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Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Researcher: Cezara Voica

Keywords: inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP-MS, elemental determinations, toxicity

Description

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a highly sensitive and selective analytical technique used for elemental determinations. It is based on the separation, identification, and quantification of a sample’s components in relation to their mass.

ICP-MS has superior advantages over other analytical techniques, such as atomic absorption or optical emission spectrometry:

  • detection limits for most elements equal to or better than those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS)
  • ability to handle simple and complex arrays with minimal matrix interference due to the high temperature of the ICP source
  • high sensitivity and low background signals allow very low detection limits
  • possibility of obtaining isotopic information
  • short analysis time
  • ability to measure most elements, including alkaline, alkaline-earth, and some non-metals

 Applications

Areas of application: research-development; environment – impact of environmental pollution on the human body, pollution/depollution; food safety; biomedical – trace element identification, circulation and metabolism of pharmaceutical compounds, food and food supplements; nutrition-pharmacology; toxicology; geochemistry; archaeometry – characterization of ceramic artifacts, raw materials, 206Pb/207Pb and 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio studies to determine the origin of artifacts; industry.

Matrices:

  • drinking water, alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, food products of plant/animal origin, food packaging, cigarettes, agricultural fertilizers
  • medicines and food supplements
  • raw materials and cosmetics
  • water, soil, sediments, vegetation
  • alloys, ceramics, paints, pigments, paper, plastics, glass

Industries: chemical industry, agro-food industry, pharmaceutical industry, health, cosmetics, environment.

 Infrastructure

The ICP-MS spectrometry laboratory is equipped with an ELAN DRC(e) PerkinElmer inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer ELAN DRC(e), which allows rapid multi-element analysis, with detection limit 0.001-0.01 μg/L, accuracy <2% over 20 min.

The ICP-MS spectrometer is equipped with a quadrupole mass analyzer, using plasma generated at atmospheric pressure using a radiofrequency field in an argon stream as an ion source.

Advantages

 INCDTIM offers CDI services based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), used on its own or in combination with other complementary analytical techniques covering almost the whole range of practical applications

 We offer consultancy before entering into a contractual relationship to ensure the most accurate understanding of the customer/partner’s requirements.

 Existing facilities allow us to address most of the ICP-MS methods used in current practice, many of which have already been validated and implemented in our laboratory

 We have specialized staff able to cover with the highest professionalism all stages of a contractual collaboration: the definition of the problem to be solved, experimental design, and interpretation of results

Estimated costs

The total cost of CDI services based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry consists of two components:

spectrometer usage time, which includes consumables and wear: 150 lei

labor includes personnel and indirect costs associated with sample preparation operations, analysis and interpretation of results, and preparation of the analysis/research report.