Sample submissions

Find out where and how to send your samples to the Actinides & Fission Products Laboratory at the André E. Lalonde AMS Laboratory.

Actinides & Fission Products Laboratory submissions

Disclaimer: The AEL AMS Laboratory is a LOW-BACKGROUND laboratory, FREE OF ENRICHED MATERIAL OF ANY KIND (14C, Tritium). As a submitter, you warrant that your samples are free of any enriched material. If enriched material from the samples (or the packaging in which they are shipped) results in contamination of equipment or instrumentation requiring decontamination or replacement, significant charges will be incurred.

Sample submission form

To submit samples for actinide and fission product analysis, please email your completed submission form to [email protected] prior to shipping your samples. (We recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox to download the submission file template):

Please include a printed copy of the submission form with your shipment.

Shipping instructions

  1. Courier or ship samples with registered post (please indicate the tracking number in your correspondence).
  2. Please inform us prior to shipping if you are sending hazardous material or refrigerated samples.
  3. Classify material as "Geologically inert samples for destructive scientific analysis - no commercial value".
  4. Send only the material you would like analysed.
  5. Customs charges are the responsibility of the submitter; they will be added to your invoice.
  6. For biota such as non dried organic samples (ex. Fresh fish), place in a cooler with plenty of ice.
  7. Ores or Radioactive Material:
  • Place the sample in a metal container. If the radiation level is below background, proceed with shipment to the address below.
  • If the radiation level is above background, DO NOT SHIP THE SAMPLE TO THE ADDRESS BELOW. Please contact [email protected] for more details.

Mailing address

Actinides and Fission Product Laboratory
AEL-AMS Lab, University of Ottawa
Advanced Research Complex (ARC)
25 Templeton Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6N5, Canada
613-562-5800 ext. 6830

Turnaround time

Estimated turnaround time is based on the complexity of the project and on the amount of the samples submitted. Please contact us for further discussions and we will do our best to accommodate your requests.

For researchers with end of fiscal reporting deadlines (March 31), please ship your samples to the lab by the end of December.