Atomic Spectroscopy

Whether the goal is food safety, ensuring quality, or establishing provenance, measuring the trace element content of foods and beverages that we all consume is of paramount importance. While some elements are essential for our well being at low concentrations, others like lead and chromium are highly toxic and more still are being linked to viral, neurological, and other diseases. Food scares related to contamination or poor quality not only constitute a health risk, they also undermine consumer confidence. This can lead to lost earnings through reduced sales and loss of credibility through adverse publicity.

The Optima 8x00 ICP-OES series utilizes the new Flat Plate plasma technology that replaces the traditional helical coil design used since the inception of the inductively coupled plasma. The Flat Plate plasma technology, as seen in Figure 1, utilizes two flat induction plates to produce a plasma that is compact, dense, and robust. This plasma utilizes about half the argon required by previous helical coil designs while still delivering exceptional analytical performance.

In this study, apple juice samples are analyzed by IC–ICP–MS to determine the concentration of six arsenic species: the two inorganic, and highly toxic, species (As (V) and As [III]) and four organic species (arsenobetaine [AsB], arsenocholine [AsC], monomethylarsonic acid [MMA], and dimethylarsinic acid [DMA]).

Current USP Method 231 "Heavy Metals" was introduced in 1905 for determining heavy metal impurities in pharmaceutical drug products. The procedures of the method have several limitations, which produce results that are nondiscriminatory, difficult to reproduce, and qualitative, or at best, semi-quantitative.

Here are nine suggestions for improving this valuable technique.

Scientists from IBM Research used an atomic force microscope to create the first-ever close-up image of a single molecule.

One of the most difficult tasks in any laboratory is the validation and assurance of all data being reported. Whether or not this is being mandated by a regulating agency, it is imperative that the quality of data from any analysis be controlled. How do the laboratory workers ensure the quality of their reported analyses and how do they demonstrate this quality?

Guest columnist Steven Wilbur discusses the elemental nature of ICP-MS and its strength as a universal quantifier, an aspect of the technique he believes has not received enough attention.

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.

Spectroscopy techniques are an important facet of the laboratory analytical and life science instrument industry, which continues to expand as its analytical requirements migrate across industries and geographic regions. Overall industry growth has been in the 6-8% range for the last few years, which is a sign of both its maturity and its stability. The demands of the life science marketplace, environmental concerns, and the search for new materials are important driving forces. Likewise, the shifting market focus from North America and Europe to Asia is changing the face of the industry. It is expected that 2008 will be a good year for the industry despite the likely economic slowdown in North America and Europe.

Industry expert Lawrence Schmid presents his annual overview of the market in the laboratory analytical and life science instrument industry. Strong growth in Asia and continued growth in North America and Europe are promising signs for the industry in 2007 and beyond.