ICP-OES metal quantification - soil, sludge, and sediment (wide analysis package)

ICP-OES heavy metal measurement for soil, sludge, or sediment samples. The assay includes the pre-treatment of the sample with aqua regia decomposition and the measurement of the following elements using the ICP-OES technique: Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn. The concentrations are expressed in mg/kg d.m. in the results. The analysis is also available with express delivery. Please request a quote from our experts.

This metal screening analysis includes the semi-quantitative determination of 70 elements. The method can be used, for example, to determine the background concentrations of metals in environmental samples or to study the elemental distribution of unknown samples. Screening is also often performed to assess which metals should be analyzed by a quantitative method. The measurement is performed using a high-resolution ICP-MS technique (ICP-SFMS), which can identify very low elemental concentrations. A semi-quantitative determination of the following elements is included: Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Hg, Ho, I, Ir, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Nd, Ni, Os, P, Pb, Pd, Pr, Pt, Rb, Re, Rh, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn and Zr. However, please note that some elements may not be determinable due to matrix interference. During this semi-quantitative analysis, the instrument is calibrated for about 30 elements and the rest of the analytes are quantified using sensitivity factors for calibrated elements with similar mass and first ionization potential considering isotope abundances. Quantitative analysis is also available at an additional price. During this analysis, all elements are calibrated (excluding halogens and Os). Please ask for an offer for this service.

Determination of Be, Ba, Co, Al, Mg, Cu, Li, Mn, Ag, Sn, Ti, V, Zn, Tl, B, Hg, Mo, Fe, Ca, K, U, P, Cd, Na, Cr, Ni, Pb, Sb, As, and Se in water samples with ICP-MS-technique. The sample is homogenized and acidified (HNO3), after which the analysis is performed from the liquid phase. The displayed price applies to natural waters. If the sample contains a lot of solids or the matrix is significantly different from natural water (for example, wastewater and industrial waters), additional steps may be needed, and this will be reflected in the price. The concentration of each element is reported in µg/l.

Determination of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen content of an organic sample. CHNS analysis (”LECO analysis”) is performed using a flash combustion method, where the sample is combusted under 25 kPa of O2 at an elevated temperature (1000 °C), followed by gas chromatography separation and detection using a thermal conductivity detector. Oxygen is analyzed by reduction on granulated carbon at 1480 °C, utilizing high-temperature thermal decomposition and conversion of oxygen into carbon monoxide before gas chromatography separation and detection with a thermal conductivity detector. The sample can be either solid or liquid, but water in the sample affects the results. In the case of aqueous samples, it is possible to dry the sample before analysis. The price includes two parallel measurements. The results are reported as wt-% of the initial sample. The ash, drying and dry loss measurements will increase the minimum required sample material need to 300 mg. The analysis gives the total carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen content of the material, but it does not identify any chemical structures. The measurement can be combined with other methods, such as GC-MS, 1H, and 13C NMR, to perform substance structure identification. Possible element packages: O, CHNS, and CHNOS.

Determination of total fluorine (F) content in plastic according to the EN 15408 mod. method. The fluorine content of the sample is obtained using oxygen bomb combustion treatment followed by ion chromatography (IC). Possible sample preparation, such as grinding into smaller particles, is available at an extra cost. This method can also be used to determine the total content of S, Cl, and Br. The results will be reported in mg/kg.

Determination of total metal concentrations in a water sample using ICP-MS technology. The analysis package includes the elements Sb, As, Hg, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, and V. The concentration of each element is expressed in µg/l. The method is suitable for various sample types, from natural waters to wastewater. However, for highly contaminated samples, the method's reporting limits may increase. More elements can be added to the analysis package upon request. We will be happy to prepare a customized offer for you.

Spark-OES is a commonly used method to determine the elemental composition of metals and alloys. The method provides a better alternative to other similar analysis techniques (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, XRF) due to its speed and low detection limits. All metallic elements and some non-metallic elements, such as C, N, and S, can be detected in the ppm range. The method is suitable for solid metal pieces with a minimum size of 1 x 1 cm. Sample preparation is included in the analysis.

Analysis to screen a material for the presence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The test is performed with a pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (py-GC-MS) according to the ISO 7270-1 standard. The sample is pyrolyzed, which is followed by separation and identification with GC-MS. The obtained pyrogram is then compared to a blank sample that does not contain any fire retardants. We also offer the analysis for electrotechnical products as per IEC 62321-6. Please ask our experts for more information about this option.

Determination of total organic carbon (TOC) content of water samples. The results of the analysis will be reported in mg/l.

Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) can be used to measure the composition of solid samples quantitatively at the surface as well as depth profiling. RBS is used for the analysis of heavy elements and can be combined with ToF-ERDA when lighter elements also need to be analyzed. Elements with similar mass can be difficult to differentiate.