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The National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan, has been engaged in international comparisons organized by the French organization PROCORAD (Association for the PROmotion of Quality Control in RADiotoxicological Analysis) since 2016. To improve the quality control of urinary bioassay for actinides, we developed and modified radiometric and mass spectrometric methods, and improved lab manuals and lab specifications, during PROCORAD comparisons. Based on the performance criteria including Z-score, bias, and En value, our lab qualified as TOP LABO for these comparisons: DTPA-actinides urine (2022), Actinides in urine (2023), and DTPA-actinides urine (2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry / Zhongguo Wuji Fenxi Huaxue is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Routine analysis of inorganic analytes in whole water samples from rivers (unfiltered river water) is rarely reported in scientific publications. However, this sample type is valuable and often used in long-term monitoring, regulation, and catchment element budgets, as it includes the dissolved, colloidal, and particulate fraction in one sample type. Preservation measures are not needed and solid–liquid partitioning can be disregarded, which simplifies automated sampling and storage procedures. In this study, we provide several digestion protocols for whole water samples from rivers and the subsequent multi-element analysis of 67 major, minor, and trace elements: Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th, U. In the absence of whole water reference materials for inorganic analytes, we introduce simulated whole water samples by suspending sediment reference materials as quality control measures. The applicability for improved routine water quality monitoring was successfully tested on samples from different rivers revealing variations of the element fingerprints over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The certified reference materials (CRMs) BCR-668 (mussel tissue), NCS ZC73034 (prawn), NIST SRM 1566a (oyster tissue) and NIST SRM 2976 (mussel tissue) were analyzed for their mass fractions of 23 elements using inductively coupled plasma tandem-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS). This study focused on the quantification of selected technology-critical elements (TCEs), specifically rare earth elements (REE) and the less studied TCEs Ga, Ge, Nb, In and Ta. Microwave assisted closed vessel digestion using an acid mixture of HNO3, HCl and H2O2 was applied to varying sample masses and two different microwave systems. Recoveries of 76% (Gd, NCS ZC73034) to 129% (Lu, BCR-668) were obtained for the REE and 83% (Ge, NCS ZC73034) to 127% (Nb, NCS ZC73034) for the less studied TCEs across all analyzed CRMs (compared to certified values) using the best-performing parameters. Mass fractions for all analyzed, non-certified elements are suggested and given with a combined uncertainty U (k = 2), including mass fractions for Ga (11 µg kg-1 ± 9 µg kg-1 to 67 µg kg-1 ± 8 µg kg-1) and In (0.4 µg kg-1 ± 0.3 µg kg-1 to 0.8 µg kg-1 ± 0.7 µg kg-1). This study provides mass fractions of possible new emerging contaminants and addresses the relevant challenges in quantification of less studied TCEs, thus allowing the application of existing CRMs for method validation in studies dealing with the determination of TCEs in seafood or other biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry / Zhongguo Wuji Fenxi Huaxue is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry / Zhongguo Wuji Fenxi Huaxue is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs), found as environmental contaminants, have been related to endometriosis disease. In this context, the peritoneal fluid (PF) matrix has been poorly studied despite its importance. PF is the environment in which endometriotic lesions reside and communicate with surrounding tissues including tissues and nerve cells. In this work, our investigation group reports the special case of a peritoneal endometriosis patient presenting elevated lead, nickel, and bismuth levels in PF. This patient reported following a vegetarian diet and no toxic habits or occupational exposure. In conclusion, the elevated levels of PTEs found may result from a vegetarian diet or an unidentified environmental exposure source. This report provides new insights regarding the possible etiology of endometriosis disease and potential biomarkers for its diagnosis in early stages, although additional research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry / Zhongguo Wuji Fenxi Huaxue is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Trace elements play a major role in biogeochemical cycles and oceanographic processes. To determine trace element concentrations, the dissolved and particulate phase are usually separated by filtration. However, the frequently used membrane filtration as well as sample storage can bias the dissolved elemental concentrations by adsorption or desorption/contamination. We present a comparison of two filtration methods for coastal and estuarine water samples (pressure filtration with Nuclepore™ polycarbonate filters, vacuum filtration with DigiFILTER™s) applied to aliquots of a large‐volume coastal water sample that were stored at −18°C or 4°C for up to nine weeks. The filtrates were analyzed by seaFAST‐ICP‐MS for dissolved Cd, Ce, Co, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ho, La, Mn, Mo, Nd, Pb, Pr, Sm, Tb, U, V, W, Y, and Zn. The filtration blanks of DigiFILTER™s (0.0006 ± 0.0010 ng L−1 for Ho to 110 ± 180 ng L−1 for Zn) were sufficiently low for quantification of all analyzed elements with good repeatability, enabling a fast and reliable filtration of large sample sets of coastal water. However, the findings also highlight the need to measure procedural blanks including the filtration instead of only the instrument blanks to validate results. Measured concentrations of both filtration methods did not differ significantly for Cd, Cu, Mo, U, V, W, Zn but for other investigated elements, the ratio between both methods was up to 1.8 for Ce and 4.1 for Fe. Within nine weeks of storage, the elemental concentrations decreased significantly, resulting in losses of 20% Mn in frozen samples and 63% Pb, 64% Co and 93% Mn in cooled samples. Practitioner Points: Two fast and cheap filtration methods for coastal water samples were compared.Dissolved concentrations of 22 elements were measured by seaFAST‐ICP‐MS.The filtration method is important in addition to filter pore size.Filtration blanks need to be reported to maintain comparability between methods.Cool and frozen storage of water samples biases the dissolved metal concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent form of dementia