Why should I add analytical capabilities to perform speciation in my laboratory?

Significance of the topic

Speciation analysis in analytical chemistry has become essential for risk assessment, quality control, and environmental monitoring due to the varying toxicity and bioavailability of different chemical forms of elements such as arsenic and chromium.
Regulatory limits for specific species (e.g., bromate, inorganic arsenic, methylmercury) drive the need for accurate speciation methods.

Objectives and overview of the article

This application note outlines the integration of chromatographic separation techniques with ICP-MS detection to enable speciation analysis in routine laboratories.
It describes method principles, instrumentation from Thermo Scientific, and software solutions to streamline workflows.

Methodology and instrumentation used

• Separation techniques: Ion chromatography (IC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4).
• Detection: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using iCAP Q Series and iCAP Qnova Series instruments.
• Coupling hardware: Thermo Scientific ChromControl plug-in for Qtegra ISDS software to control up to five chromatographic systems; GCI 100 interface for GC-ICP-MS with heated transfer line.
• Chromatographic setups: Metal-free IC for anionic and cationic species; reversed-phase and ion-pairing HPLC for polar and non-polar analytes; GC for volatile derivatives.

Key results and discussion

The combined chromatographic-ICP-MS workflows deliver high sensitivity and low background contamination.
Water-based mobile phases in IC enhance plasma compatibility, while HPLC requires organic solvent handling.
GC-ICP-MS achieves excellent signal-to-noise for volatile species but involves more elaborate sample preparation.
Software integration via Qtegra ISDS simplifies method creation, data acquisition, and instrument control.

Benefits and practical applications of the method

• Accurate quantification of toxic and essential species for environmental, food, and process control.
• Compliance with regulatory standards for species-specific limits.
• Unattended operation and reproducible workflows using integrated software and automated hardware control.

Future trends and possibilities for application

Advances in miniaturized and high-resolution separation techniques may expand the range of detectable species.
Integration with novel detectors, automation of sample preparation, and enhanced data analysis algorithms will further streamline speciation workflows.
Emerging applications include nanoparticle characterization and proteomics.

Conclusion

Implementing hyphenated chromatography-ICP-MS methods transforms trace element analysis by providing speciation information critical for safety and quality.
Thermo Scientific’s hardware and software ecosystem supports seamless integration, enabling laboratories to adopt speciation analysis efficiently.

Reference

• D. M. Templeton et al., IUPAC Guidelines for Terms Related to Speciation of Trace Elements, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 72(8):1453–1470 (2000).