News from LabRulezICPMS Library - Week 44, 2024

Our Library never stops expanding. What are the most recent contributions to LabRulezICPMS Library in week 44, 2024? Check out new documents from the field of spectroscopy, especially ICP/MS techniques!

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👉 Need info about different analytical techniques? Peek into LabRulezLCMS or LabRulezGCMS libraries.

This week we bring you applications and other documents by Agilent Technologies, Shimadzu, Anton Paar, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Metrohm!

1. Agilent Technologies: Agilent 5800/5900 and 5100/5110 ICP-OES supplies

• Guide

Agilent Technologies is committed to optimizing your laboratory’s productivity, so we have produced this list of the most commonly ordered supplies and parts for the Agilent 5800/5900 and 5100/5110 SVDV/VDV and RV ICP-OES systems. Keep this list handy so you can quickly find the supplies you need and minimize instrument downtime.

Agilent parts and supplies—to help you get the results you need

For greater confidence in your spectroscopy results, you can optimize your total system with quality Agilent supplies. Our wide range of supplies, kits, and accessories is designed, manufactured, and tested to rigorous Agilent specifications, under a quality system registered to ISO 9001.

Why risk compromising your analytical results with anything less than genuine Agilent supplies?

For Agilent’s complete listing of spectroscopy supplies, including our own range of hollow cathode lamps and genuine Agilent parts and supplies for AA, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, and MP-AES, visit us online at: www.agilent.com/chem/atomic.

2. Shimadzu: Evaluation of Total Organic Carbon Content of Biochar

• Application

User Benefits

• The total organic carbon (TOC) content of biochar can be determined by the difference between total carbon (TC) and inorganic carbon (IC) content.
• Both TC and IC can be measured easily and quickly, with each measurement taking approximately 10 minutes. 
• Up to 30 mg of carbon can be quantified for TC measurements and up to 20 mg for IC measurements.

Introduction

Biochar is defined as a solid material produced by heating biomass to temperatures above 350 °C under controlled oxygen levels that prevent combustion. It is expected to have benefits such as soil improvement, increased agricultural productivity, and carbon sequestration in the soil.

In recent years, carbon sequestration using biochar has attracted attention as one of the technologies enabling carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere, resulting in active research in this field. In 2019, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) improved the guidelines to include a method for calculating carbon sequestration resulting from the application of biochar to agricultural and grassland soils. Consequently, carbon sequestration with biochar has been globally recognized as a CDR technology.

Additionally, research and development of high-performance biochar that can achieve both high carbon sequestration efficiency and increased agricultural productivity is also underway to expand the use of biochar.

Such research requires the evaluation of the total organic carbon (TOC) content in biochar and the TOC solid sample measurement system, which consists of the Shimadzu TOC-L total organic carbon analyzer combined with an SSM-5000A solid sample combustion unit, can be utilized for that purpose.

This article presents an example of evaluating the TOC content of biochar using the Shimadzu TOC solid sample measurement system.

Conclusion

By using the TOC solid sample measurement system, it is possible to measure both TC and IC, and the TOC can be determined from the difference in their concentrations.

In this article, the TOC concentrations of five types of biochar made from different raw materials were measured, which confirmed that the TOC concentrations varied significantly depending on the raw material. The CV value was less than 2 %, indicating good repeatability. This system, which can easily and quickly measure the TC and IC amounts of solid samples, is useful for measuring the TOC content of biochar.

3. Thermo Fisher Scientific: Trace metals analysis in baby food using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

• Application

Goal

This application note will highlight the complete and comprehensive workflow for toxic elements analysis in various baby foods. An automatized and reproducible acid digestion sample preparation combined with a sensitive and robust method based on triple quadrupole ICP-MS allows a wide range of trace elements present in the samples to be quantified without any compromise in respect to applicable regulations.

Introduction

Many countries have established their own regulations and guidelines to ensure the safety and quality of baby food products. These regulations are generally based on scientific research and risk assessments conducted by health and food safety authorities. Among a range of other contaminants, toxic heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, are subject to screening. Infants and young children up to the age of three represent an especially vulnerable group susceptible to different illnesses and potential lifelong neurological damage through exposure to toxic heavy metals.

The Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 requires manufacturers and the FDA to take long overdue action by setting maximum levels of inorganic arsenic (10 μg∙kg-1, 15 μg∙kg-1 for cereal), lead (5 μg∙kg-1, 10 μg∙kg-1 for cereal), cadmium (5 μg∙kg-1, 10 μg∙kg-1 for cereal), and mercury (2 μg∙kg-1) allowed in baby food.

Since January 2022, baby food manufacturers need to meet these maximum levels for toxic elements by testing their final products (because only ingredient testing significantly underestimates toxic heavy metal levels in the final product), and to post the results of their product testing online twice per year. Similarly, as the FDA is working on a “closer to zero plan”, the European Union has established regulations and maximum limits for various contaminants, including toxic elements, in baby food.

Moreover, essential minerals like iron, zinc, copper, calcium, and magnesium are important for the healthy growth and development of infants. Monitoring their levels ensures that the baby food provides adequate nutrition. Depending on the specific formulation and ingredients of the baby food, additional trace elements such as selenium, manganese, chromium, and molybdenum may also be analyzed to assess their levels and potential impact on infant health.

ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) is the commonly used analytical technique to measure trace elements in various samples, including baby food. The specific trace elements to be checked by ICP-MS in baby food may vary depending on the purpose of the analysis and the specific concerns related to the safety and quality of the product.

In this study, toxic elements but also essential minerals will be determined to give an overview of elements present in a variety of baby food products.

Conclusion

This workflow, combining sample preparation using microwave assisted digestion and analysis using the iCAP MTX ICP-MS, allows accurate measurement of the concentration of toxic elements, dangerous for children, as well as the essential elements, necessary for the good growth and health of children, in various baby food products.

