Last day

The GC autosampler misaligned a wash vial and destroyed the syringe on the front injector. The reagent blank, lab spike, trip and field blanks completed, but no samples were injected.

Take a slow . . . deep . . . breath.

The power failed early last night and the GC crashed before finishing the standards, let alone the samples. We will get the GC up and load the generator with fuel to run the GC overnight.

In an effort to provide the staff with a cursory exposure to PSD data analysis, I presented the spreadsheets used for calculating water concentration. The basic spreadsheet is derived from reference material given to CERES during their 2006 training. We discussed the how previous research by others had established the equations, how the variables affected the results and how the GC data is incorporated into a much larger spreadsheet to calculate for multiple analytes at multiple sites and exposures durations.

Additionally, I demonstrated the proper technique for preparing raw LFT for PSD construction. This small detail is critical to proper PSD development and can significantly affect the GC results.

Cheikh, Makhfousse, and I met with Baba and discussed point by point the Issues and Recommendations section of this report.

Pending electrical repairs

An electrician evaluated the power issue and surmised that there are two big problems: The batteries in the UPS are dead (probably because the incoming power signal is insufficient to charge them) and the incoming service cables are inadequate and should be replaced. A permanent solution and invoice are pending.

Retrieval 3 samples are in vials and running on the GC overnight. There is not enough fuel for the generator to run all night (which is what we did previously to guarantee operation) so hopefully the incoming power is sufficient.

More progress

Adama and Marie built a new set of standards because the results from the first set were unsatisfactory. Anna and Sokhna trained Emmanuel on PSD cleaning using the samples from field retrieval 3 and also finished cleaning the glassware. The PSD extraction was completed and substantial improvements were made in bench organization, cleanup and bench sheet use. Cheikh restructured the bench sheets to reflect the SAM modifications and as a result are much more organized.

Wednesday the 24^th is blowdown, vial up, and GC prep.

Home stretch

We started the week by sequestering all the CERES/OSU samples from retrieval 2 and prepping for extraction of retrieval 3 PSDs. RBFs were collected and cleaned with boiling hexanes in a Soxhlet setup (80% RBF volume of hexanes boiled for 30 minutes, two times). We cleared the work area of all material and wiped the countertop with acetone. The inlets on the GC were changed. The back inlet had extensive septum material on it. The injector tower on the back inlet was borrowed from the lab’s GC-MS unit. The syringe may not be in good shape compared to that of the new tower on the front.

Cheikh also worked on building the calibration curve for the GC based on the standards that had been run Oct 4^th.

Week in Review 5

We started the week with a setback due to contamination. While the cause was determined to be inadequately cleaned laboratory glassware, the incident revealed issues that need to be addressed. CERES will need to upgrade or obtain certain equipment (e.g. countertops, an oven, and perhaps a lab water purification system) as well as develop staff lab skills for the increased analytical requirements of the project. However, temporary fixes will likely allow for continued training on the retrieved PSDs in week 6. An extraction will be attempted on the third set of PSDs and the OSU/CERES split samples will be stored until demonstration of successful extraction and analysis can be completed.

FAO accompanied the CERES team on the final field retrieval at Pont Gendarme. Sokhna, Marie, and Anna trained Emmanuel in proper PSD retrieval which demonstrates their competence and comfort in the procedure. All equipment was retrieved from the Pont Gendarme sites.

We were delayed getting back to the Dakar lab, but expect to begin the PSD extraction on Monday the 22^nd by carefully preparing glassware and paperwork and cleaning the PSD.

I provided Cheikh with the Training Evaluations and Informed Consent forms that OSU developed for collecting the CERES staff’s perceptions of this training so he could translate them into French. He will retain them until OSU IRB clearance has been obtained.