Inorganic Speciation Columns and Supplies

Importance of the Topic

Speciation of inorganic metals such as arsenic, chromium and mercury in food and environmental samples is critical because toxicity and regulatory compliance depend on chemical form rather than total element concentration.

Objectives and Study Overview

This application note demonstrates the performance of Agilent speciation columns and supplies for reliable separation and quantitation of key metal species in various matrices including water, fruit juice, urine, rice and food.

Methodology

The approach combines high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS).

• Anion exchange and reversed-phase columns were used to resolve arsenic, chromium and mercury species under optimized gradient conditions.
• Calibration curves enabled quantitation of As(III), As(V), DMA, MMA and mercury forms without need for species-specific standards.

Used Instrumentation

• Agilent 1290 Infinity LC System
• Agilent 7900 Series ICP-MS with ORS4 reaction cell
• ZORBAX Extend-C18 and Poroshell 120 columns for rapid mercury speciation

Main Results and Discussion

• Preparation blanks showed no detectable As contamination at 50 ng/L standard level.
• Arsenic species in apple juice samples were separated with excellent peak shape; concentrations remained below EPA drinking water limits.
• Mercury species (Hg2+, MeHg+, EtHg+, PhHg+) were fully resolved in under three minutes with recoveries of 94–101% in fish CRMs.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• High sensitivity and specificity of ICP-MS allows quantitation without species-specific calibration standards and supports isotope dilution methods.
• Robust column performance minimizes rework and ensures reproducible separations across diverse sample types.
• Method workflows support environmental monitoring, food safety testing and clinical analysis.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Ongoing advances in column technology such as sub-2 μm particles and superficially porous phases will drive faster separations with higher resolution.
Integration of automated sample preparation, expanded method libraries and digital workflows will further streamline speciation analysis in high-throughput laboratories.
Enhanced reaction cell designs and mass spectrometer innovations will improve accuracy in challenging matrices.

Conclusion

Agilent speciation columns coupled with ICP-MS detection deliver reliable, high-resolution separation and quantitation of inorganic metal species at low concentration levels, supporting regulatory compliance and expanding analytical capabilities in environmental, food and clinical testing.