Statement of Work.pdf

Statement of Work Project: Procure a Discrete Analyzer for The Determination of Water Nutrients at

The National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.0 Scope of Work:

Acquire a discrete analyzer (DA) for our water nitrate/nitrite, ammonia, ortho-phosphorus and total phosphorus assays. The system must be a discrete analyzer. No other colorimetric techniques (flow injection analysis, continuous flow, or segmented flow) are acceptable. The system must utilize cadmium reduction to reduce nitrate to nitrite. The unit must have a nitrate calibration range of 0.25-15 mg N/L for nitrate/nitrite (or higher) without dilution. It must accommodate test tube sized sample containers (16 x 100 mm) and have a capacity for at least 160 test tubes/sequence. It must be able to determine nitrate/nitrite, ammonia, ortho-phosphorus and total phosphorus. The system must analyze multiple parameters within the same sequence using one sample container, for example nitrate/nitrite, ammonia and ortho-phosphorus determinations with the same sample in a sequence. It must have a low supply operating cost.

2.0 Background:

The manufacturer of our current water nutrient instrumentation has discontinued the manufacturing, support and supplies for our existing flow injection analysis systems requiring us to pursue different instrumentation. We need to ensure data accuracy and precision for interpretation of our long-term research projects. This means keeping similar methodology (colorimetric analysis and cadmium reduction for nitrate/nitrite). Discrete analysis offers several advantages over other colorimetric analysis techniques which are, reduced waste volumes, less maintenance, and the ability to use very small volumes of sample for some emerging projects.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks:

The minimum must-have specifications are:

• The instrument must be a discrete analyzer. The unit performs colorimetric methodology by adding the sample and reagents automatically to a reaction well, (with high precision and accuracy) mixes the solution, allows the reaction to develop and measures absorbance of the analyte. Utilizing microliter amounts of sample and reagents significantly reduces waste production and chemical reagents (total volume/test is 500-600 ul).

• The water nitrate/nitrite method must be done using cadmium reduction.

• Must be able to do water nitrate plus nitrite through a cadmium reduction coil followed by sulfanilamide reaction and N-(1-naphthylenediamene) dihydrochloride with a calibration range of 0.25 – 15 mg N/L (without auto-dilution) (EPA 353.2 v 2)

• Must be able to perform water ammonia utilizing alkaline salicylate, hypochlorite and sodium nitroprusside method with a calibration range of

0.1 – 5.0 mg N/L (without dilution) (Standard Methods 4500-NH3 G)

• Must be able to perform water ortho-phosphorus using acidic molybdate/antimony with ascorbic acid reduction. Calibration range without dilution is 0.005 – 1.0 mg P/L (EPA 365.1 v2)

• Must perform water total phosphorus analysis (after manual persulfate digestion) employing acidic molybdate/antimony with ascorbic acid reduction. Calibration range without dilution is 0.01 – 1.0 mg P/L (EPA

365.1 v2)

• Instrument must accommodate 16 x 100 mm test tubes for sample containers.

• The unit must hold 160 or more 16 x 100 mm test tubes in a single sequence. This allows for long walkaway times and unattended operations including overnight runs.

• Must accommodate sample cup sizes 2 mL, 5 mL or 10-13 mL.

• The system must be capable of running multiple tests sequentially from one sample cup in one run. The system shall also be able to apply only the required tests on each sample.

• Unit must prepare working calibration standards from a stock standard (up to 10 working standards/calibration curve).

• The instrument must have the ability to prepare working standards from a stock solution using the automatic dilutor with the user only needing to enter the value of the high standard, the number of calibration points and the percentage required for each point into the software one time.

• Sample predilutions and out of range sample dilutions must be performed.

• Automatically spikes samples and calculates the percent recovery.

• Must be able to link output data to a LIMS through a .csv file.

• Must have the ability to add samples after a run has started.

• Must have an exterior segregated waste management system.

• The instrument must employ a static wash well equipped with constant clean water recirculation to ensure efficient cleaning of the probe and dispense system.

• The unit must also use an additional moving probe wash assembly which constantly cleans the probe before each travel action.

• To determine nitrate, the system must employ an in-line open tubular cadmium reactor to thoroughly reduce nitrate to nitrite. The system must also be capable of automatically reactivating the coil on-line with copper sulfate solution. The system shall be capable of running nitrite separately by automatically switching the cadmium reactor out of line, determining nitrite, then subtracting the nitrite result from the nitrate + nitrite to give a final nitrate concentration.

• Must utilize disposable reaction wells.

• Must have built in wash stations to rinse the syringes.

• Must have an integrated optical quartz cuvette that is automatically cleaned after the absorbance reading. This eliminates the need for expensive disposable cuvettes which increase the cost/sample.

• The system must be equipped with a 10 mm path length, temperature-stabilized, optical quality quartz, flow through cuvette to ensure a highly reproducible optical path. Complete flushing between samples prevents carryover and cross-contamination. The system must not require a wiping system to either the flow through cuvette or reaction wells.

• A single aliquot is transferred to the stop/flow optical glass cuvette where the reading takes place.

• Reactant and sample must be moved from the disposable reaction well to the detection area. This allows the sample to be read from the same position.

• The high-quality photometer must have a measuring and a reference detector and have a resolution of at least 0.0001 AU and dynamic range up to 2.500 AU. The system should have at least nine wavelength filters installed. The available wavelength range from the manufacturer must be at least from 350-880 nm.

• The robotics system must provide immediate, on-demand start-up, automated method changeover, and automated shutdown under computer control with no operator intervention.

• The instrument must accommodate 24 reagent/bulk container reservoirs incorporating a Peltier-cooled system for the containers to bring reagents to up to 10 degrees C below ambient and perforated reagent vessel caps to reduce reagent volatilization, eliminate cross-contamination among reagents and samples, extend reagent lifetime and prevent odorous chemicals from entering the laboratory. These reagents must be in addition to the 424 (2 mL) sample cup positions in the same run.

• Must allow sample blanking.

• Must have reagent cooling capabilities as well as non-cooled reagent positions.

• Must have reagent level monitoring.

• The system shall have the option to perform automatic reagent level sensing prior to analysis based on the number of samples to be analyzed.

In the event of insufficient reagent volume being available, the system shall alert the operator to top off the reagent reservoirs as required.

• User must be able to control the quality control types, acceptance limits and automated corrective actions when failures happen.

• Chemical reactions must be brought to full completion.

• Tests programmable per sample.

• Must allow for easy maintenance and syringe changes.

• Unit must be able to sit on a laboratory bench (benchtop models only).

• The instrument must utilize on-board reagent and sample barcoding scanners.

• Computer, software, monitor are included.

• Must include 4 trays for the 16 x100 mm tubes and 4 optional trays for the smaller sample containers.

• Minimum onsite installation and minimum three-day OEM training shall be included.

• Minimum OEM warranty shall include 12-month parts and labor.

4.0 Government Furnished: Access to delivery site for delivery, installation and training.

5.0 Deliverables/Schedule: System shall be delivered onsite within 12 weeks of date of award.

6.0 Evaluation Factors: Technical capability and price with Technical capability more important than price.

7.0 Technical Point of Contact:

Amy Morrow at amy.morrow@usda.gov (515)294-6536

8.0 Place of Delivery:

National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment 1015 North University Blvd.

Ames, Iowa 50011 mailto:amy.morrow@usda.gov