Agilent Technologies introduces method for elemental screening of unknown samples in environmental testing, food safety, forensics
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced a rapid, accurate sample-screening technique for environmental testing, food safety, forensics and homeland security. Interference-free semiquantitative (“semiquant”) analysis can identify virtually any element of interest, including all metals and most non-metals, without prior knowledge of the sample matrix or calibration with potential target analytes. The Agilent 7500 Series inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) equipped with an octopole reaction system (ORS) is the only commercial ICP-MS system that can perform such analysis.
Semiquant analysis is a powerful technique for approximating the concentrations of unknown elements in a sample based on the relative intensities of the various observed isotopes. It has typically been limited to characterizing simple samples, since in complex samples polyatomic interferences often reduce the accuracy of reported results for several critical elements and isotopes. The Agilent ORS can uniquely overcome this limitation when operated in its helium collision mode with kinetic energy discrimination. By using a physical energy filtering process, the ORS eliminates virtually all plasma- and matrix-formed interferences. This results in rapid, accurate semiquant analysis of all analytes in any sample.
The technique announced today uses an Agilent 7500 ORS system with ICP-MS ChemStation software, which contains a database of relative response factors (RFs) for all measurable elements. The database is updated by analyzing one or more semiquant calibration standards; the software automatically updates RF values for any noncalibrated elements by interpolating between the calibrated values. Users can further improve semiquant accuracy by adding one or more internal standards to the sample of interest.
The technique can rapidly approximate unknown element concentrations in a sample to within a few percentage points, depending on the number of semiquant calibration and internal standards used.
Further information is available by requesting Agilent application note “Interference-Free Semiquantitative Analysis Using the Agilent 7500ce ICP-MS,” publication 5989-1492EN. This note can be obtained without charge from any Agilent sales office or at www.agilent.com/chem .
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 28,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $6.1 billion in fiscal year 2003. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com .
