News from LabRulezICPMS Library - Week 12, 2025

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This week we bring you technical overview by Agilent Technologies, brochure by Anton Paar and application notes by Shimadzu and Thermo Fisher Scientific!

1. Agilent Technologies: Smart Health Checks for ICP-MS

Streamline your analysis

• Technical Overview
• Full PDF for download

Your Agilent ICP-MS is a modern instrument which provides predefined method templates, auto-optimization routines, performance checks, and self-diagnostic sensors and monitors to streamline your method setup and routine operation. These built-in capabilities replicate the level of expertise of an experienced operator, helping you avoid unproductive time traps in ICP-MS analysis.

Performance report 

The instrument performance report automatically completes a series of analytical tests including sensitivity, oxide ratio, doubly charged ratio, background, mass calibration and resolution, simply by using the multielement tuning standard. The performance test can be set to run automatically after plasma ignition, giving a continuous record of system performance and any changes day to day. The test can also be scheduled to run after the final sample batch of an unattended run. By checking the report and performing any recommended maintenance or optimization before you start the next day’s analysis, you can save valuable time

How to prevent nebulizer blockage 

The standard nebulizer fitted to Agilent ICP-MS systems is a micro-flow concentric nebulizer, typically operated at an uptake rate between 100 and 400 μL/min (see Figure 3). These nebulizers have a machined, constant internal diameter capillary that is resistant to clogging. However, if a sample contains relatively large (micron size) suspended particles, these may clog the back of the nebulizer capillary. For such samples, an optional “high solids” nebulizer should be used. 

To maintain a healthy nebulizer think “prevention”. Use only lint less wipes, autosampler enclosures and adjust the autosampler probe height off the bottom of the sample vial. Rinse at the end of sample analysis, never allow sample to dry in the nebulizer and run 3-4 reagent blanks at the end of a sample batch to rinse for at least 10 minutes before extinguishing the plasma. 

Avoid aspiration of undissolved solids and particulates present in your sample by filtering/centrifuging/gravitational settling. Typically, an ICP-MS analysis requires around 1 to 2 mL of solution (less if discrete sampling is used), therefore syringe filters are a convenient choice for simple mechanical filtration. Agilent Captiva syringe filters provide an efficient solution. A PTFE membrane with 0.45 μm pore size is appropriate for spectroscopy applications, e.g. hydrophilic PTFE syringe filters, 1000/pk (5190-5919).

Pay attention to the interface cones

Why and When to Clean Your Interface Cones? 

The maintenance interval for cone cleaning is dependent on the application and sample matrix, so the best advice is to use the instrument checks and software flags for typical performance indicators to develop your maintenance schedule. The necessity to clean the cones depends on analytical requirements for detection limits, sensitivity, precision (%RSD) and background (cps), but a general guide is to avoid excessive cone cleaning. If the instrument performance meets your requirements, then don’t clean the cones.

The right amount of maintenance – Early Maintenance Feedback (EMF)

Insufficient maintenance can degrade performance as well as causing unplanned downtime and unnecessary service calls. Poor performance leads to lower data quality and an increase in sample remeasurements. On the other hand, performing unnecessary maintenance wastes time and increases consumable costs, for no real benefit.

Recommended procedures at end of the day

1. Aspirate rinse solution for a few minutes before shutting off the plasma. Include additional rinse solutions at the end of unattended batches
2. Extinguish the plasma and switch off the chiller
3. Remove the sample capillary from the rinse, start the peristaltic pump again and pump any remaining rinse solution from the spray chamber
4. Release the pressure bars on the peristaltic pump tubing and remove the bridges from the securing slot, or check the option for post-run peripump rotation if running unattended
5. Empty waste vessel
6. Leave mains power and argon on to keep instrument in stand-by mode (ensures fastest start-up)

2. Anton Paar: Microwave Digestion System - Multiwave 7101/7301/7501

• Brochure
• Full PDF for download

The pressurized digestion cavity (PDC) is a high-pressure vessel for sample preparation for ICP-OES, ICP-MS, or AAS analysis. This concept, established by Anton Paar 40 years ago in the legendary High Pressure Asher, has been combined with advanced microwave heating technology to yield the Multiwave 7101/7301/7501 series. 

A family of high-performance instruments for complete digestions of virtually any sample type without the need for method development or sample clustering. 

The parallel digestion of a large number of samples leads to the performance and output that is required for an optimal workflow in the elemental analysis laboratory. Just fill your vessels with samples and acids and let the PDC system do the work.

Multiwave 7301

You want to increase the analytical performance and maximize the efficiency of your laboratory? With Multiwave 7301, you can reduce manual workload, save reagents, improve detection limits, and avoid analytical errors and safety hazards for a wide range of samples – all at a minimum cost of ownership.

Multiwave 7101

Is price a key factor for you? Then Multiwave 7101 is the one for you. Get all of the basic benefits of a PDC system – maximum user safety, minimum effort – at an outstanding price-performance ratio.

