JAAS News

Determination of Sr to study geological processes

The different isotopes of Strontium (Sr) can provide information on biological, hydrological and geological processes. Measurements of the radiogenic isotopic composition (87Sr/86Sr) have been used for a long time to study these processes, but in the last 30 years the stable isotopic ratio (88Sr/86Sr) has shown potential to help better understand the source of Sr and the cause of mass fractionation, especially when combined with 87Sr/86Sr measurements.

Leonid Neymark and scientists from both the US Geological Survey in Denver and the Instutute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology of the Russian Academy of Sciences developed a thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) method to measure Sr concentration, and “true” 88Sr/86Sr, 87Sr/86Sr and δ88Sr values. “True” values of isotopic ratios are considered those that are caused by natural fractionation, so the values measured have to be corrected for any chemical separation occurring during the measurement. This was achieved by spiking the samples with two Sr isotopes, in this study 87Sr-84Sr, with a precisely known ratio.
Standards, along with fossils, modern fauna, abiogenic minerals, silicate whole rocks and various water samples were analysed and the total range of values of δ88Sr shows potential for δ88Sr to be used as a tracer alongside the 87Sr/86Sr tracer.

To read the full article, please access the link below. This paper will be free to read until 6 january 2014.

Precise determination of δ88Sr in rocks, minerals, and waters by double-spike TIMS: a powerful tool in the study of geological, hydrological and biological processes
Leonid A. Neymark, Wayne R. Premo, Nikolay N. Mel’nikov and Poul Emsbo
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2014,29, 65-75
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50310K

Determination of osmium in small biological samples

The high concentrations of osmium (Os) in sediments and the highly toxic nature of OsO₄(a gaseous osmium oxide) have been the main interest of a number of studies. Isotope abundance ratio measurements of  ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os can provide valuable information about the source of Os, and concentration measurements can help define future toxicity effects. However, studies of biological samples are impeded by low accuracy and long measurement time of the available methods.

Nicola Pallavicini and colleagues at the Lulea University of Technology, Sweden, developed a methodology for the analysis of biological samples using double-focusing, sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to measure the concentration of Os and also Os isotope ratio. The samples were prepared with microwave assisted acid digestion and spiked with Os of known isotope ratio. The method proved to be reproducible, relatively rapid and allowed high through-put of samples. The samples included different tissues from herbivore rodents and reference materials of biological and plant origin, allowing the method to provide information about Os metabolism and toxicity and also potential use of the Os isotope system in applications such as food authentication.

To read more about this article, please access the link below. This paper will be free to read October 18^th.

A high-throughput method for the determination of Os concentrations and isotope ratio measurements in small-size biological samples
Nicola Pallavicini, Frauke Ecke, Emma Engström, Douglas C. Baxter and   Ilia Rodushkin
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013,28, 1591-1599
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50201E

Take a look at these new HOT articles just published in JAAS. These papers will be free to read for the next 4 weeks. Enjoy!

Determination of ultra-low ²³⁶U/²³⁸U isotope ratios by tandem quadrupole ICP-MS/MS
Masaharu Tanimizu, Naoki Sugiyama, Emmanuel Ponzevera and Germain Bayon  
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013,28, 1372-1376
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50145K

First inductively coupled plasma-distance-of-flight mass spectrometer: instrument performance with a microchannel plate/phosphor imaging detector
Alexander Gundlach-Graham, Elise A. Dennis, Steven J. Ray, Christie G. Enke, Charles J. Barinaga, David W. Koppenaal  and Gary M. Hieftje  
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013,28, 1385-1395
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50122A

A high-throughput method for the determination of Os concentrations and isotope ratio measurements in small-size biological samples
Nicola Pallavicini, Frauke Ecke, Emma Engström, Douglas C. Baxter and Ilia Rodushkin  
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013,28, 1591-1599
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50201E

Influence of chemical environment on the analysis of X-ray spectra of thick pellet samples containing 3d transition metal compounds
Stjepko Fazinić, Iva Božičević Mihalić and Luka Mandić 
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50230A

The key role of atomic spectrometry in radiation protection
Jian Zheng, Keiko Tagami, Shino Homma-Takeda and Wenting Bua  
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50217A

Selenium isotope analysis of organic-rich shales: advances in sample preparation and isobaric interference correction
E. E. Stüeken, J. Foriel, B. K. Nelson, R. Buick and D. C. Catling  
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50186H

Take a look at our selected HOT articles just published in JAAS! These papers will be free to read until June 28th. Have a read now!

