 | September 1, 2011
By:David Pfeil
The advantages and disadvantages of measuring mercury with cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy, cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy, and direct analysis by thermal decomposition are explained.
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 | March 1, 2009
By:Shona McSheehy-Ducos
The authors discuss speciation analysis methods that enable scientists to identify and measure the quantities of one or more individual chemical species in a sample.
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 | July 14, 2009
By:Volker Thomsen
Volker Thomsen takes a look at the impact that the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895 has had on the world.
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 | November 1, 2008
By:Volker Thomsen
A short history of the early scientific developments related to the optical emission lines of hydrogen is presented. These were crucial to the development of the quantum theory. Balmer's empirical formula was an important milestone. Rydberg and others provided additional work, especially for higher atomic numbers. However, it remained for Bohr to provide the physical reasoning.
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 | May 1, 2008
By:Steve Wilbur
While inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is capable of part-per-quadrillion (ppq) detection limits under ideal conditions, most applications do not require this level of sensitivity and do not justify the cost associated with achieving it. Practical sensitivity in ICP-MS is determined not by instrument signal-to-noise ratio, but rather by controlling interferences and matrix effects in real samples. Understanding the sources of these effects and their management is critical in determining the most practical way to achieve specific data quality objectives.
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 | April 1, 2008
By:Kenneth Neubauer
Speciation analysis has grown rapidly and has expanded to a variety of markets, including environmental, clinical, food, nutraceutical, and bioanalytical. This growth has resulted from the realization that knowing the total amount of an element does not always provide adequate information for assessing health and environmental effects, but knowing which form of the element is present presents a much more comprehensive picture.
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 | November 1, 2011
By:Richard Burrows, Steve Wilbur, Richard Clinkscales
Wastewater from coal-fired power plants is linked to a wide range of environmental and human health concerns. Measuring low levels of toxic trace metals in these wastewaters is complicated, however, by high levels of interfering matrix elements. A new EPA method using ICP-MS addresses this analytical challenge.
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 | May 1, 2011
By:Kenneth Neubauer, Laura Thompson
Most analytical measurements performed by either inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) or ICP–mass spectrometry (MS) require accuracy and precision, which are essential for obtaining correct answers. However, all modern ICP-OES and ICP-MS instruments have the ability to perform semiquantitative analyses. This seems strange since accuracy is important, but semiquantitative analysis does have a role in analytical measurements. This article will explore why semiquantitative analysis is important and will look at various ways it can be performed and implemented.
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 | March 1, 2011
By:Matthew Cassap
The USP proposes the use of analytical techniques capable of measuring impurities at the specified limits with optimal selectivity, sensitivity, simplicity, and robustness.
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