| Experts in Combining Chromatography and ICP-MS
Hyphenated techniques involving ICP-MS are among the fastest growing research and application areas in atomic spectroscopy. This trend is driven by the need to determine not just the total amount of an element, but also its chemical form, since this can have a dramatic impact on the element’s bioavailability, mobility, toxicity and other chemical properties. Hyphenated ICP-MS is achieved through the coupling of the ICP-MS to a separation technique – normally a chromatographic separation. In this way, target analytes are separated into their constituent chemical forms or oxidation states before elemental analysis.
Most common separation techniques are gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC) and ion chromatography (IC), but other separation techniques such as capillary electrophoresis (CE) are also used. As a premier supplier of GC, LC and CE as well as ICP-MS, Agilent is leading the way with routine hyphenated solutions and supporting the rapid growth in speciation measurement worldwide.
Agilent’s expertise in separation techniques ensures seamless installation and implementation of these hyphenated systems.
Speciation Application Areas
For convenience, hyphenated ICP-MS can be divided into two application areas, elemental speciation and molecular speciation. The differences are subtle, as the ICP-MS is always measuring elemental signals, but the distinction arises from whether the elements being separated and detected are present in the sample in the elemental state, as in the case of Cr(III)/Cr(VI) species, or as part of a larger molecule, such as a brominated flame retardant. |
| University of Cincinnati/Agilent Technologies Metallomics Center of the Americas
The University of Cincinnati/ Agilent Technologies Metallomics Center of the Americas was established in January 2007.
Metallomics Center researchers use Agilent provided technology to pursue work in all fields related to metallomics – the analysis of metals and metal species and their interactions within biological and ecological systems.
Applications include neurological research, metalloproteomics, metal tags for ultra-trace-level organic compound determination, and environmental monitoring, among many others, by using LC and GC paired with ICP-MS and MS.
Current partners include:
- Argentina Atomic Energy Commission
- Indiana University, U.S.
- National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina
- National Research Council, Canada
- Research and Development Center for Industrial Fermentation, Argentina
- Laboratory of Environmental Research and Services, Argentina
- University of Guanajuato, Mexico
- University of San Luis, Argentina
Chemistry professor at the University of Cincinnati, Joe Caruso, is the center director.
For more information visit the Metallomics Center of the Americas web site.
| |
Elemental speciation is important in many application areas and is becoming particularly important in the environmental, food, and clinical industries. This is because, for many elements, properties such as those listed below depend on the species or chemical form of the element present in the sample.
- Toxicity or nutritional value
- Environmental mobility and persistence
- Bioavailability
- Volatility
- Chemical reactivity
A common example would be the measurement of Cr (VI) – toxic – and Cr (III) – non-toxic – as opposed to total Cr in environmental samples. Similar examples of elemental speciation include As (III)/As (V), Se (IV)/Se (VI) and other elements that can exist at different stable oxidation states.
Molecular speciation is the term applied when the ICP-MS is used to identify and quantify the presence of a particular element or elements in molecular chromatographic peaks. When used in conjunction with organic MS techniques, this technique can permit quick screening for molecules (peaks) containing specific elements in a complex mixture, prior to analysis by organic MS. With modern, integrated systems and software, simultaneous analysis by ICP-MS and organic (e.g. ESI) MS is also possible, using a split flow from a single chromatography device.
Examples of ICP-MS in molecular speciation are many and cover a broad variety of applications:
- Total sulfur and sulfur species in hydrocarbon fuels
- Organotin species in marine sediments and biota, consumer goods and drinking water
- Mercury species in fish, industrial discharges, and petroleum processing
- Arsenic species in marine algae, food products and drinking water
- Brominated and phosphorus based flame retardants in consumer goods
- Phosphorus and sulfur in biological samples
- Protein bound metals
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Chemical warfare agents
- Volatile organohalides in air samples
Application and Technical Notes
- Handbook of Hyphenated ICP-MS Applications
|
5989-6160EN |
- Agilent GC-ICP-MS Interface Technology Brief
|
5988-3071EN |
- LC-ICP-MS Connection Kit for 7500 Series
|
5988-4393EN |
- Technical Features of ICP-MS Plasma Chromatographic Software
|
5988-4332EN |
- Determination of Methyl Mercury in Water and Soil by HPLC-ICP-MS
|
5989-3572EN |
- Ion Chromatography (IC) ICP-MS for Chromium Speciation in Natural Samples
|
5989-2481EN |
- PBDE Analysis by GC-ICP-MS: Rapid, Sensitive Detection of Polybrominated Diphenyl ethers
|
5989-1615EN |
- Speciation of Volatile Selenium Species in Plants Using GC/ICP-MS
|
5988-9461EN |
- Quantification and Characterization of Sulfur in Low Sulfur Reformulated Gasolines by GC-ICP-MS
|
5988-9880EN |
- Comparison of GC-ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS for the Analysis of Organotin Compounds
|
5988-6697EN |
- Speciation of Arsenic Compounds in Urine of Dimethylarsinic Acid Orally Exposed Rat by Using IC-ICP-MS
|
5968-3050EN |
- Fast and Accurate Determination of Arsenobetaine (AsB) in Fish Tissues using HPLC-ICP-MS
|
5988-9893EN |
Products and Solutions
Additional Information
|
|