Trapping and laser cooling of trace Ca⁺ isotopes injected from an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer
Masanori Kitaoka,   Takuma Yoshida, Yuta Yamamoto, Kyunghun Junga and Shuichi Hasegawa  
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA00004D  

Coal property analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Tingbi Yuan, Zhe Wang, Siu-Lung Lui, Yangting Fu,  Zheng Li, Jianming Liu and Weidou Nia  
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50097G

Aerosol entrainment and a large-capacity gas exchange device (Q-GED) for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in atmospheric pressure air
Daniel Tabersky, Kohei Nishiguchi, Keisuke Utani, Masaki Ohata, Rolf Dietiker, Mattias B. Fricker, Ivo M. de Maddalena, Joachim Kocha and Detlef Günther 
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013,28, 831-842
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50044F

Elemental mapping of microstructures by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS): extraordinary advances with the silicon drift detector (SDD)
Dale E. Newbury and  Nicholas W. M. Ritchie   
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50026H 
 
LA-ICPMS elemental imaging of complex discontinuous carbonates: An example using large benthic foraminifera
David Evans and Wolfgang Müller   
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50053E

Isotope determination by portable laser ablation sampling

A portable laser ablation sampling device can help analyse valuable historical artifacts.

The study is shown in a paper just published in JAAS by Advisory Board member Detlef Günther and colleagues at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland.

The researchers used laser ablation coupled to a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) to determine lead isotopes in Chinese ceramics, and applied a portable device to enable remote analysis. Laser generated aerosol samples were collected on membrane filters and consequently analysed in the laboratory by LA-ICPMS. With the new device, sampling of objects is independent of their location, size and shape.

This new method showed an analytical performance similar to a laboratory-based analysis and enabled simultaneous isotopic and elemental analysis without invasive sampling such as scraping or drilling of the objects.

To know more about this study, please access the link below. This paper will be free to read until May 24^th.

Isotope ratio determination of objects in the field by portable laser ablation sampling and subsequent multicollector ICPMS
Reto Glaus, Ladina Dorta, Zhiguo Zhang, Qinglin Ma, Heinz Berke and   Detlef Günther
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA30379A

New synthesis of silica nanoparticles

New synthesis of silica nanoparticles

Silica nanoparticles can now be easily developed and efficiently used in bioassays. This study just published in JAAS by Jung Aa Ko and H. B. Lim shows the design and optimisation of a new method for synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles doped with metal ions and dye together for particle tagging and monitoring.

Metal/dye-doped core-shell silica nanoparticles for potential use in bioassay
Jung Aa Ko and H. B. Lim
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA30373J

Precise measurements of platinum stable isotopes

Measuring platinum stable isotopes

Researchers at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, present the precise measurement of platinum (Pt) stable isotopes by multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) using two diffrerent double spikes. The authors explain that the ¹⁹⁶Pt-¹⁹⁸Pt spike is preferable for application to both natural terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples.

Platinum stable isotope ratio measurements by double-spike multiple collector ICPMS
John Creech ,  Joel Baker ,  Monica Handler ,  Martin Schiller and Martin Bizzarro
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50022E

Both papers will be free to read until April 25^th. Have a read now!

Analysis of Human urine after administration of Gd-based MRI contrast agents

Administration of Gd-based MRI contrast agents causes major spectral interferences during analysis of selenium (Se) and platinum (Pt) in urine.

The finding was reported in a new study led by Amy Steuerwald who carried out an epidemiological study on 619 urine specimens to determine Se and Pt using quadruple-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS). Both Se and Pt were several orders of magnitude greater than the upper limit of the population reference ranges.

To read the full article, please access the link below. This paper will be free to read until April 12^th.

Trace element analysis of human urine collected after administration of Gd-based MRI contrast agents: characterizing spectral interferences using inorganic mass spectrometry
Amy J. Steuerwald ,  Patrick J. Parsons ,  John G. Arnason ,  Zhen Chen ,  C. Matthew Peterson and Germaine M. Buck Louis
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3JA30331D

Determination of lead at ultratrace levels

Lead is a toxic heavy metal harmful to our digestive, immune and nervous systems following ingestion or inhalation. Therefore, the development of new methodologies to detect lead even at ultratrace levels is necessary.
A compact trap and atomizer device to pre-concentrate lead and determine ultratrace levels has been developed in the past. However, a strong interference of bismuth during the lead pre-concentration procedure is observed. To explain the bismuth interference, Jan Kratzer and colleagues from the Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the ASCR, Czech Republic, quantify the trapping and volatilization efficiency of lead with a new radiotracer employing a Pb radioactive indicator. This recent study improves the understandings of the currently developed quarz trap atomizer device and demonstrates that the radiotracer approach is a powerful tool in method development.

To know more about this work, please access the link below. This paper will be free to read until February 28th.

Hydride generation – in-atomizer collection of Pb in quartz tube atomizers for atomic absorption spectrometry – a 212Pb radiotracer study
Jan Kratzer ,  Stanislav Musil ,  Miloslav Vobecký and Jiří Dědina
J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2JA30263B