thus, Finland lacks any preparation and analytical facility for the analysis of heavy isotopes as one of the leading European countries in environmental research and furthest in the transition towards carbon neutrality. The new instrumentation significantly expands and complements the existing instrument pools available in the capital region (HelLabs, GTK and LUOMUS) and in Finland. TIMS instruments in northern Europe (Swedish Museum of Natural History, Universities of Oslo and Bergen, Copenhagen, St. Petersburg) are all first- or second-generation instruments designated to geological age dating techniques. A single 10¹³ Ω instrument and a clean room facility in Northern Europe is situated at Starplan, Copenhagen primarily designated to the analysis of extra-terrestrial materials. In Europe, state-of-the-art instruments are available, e.g., at the Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Science, University of Münster, Germany focussing on the Geoscience user case but not available and used by a wider, interdisciplinary research community.

In line with a transition towards a green and sustainable future, carbon neutrality and boosting the local and regional research environment FINTIMS targets scientific needs required for the sustainable use of water and marine resources (e.g., tracing the impact of mine wastes and radionuclides on water resources, HY, GTK) and pollution control (e.g., fertilizer use in food production, Ruokavirasto, HY). It also reduces the need of researchers to travel and enhances a sustainable research and teaching environment in that it educates Finnish researchers in state-of-the-art crucial analytical knowledge. The use of a TIMS also supports a transition towards a green future in that the periphery required (gas, cooling, electricity) is less in volume and consumption compared to a modern MC-ICP-MS. An integral component of FINTIMS is an ultraclean, metal-free ultraclean room facility unique in Finland and essential in the development of new isotope analytical techniques making best use of the low-concentration abilities of modern mass spectrometers.

Applicant organisation:
University of Helsinki (HY, Faculty of Science: Department of Geosciences and Geography, Depart-ment of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Finnish Museum of Natural History, LUOMUS

Other participating research organisations (consortium parties):
Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke), University of Turku (UTU), Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto)

LUOMUS, Ruokavaristo, Luke, UTU are committed to FINTIMS by a one-time financial contribution to the clean-room and instrument purchase. GTK is commitment to support the consortium with 50% contribution to a technician position crucial for the operation of the equipment. HY is committed to 50% contribution to a technician and an infrastructure support of 30%. All consortium partners will be active users of research performed at FINTIMS.

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