Mass spectrometry contaminated samples

Specification tests are performed on plant streams once or twice per worker shift, or even more often if necessary, to assure the continuing quahty of the product. The tests are also performed on a sample from an outgoing shipment, and a sample of the shipment is usually retained for checking on possible subsequent contamination. Tests on specialty types of acetone may require sophisticated instmments, eg, mass spectrometry for isotopicaHy labeled acetone. 

The very low Hg concentration levels in ice core of remote glaciers require an ultra-sensitive analytical technique as well as a contamination-free sample preparation methodology. The potential of two analytical techniques for Hg determination - cold vapour inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CV ICP-SFMS) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) with gold amalgamation was studied. 

The analytical techniques covered in this chapter are typically used to measure trace-level elemental or molecular contaminants or dopants on surfaces, in thin films or bulk materials, or at interfaces. Several are also capable of providing quantitative measurements of major and minor components, though other analytical techniques, such as XRF, RBS, and EPMA, are more commonly used because of their better accuracy and reproducibility. Eight of the analytical techniques covered in this chapter use mass spectrometry to detect the trace-level components, while the ninth uses optical emission. All the techniques are destructive, involving the removal of some material from the sample, but many different methods are employed to remove material and introduce it into the analyzer. 

Laser ionization mass spectrometry or laser microprobing (LIMS) is a microanalyt-ical technique used to rapidly characterize the elemental and, sometimes, molecular composition of materials. It is based on the ability of short high-power laser pulses (-10 ns) to produce ions from solids. The ions formed in these brief pulses are analyzed using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The quasi-simultaneous collection of all ion masses allows the survey analysis of unknown materials. The main applications of LIMS are in failure analysis, where chemical differences between a contaminated sample and a control need to be rapidly assessed. The ability to focus the laser beam to a diameter of approximately 1 mm permits the application of this technique to the characterization of small features, for example, in integrated circuits. The LIMS detection limits for many elements are close to 10 at/cm, which makes this technique considerably more sensitive than other survey microan-alytical techniques, such as Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) or Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA). Additionally, LIMS can be used to analyze insulating sam-... 

An environmental protocol has been developed to assess the significance of newly discovered hazardous substances that might enter soil, water, and the food chain. Using established laboratory procedures and C-labeled 2,3,7,8-tetra-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry, we determined mobility of TCDD by soil TLC in five soils, rate and amount of plant uptake in oats and soybeans, photodecomposition rate and nature of the products, persistence in two soils at 1,10, and 100 ppm, and metabolism rate in soils. We found that TCDD is immobile in soils, not readily taken up by plants, subject to photodecomposition, persistent in soils, and slowly degraded in soils to polar metabolites. Subsequent studies revealed that the environmental contamination by TCDD is extremely small and not detectable in biological samples. 

Petrovic M, Farre M, de Alda ML, Perez S, Postigo C, Kock M, Radjenovic J, Gros M, Barcelo D (2010) Recent trends in the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of organic contaminants in environmental samples. J Chromatogr A 1217(25) 4004 1017... 

The question was whether impurities were present in the samples analysed (Bada et al., 1983). In a more recent publication, Cronin and Pizzarello (1997) reported amino acid analyses using Murchison material in which an excess of L-enantiomers was present. Contamination with terrestrial biological material can be ruled out, as the amino acids in question are not proteinogenic a-methylamino acids, which occur either extremely seldom or not at all in terrestrial life forms, were detected. GLPC/mass spectrometry (MS) analysis gave the following enantiomeric excess (ee) values ... 

Several methodologies have been published for the determination of selected emerging contaminants in sewage sludge. The most recently reported methods are summarized in Table 1, comprising extraction of the sludge sample, subsequent purification of the extract, and final analysis by either gas or liquid chromatography (GC or LC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) or tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS). 

The type of proteinaceous binder was correctly identified in all model samples. In only one case (S10), the animal glue was additionally identified, although the restorer who prepared these model samples declared that the sample contained only egg binder. It is possible that this sample was contaminated during its preparation or during laboratory treatment. The results indicate that this method does not allow reliable identification of the presence of individual egg yolk and egg white most probably it is caused by the presence of a trace of egg white that is always present in the egg yolk preparations (and vice versa) and can be detected by the highly sensitive PMM method. The identification of individual types of animal glues will never be reliable by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry because of their similar composition the application of ESI (electrospray ionisation)-MS/MS (Section 6.5) could possibly overcome this problem. Only the fish glue, whose peptide... 

Flegal and Stokes [59] have described a sample processing technique necessary for avoiding lead contamination of seawater samples prior to lead stable isotope measurements by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. Levels down to 0.02 ng/kg were determined. 

Flegal and Stukas [406] described the special sampling and processing techniques necessary for the prevention of lead contamination of seawater samples, prior to stable lead isotopic ratio measurements by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. Techniques are also required to compensate for the absence of an internal standard and the presence of refractory organic compounds. The precision of the analyses is 0.1 -0.4% and a detection limit of 0.02 ng/kg allows the tracing of lead inputs and biogeochemical cycles. 

The polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the soil sample were quantitated by using an external standard of anthracene. The results reportedly for a polluted soil and sediment sample indicate that this flash evaporation-pyrolysis technique combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is a valuable tool for rapidly screening polluted samples for virtually all types of anthropogenic contaminants except for heavy metals. 

The analysis of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solutions manufactured by SACHEM Inc. of Cleburne, Texas, includes the determination of trace elements. These elements cause less-than-optimum performance of integrated circuit boards manufactured by SACHEM s customers that use these solutions in their processes. Alkali and alkaline earth metals (e.g., Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, and Ba) can reduce the oxide breakdown voltage of the devices. In addition, transition and heavy metal elements (e.g., Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Au, and Pb) can produce higher dark current. Doping elements (e.g., B, Al, Si, P, As, and Sn) can alter the operating characteristics of the devices. In SACHEM s quality control laboratory, ICP coupled to mass spectrometry is used to simultaneously analyze multiple trace elements in one sample in just 1 to 4 min. This ICP-MS instrument is a state-of-the-art instrument that can provide high throughput and low detection Emits at the parts per thousand level. Trace elemental determination at the parts per thousand level must be performed in a clean room so that trace elemental contamination from airborne particles can be minimized. 

Petty, J.D. Gale,R.W. Huckins, J.N. Cranor, W.L. A1 varez, D. A. Clark, R.C. 2000,Development and Application of Techniques for Sampling Bioavailable Airborne Contaminants-Tentatively Identified Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. USGS Colirmbia Environmental Research Center Colirmbia, MO Unpublished report to U.S. EPA National Exposure Assessment Laboratory Las Vegas, NV. 

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