The automatic and constant 5-times dilution allows robust analysis of different types of baby food products, whether dry, liquid, or fatty, without any compromise on sensitivity to reach the regulated limits. Thanks to the iCAP MTX ICP-MS stability and reliability, a large variety of different food samples can be analyzed in the same run, ensuring productivity in an applied testing laboratory.

All types of interferences (polyatomic as well as isobaric interference, including doubly charged ions) are effectively suppressed with either helium collision gas or by using oxygen as a reactive gas in triple quadrupole mode, thus limiting unwanted interruptions of the analysis due to QC failures.

Qtegra ISDS Software with the Reaction Finder functionality, allows simplified handling for the operator by automatically defining the isotopes and the acquisition modes to obtain reliable results. The maintenance assistant also ensures alerts when maintenance actions need to be carried out by the operator in order to guarantee an instrument with the best performance throughout the life of the instrument.

4. Metrohm: Transition RMID Operations Between Handheld Raman Devices

• Application

Library and Model Transfer from NanoRam 785 to MIRA P

For lab-quality results in non-traditional testing scenarios such as materials inspection at the point of receipt, Raman spectroscopy surpasses traditional raw material identification and verification (RMID) methods. Handheld Raman devices streamline RMID processes and efficiently verify an aterial’s quality and consistency. This efficiency helps manufacturers save time and resources, ensuring more reliable and cost-effective operations.

Verification models are key to RMID with Raman spectroscopy. It is possible to transfer established and validated verification models already in routine use from one Raman product from Metrohm to another. For example, though NanoRam 785 may no longer be sold, existing customers can asily transition their RMID operations to MIRA P. This Application Note describes user/custom library and model transfer from NanoRam 785 to MIRA P for the smoothest transition possible. Transferring models between MIRA P instruments is discussed in a separate Application Note (AN-RS-044).

INTRODUCTION

NanoRam 785 (NR785) users can find model building basics for MIRA P on the Metrohm website [1]. Readers of this application are assumed to be NR785 users that are familiar with RMID basics and are already working with established models. Transferring models between NR785 and MIRA P is
simply a matter of changing file formats and reassembling the NR785 model for MIRA P. New users will find that quality testing with MIRA P and its
software, MIRA Cal P, is streamlined and intuitive.

CONCLUSION

NanoRam 785 to MIRA P library and model transfer is a simple procedure that enables a fast and efficient transition. Leverage Metrohm’s Raman portfolio for the best possible RMID experience.

5. Anton Paar: Solutions for Ore Refining and Processing (Mining industry)

• Brochures and specifications

Responsible and Sustainable Production for High-Quality Products

Sustainable mining of natural resources is a cornerstone of our standard of living and prosperity. With a wide range of applications, mined materials
play a critical role in various segments of our lives, including construction and power generation, and are used as commodities for industrial applications and luxury goods. They also contribute to current green technologies – like wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles – and are an integral aspect of the effort to counter climate change. Exploring new exploitable deposits and recycling raw materials have to be done responsibly for mining to have a sustainable economic role in society. Mined metals and minerals must be extracted, transported, stored, and processed according to quality control processes that deliver safe and high-quality products. We have a wide array of instruments that contribute to every step of this development and production chain.

• Optimize the mining process and plan downstream processing requirements
• Discover possible recovery losses ahead of time
• Increase efficiency and stabilize plant conditions
• Reduce the costs and environmental impact of ore processing
• Evaluate groundwater movement and pollution
• Prevent energy waste on unnecessary grinding

Raw Ores and Drilling Fluids Analysis

Several instruments from our portfolio help you optimize your exploration process.

• X-ray diffraction: XRDynamic 500, an automated multipurpose powder X-ray diffractometer
• Mercury intrusion porosimetry: PoreMaster, a mercury intrusion pore size analyzer
• Gas pycnometry: Ultrapyc, the most versatile single-station gas pycnometer
• Microwave acid digestion: Multiwave GO Plus, 5000, and 7101/7301/7501, modern microwave digestion systems
• Laser diffraction: The PSA series, determines the particle size distribution of liquid dispersions and dry powders
• Rheometry: The MCR series, the world’s most versatile and trusted rheometer brand
• Viscometry: ViscoQC and RheolabQC, rotational viscometers

Powders and slurries analysis

Several instruments from our portfolio help you optimize your ore transport and processing.

• X-ray diffraction: XRDynamic 500, an automated multipurpose powder X-ray diffractometer
• Gas pycnometry: Ultrapyc, the most versatile single-station gas pycnometer
• Gas adsorption surface area analysis: The Nova series, surface area and pore size analyzers
• Laser diffraction: The PSA series, determines the particle size distribution of liquid dispersions and dry powders
• Rheometry: The MCR series, the world’s most versatile and trusted rheometer brand
• Viscometry: ViscoQC and RheolabQC, rotational viscometers

Processed ore and tailings analysis

Several instruments from our portfolio help you optimize your quality control.

• X-ray diffraction: XRDynamic 500, an automated multipurpose powder X-ray diffractometer
• Gas pycnometry: Ultrapyc, the most versatile single-station gas pycnometer
• Automated representative sampling: The Micro Rotary Riffler, an automated representative sampler
• Microwave acid digestion: Multiwave GO Plus, 5000, and 7101/7301/7501, modern microwave digestion systems
• Hot block digestion: Multicube 48, a hot block digestion system
• Laser diffraction: The PSA series, determines the particle size distribution of liquid dispersions and dry powders
• Rheometry: The MCR series, the world’s most versatile and trusted rheometer brand
• Viscometry: ViscoQC and RheolabQC, rotational viscometers