Multiwave 7501

Do you perform aqua regia digestions or regularly use HCl as a reagent? Then Multiwave 7501 is your solution. With upgraded parts and enhanced automated
cleaning procedures, it has improved corrosion resistance, so you can digest even the most demanding samples.

Acid Digestion Applications

Workflow simplified 

In the Pressurized Digestion Cavity (PDC), different samples and different acid mixtures can be efficiently processed in the same run. This eliminates the need for extensive method development or grouping of similar samples. In the pressure-sealed vials, foaming and bubbling are suppressed, eliminating cross-contamination. 

Challenge accepted 

Multiwave 7101/7301/7501 offer the highest temperature and pressure specifications: up to 300 °C and 199 bar. This ensures complete digestions, even of the most demanding samples. The lowest levels of residual carbon and reduced acid amount reduce the chemical strain on spectroscopic instruments. This means lower cost of ownership, for the digestion and also for the analyzer.

Standards exceeded 

Multiwave 7101/7301/7501 have all common standard methods implemented in their software. The powerful system enables rapid heating, as required in EPA 3051 A (175 °C in 5.5 minutes), using less than 55 % of its installed power.

Requirements fulfilled 

Many industries are moving towards lower detection limits and regulated environments. Multiwave 7101/7301/7501 offers efficient digestion, with the lowest reagent volumes to minimize blank levels and dilution factors. At the same time, high sample weights of up to 4 g and ultrapure quartz vials help to push the limit of detection. The instrument is supplied with 21 CFR Part 11 compliant software. The optionally available comprehensive Pharma Qualification documentation ensures qualification of these instruments within one working day.

3. Shimadzu: Using UV-2600i Plus to Evaluate UltravioletDegraded Plastics Based on the Hazen Color Scale

• Application note
• Full PDF for download

User Benefits:

• The yellowing of plastics due to UV-light degradation can be quantified based on the Hazen color scale. 
• The spectral assessment feature in LabSolutions UV-Vis Color gives users a simple method for evaluating samples based on the Hazen color scale

Because of their excellent workability and lightweight, plastics are used in many industrial products, such as automobile components and packaging materials. However, aging and exposure to UV light, rain, and heat can degrade plastics, reducingtheirstrength and affecting their appearance. This Application News describes using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer to measure the color of plastics degraded by UV light and evaluate the color changes based on the Hazen color scale. Two highly transparent plastics were used for this analysis: polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The Hazen color scale, also called the APHA scale and the platinumcobalt scale, is used to evaluate materials based on their colors, from colorless ortransparent to yellowish.

Measuring Total UV Transmittance of UV-Degraded PC and PET 

Because the yellowing of the PC and PET samples caused by UV irradiation also caused some clouding of the samples, total UV transmittance was measured with an integrating sphere. If a sample creates a large amount of scattering, its total transmittance spectrum can be measured by attaching the ISR2600Plus integrating sphere to the UV-2600i Plus (Fig. 3) and installing the samples at the entrance to the integrating sphere. After obtaining baseline measurements with no sample, the samples were installed and measurements were taken under the conditions shown in Table 1. The measurements taken are shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Hazen Scale-Based Evaluation of UV-Degraded Plastics 

LabSolutions UV-Vis Color, an optional software product for LabSolutions UV-Vis, can calculate Hazen unit values. Information on configuring advanced settings in the software to calculate Hazen unit values can be found in Application News No. 01-00834-EN.

The total transmittance spectra of the PC and PET samples were used to calculate Hazen unit values and the samples were evaluated based on these values. The Hazen unit values calculatedfrom the spectra are shown in Tables 2 and 3. 

The Hazen unit values for PET increased faster with UV irradiation time than for PC, indicating that PET is more susceptible to UV degradation. Also, while the increase in Hazen unit values with UV irradiation time was almost entirely linear for PC, for PET the increase in Hazen unit valuesslowed from 20 hours onward.

Conclusion 

Hazen unit values were calculated for the yellowing caused by UV irradiation of two highly transparent plastics (PC and PET). The relationship between these Hazen unit values and the duration of UV irradiation showed that PET was degraded by UV light more quickly than PC. LabSolutions UV-Vis Color includes a calibration curve for calculating Hazen unit values, allowing the user to calculate Hazen unit values simply by measuring sample transmittance and without needing to measure the transmittance of numerousstandard samples. Finally, while standards such as ISO 6271:20151) , ASTM D1209- 05(2019) 2) , and JIS K0071-1:20173) include criteria related to the Hazen scale, when evaluating a material based on any of these or similar standards, verifying that these standards are the latest versions of those standardsisrecommended.

