Atomic Spectroscopy

Single reaction chamber microwave digestion offers significant benefits over traditional microwave digestion for pharmaceutical samples: higher sample throughput, reduced labor and consumables costs, simplified workflow, and superior digestion quality.

Lasers have many different scientific uses. Some analytical scientists are advancing the use of laser-based techniques to analyze works of art and other ancient artifacts. Laser-ablation surface-enhanced Raman microspectroscopy (LA-SERS) can analyze art and artifacts to accurately identify the various components inside them. Spectroscopy recently spoke with Pablo Londero, an Associate Conservation Scientist at the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) at Yale University, and Marco Leona, the head of scientific research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, about their work in this area.

Determination of trace metals in oil and petroleum typically is based on ICP-OES methods, requiring signficant sample preparation and expensive instrumentation. This article presents an alternative method, based on the use of a handheld energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analyzer, that involves minimal sample preparation, uses authentic standards for calibration, gives low parts-per-million detection limits, and provides significant time and cost savings.

The California Department of Public Health has proposed to establish the first regulatory limit in the United States for hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) in drinking water. The proposed Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) sets the limit for hexavalent chromium at 10 parts per billion. California, like those of other states and United States federal government, currently only regulates total chromium levels.

The new Savillex C400d PFA concentric nebulizer for ICP-MS combines the reliability of a low flow glass nebulizer with the chemical resistance and low elemental background of a PFA concentric nebulizer.

Sample matrices with high organic content have created a significant challenge for sample preparation methods.

This application note introduces an Application Package for quantitative analysis of additive elements in polymer.

This application note describes the capability of the Teledyne Leeman Lab's Prodigy7 High-Dispersion ICP for performing analysis according to SW-846 Method 6010C.

Moxtek now has a full energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence detector solution with Moxtek's XPIN detectors and our new MXDPP-50 electronics.

Demonstration of the advantages of using the Orbis micro-XRF elemental analyzer rather than other analysis techniques to perform elemental analysis through a plastic barrier and/or at atmospheric pressure.

SciAps has developed a handheld analyzer based on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

Everyone loves a list, and the editors of Spectroscopy are no exception! In 2013, Spectroscopy covered a wide array of topics throughout the year to bring you the most relevant information for your work, on topics ranging from selecting the right ICP-MS system to deciding which Raman technique is right for you, from our annual salary survey to calibration transfer. Here is a list of 13 popular articles and columns from 2013

With over 1300 commercial testing labs in the United States, one out of every three samples is for water analysis. There has been an even stronger emphasis on mercury testing and its concentration in our water supplies.

Evaluation guidelines and important factors for laboratory scientists to consider when choosing an inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry instrument

Direct mercury analysis is ubiquitous in analytical labs within the environmental, petrochemical, and specialty chemicals industry for analyzing mercury in solids and liquids.

Demonstration of the advantages of using the Orbis micro-XRF elemental analyzer rather than other analysis techniques to perform elemental analysis through a plastic barrier and/or at atmospheric pressure.

In-lab acid purification offers significant benefits compared to commercial bottled high purity acid. In-lab purified acid is extremely pure, produced fresh on demand, and the cost savings compared to bottled high purity acid are significant.

This application brief will give a summary of a more thorough application note (1), which describes the analytical capabilities of Optima? 8300 ICP-OES utilizing low flow conditions, coupled to the prepFAST? in-line, auto-dilution/calibration sample delivery system to determine a suite of environmentally-significant elements in potable and waste waters according to US EPA Method 200.7.

This application brief will give an overview of a published article (1) that describes the analytical capabilities of the NexION? 300X ICP-MS coupled to the prepFAST? in-line, auto-dilution/auto-calibration sample delivery system to determine a suite of toxicologically-relevant elements in a group of four pharmaceutical products using the new USP Chapters <232> and <233>, which have replaced the 100-year old sulfide-based method described in Chapter <231>.

Globally, the permitted sulfur limit in fuel oils has been decreased to 10 ppm in many countries and regions.

Rick Russo, the winner of the 2013 Lester W. Strock Award, is known for important advances in laser ablation for use in spectrochemical analysis. In a new interview, he talks about those developments, how his career developed, and what it's like, as a research scientist, to lead a start-up company.

Improved Sensitivity with the New Apollow XRF ML-50 Detector on the Orbis Micro-XRF Analyzer

Single reaction chamber (SRC) microwave digestion offers multiple benefits over traditional dry ashing for the sample preparation of heavy crude oils for trace metals analysis. These include increased sample throughput, reduced risk of contamination, more complete digestion and retention of volatile analytes.

Elemental analysis of aqueous solutions into the low ppm and sub-ppm concentration ranges is demonstrated, using the advanced Cartesian geometry Rigaku NEX CG Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer in conjunction with the patented UltraCarry? sample preparation technique.

The US EPA wrote wastewater effluent limit guidelines for discharge permits granted to coal-fired power plants back in 1982, known as 40 CFR Part 423. However, the rule has not kept pace with changes in the industry over the past several decades. For that reason, the US EPA has revised the rule with new proposed revisions expected in November 2012 and the final rule expected by April 2014. To support the modification to this rule, the US EPA is developing a new ICP-MS method specifically for flue gas desulfurization wastewaters (FGDW).