4. Thermo Fisher Scientific: Comprehensive analysis of water samples in alignment with EN ISO Method 17294 using ICP-MS

• Application note
• Full PDF for download

The monitoring of drinking and surface water for the content of different elements, in particular highly toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead, is crucial for human and environmental health and safety. In Europe, the ISO 17294-1:2004 method1 is applicable for testing and assuring water quality. The method specifies the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the measurement of trace elements in different water types and provides guidelines for the analytical method. ICP-MS is a powerful technique for the analysis of a wide range of analytes in given samples, providing superior sensitivity that enables the reliable detection of very low concentrations of analytes in water samples. However, potential variability of the sample matrices is an important aspect to consider. While drinking water is significantly cleaner than other water samples, like river or well water, may vary in their matrix composition (i.e., major elements or other substance classes), leading to both physical and spectral interferences. Analytical testing laboratories often perform the testing of water samples on behalf of water providers, companies, and government authorities, and therefore need to provide accurate and reliable results for many different sample types. To cope with a high sample load, ideally a single method can be used across different kinds of samples, irrespective of their nature. This requires a sensitive and highly robust ICP-MS system that is able to tolerate variable matrix loads. 

This application note describes the analysis of different water samples using the Thermo Scientific™ iCAP™ MSX ICP-MS operated with Argon Gas Dilution (AGD) as a tool to facilitate sample dilution directly during sample introduction. AGD offers a comprehensive solution for effective handling of a variety of sample types including those with high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in one analytical run. Different water samples are analyzed following ISO 17294-1:2004, and reliable performance is demonstrated over four weeks of analysis, allowing the analysis of more than 5,000 unknown samples. This application note demonstrates how the use of AGD helps avoid off-line liquid sample dilution, which in turn saves associated labor and costs, and minimizes the risk of contamination, while still delivering consistent results with minimum matrix effects. 

Experimental 

Instrument parameters 

In this application note an iCAP MSX ICP-MS was operated in conjunction with a Thermo Scientific™ iSC-65 Autosampler for the accurate and reliable analysis of drinking and surface water samples. The standard configuration of the sample introduction system was used, and typical instrument parameters (including AGD settings) are listed in Table 1. The use of argon gas, provided directly from the instrument itself, is an attractive way to dilute the sample online at no additional cost. Water samples (previously acidified) can be placed onto the autosampler as received and analyzed directly, with the dilution carried out inside the instrument. To overcome interferences, the instrument was operated using the QCell collision/reaction cell (CRC) with helium in kinetic energy discrimination (KED) mode for all analytes. The use of KED, in conjunction with the automatically applied low mass cut off offered through the unique design of the QCell CRC facilitates the complete removal of polyatomic interferences while maintaining high sensitivity for critical elements without the need to switch measurement modes during a run. 

The iSC-65 Autosampler, specifically designed to meet the needs of analytical testing laboratories, features innovative solutions to facilitate the highest reliability, efficiency, and robustness for effective use in the laboratory and seamless delivery of hundreds of samples daily. 

The Thermo Scientific™ Qtegra™ Intelligent Scientific Data Solution™ (ISDS) Software was used to control the full laboratory setup, to generate, process, and report analytical data. The integrated functions for quality control checks, internal standards response check, etc. provide the ability to quickly assess data quality and report correct data.

Conclusion 

This application note shows how accurate and precise routine monitoring of water quality, with respect to elemental composition, can be effortlessly achieved using the iCAP MSX ICP-MS combined with the iSC-65 Autosampler. The method, based on a 5-fold dilution of all samples using AGD for fast, sensitive, and robust elemental analysis in different kinds of water samples. In one analytical method, more than 55 elements, from 7 Li to 238U, could be accurately and quantitatively analyzed in one mode, which helps to realize productivity and cost savings. The instrument meets the requirements of analytical testing laboratories tasked with the analysis of different water samples, amongst other sample types. The main conclusions are summarized below. 

• The use of Argon Gas Dilution and the availability of different dilution levels is a way to overcome the challenges associated with high and moreover variable matrix content. Dilution is accomplished automatically inside the instrument with no additional sample handling required. AGD is fully integrated and supported in the Qtegra ISDS Software, so that it is easy to set up and operate.
• The large linear dynamic range of the iCAP MSX ICP-MS allows for precise determination of major elements and trace elements with low and high concentrations in one measurement without further sample dilution. Excellent sensitivity was achieved for all analytes, easily meeting the requirements specified in local and regional regulations pertaining to water analysis. In addition, effective interference elimination and excellent stability were also demonstrated over four weeks.
• Robust and stable analytical performance was demonstrated over 12 hours each working day over the duration of four weeks, with >5,000 samples and QC checks run during this study. 
• The iCAP MSX ICP-MS was designed to allow robust and reliable analysis while being easy to maintain. The key components that operators handle most, such as the nebulizer, spray chamber, and interface, can be easily accessed and disassembled for effortless maintenance and minimal downtime. Leveraging the HAWK Consumables and Maintenance Assistant, performance of the correct maintenance action at the right time allows to effectively prevent interruptions and reduces unplanned downtime significantly.