and is associated with multiple alterations in biological processes. The most profound changes consist of the formation of two types of protein aggregations, called β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of tau proteins. Different biologically relevant metals are believed to play a role during the development of Alzheimer's disease, including copper. In Alzheimer's disease, copper has been reported to interact with β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, while in addition its homeostasis and metabolism are known to be affected. Therefore, Cu was investigated in a murine model mimicking Alzheimer's disease. These mice were genetically manipulated, resulting in the presence of typical Alzheimer's disease symptoms. By making use of two inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) based analysis techniques, the Cu concentration and the ratio between the natural 65Cu and 63Cu isotopes (65Cu/63Cu) were determined in blood plasma and four different brain regions—brain stem, cerebellum, cortex, and hippocampus—of young and aged Alzheimer's mice and age-matched healthy controls. The Cu concentration in blood plasma was significantly altered in response to both age- and Alzheimer's-related effects, whereas the blood plasma Cu isotope ratio was affected in the Alzheimer's-affected mice only. Both the brain stem and cerebellum showed changes in Cu concentration and 65Cu/63Cu isotope ratio as a result of ageing and the development of Alzheimer's disease. Finally, a correlation was observed between the 65Cu/63Cu isotope ratio in the cerebellum and blood plasma. Determination of Cu concentration and isotope ratio is therefore a relevant tool to unravel the role of Cu in ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's' disease (AD) is characterized by the formation of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein in the brain. Aβ plaques are formed by the cleavage of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP). In addition to protein aggregations, the metabolism of the essential mineral element Cu is also altered during the pathogenesis of AD. The concentration and the natural isotopic composition of Cu were investigated in blood plasma and multiple brain regions (brain stem, cerebellum, cortex, and hippocampus) of young (3–4 weeks) and aged (27–30 weeks) APPNL-G-F knock-in mice and wild-type controls to assess potential alterations associated with ageing and AD. Tandem inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) was used for elemental analysis and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) for high-precision isotopic analysis. The blood plasma Cu concentration was significantly altered in response to both age- and AD-related effects, whereas the blood plasma Cu isotope ratio was only affected by the development of AD. Changes in the Cu isotopic signature of the cerebellum were significantly correlated with the changes observed in blood plasma. The brain stem showed a significant increase in Cu concentration for both young and aged AD transgenic mice compared with healthy controls, whereas the Cu isotopic signature became lighter as a result of age-related changes. In this work, ICP-MS/MS and MC-ICP-MS provided relevant and complementary information on the potential role of Cu in ageing and AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For environmental monitoring and radioecological studies, organic and inorganic 129I is often trapped in active charcoal. The analysis of this radionuclide can be difficult because of the low-level activities involved and its physico-chemical properties (e.g., volatility and multiple oxidation degrees). This study proposes a new method for 129I analysis by ICP-MS/MS, which consists in the extraction of iodine from charcoal by acid digestion followed by purification using a commercial specific resin. This new method allows reaching environmental levels of gaseous 129I near the fuel reprocessing plant of La Hague (France) with a limit of detection of only 2 mBq sample−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic metals found in the environment have been linked to female infertility and gynecological illnesses. Reliable analytical methods, such as inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS), are necessary to determine the elemental composition of biological samples. Currently, the multielemental profile of peritoneal fluid (PF) samples has not yet been established. Due to the complexity of the PF matrix, an ICP-MS/MS-based method has been optimized to mitigate matrix effects and spectral interferences. A dilution factor of 1:4 was the best option to mitigate matrix effects while keeping sensitivity at an appropriate level. A collision gas (He) was useful to lower the extent of spectral interferences for 56Fe, 52Cr, 63Cu, and 68Zn. An intermediate validation test was performed to evaluate accuracy, achieving recoveries ranging from 90 to 110%. The method was validated in terms of intermediate precision, reproducibility, and trueness, with an expanded uncertainty lower than 15%. Afterward, it was applied to perform the multielemental analysis of 20 PF samples. The concentrations for major analytes were up to 151 µg L−1. Meanwhile,209Bi, 111Cd, 52Cr, 55Mn, 95Mo, 60Ni, 208Pb, 118Sn, and 51V were present at concentrations included within the 1–10 µg L−1 range, while 59Co and 139La were found at concentrations below 1 µg L−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs), found as environmental contaminants, have been related to endometriosis disease. In this context, the peritoneal fluid (PF) matrix has been poorly studied despite its importance. PF is the environment in which endometriotic lesions reside and communicate with surrounding tissues including tissues and nerve cells. In this work, our investigation group reports the special case of a peritoneal endometriosis patient presenting elevated lead, nickel, and bismuth levels in PF. This patient reported following a vegetarian diet and no toxic habits or occupational exposure. In conclusion, the elevated levels of PTEs found may result from a vegetarian diet or an unidentified environmental exposure source. This report provides new insights regarding the possible etiology of endometriosis disease and potential biomarkers for its diagnosis in early stages, although additional research is needed.

Follicular fluid (FF), which is the fluid that envelops the developing oocyte (egg cell) in the ovary, can be analyzed to assess trace element content as well as to determine potential exposure to toxic elements in women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Such measurements may be useful in establishing associations with potential adverse effects on oocyte viability and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. The principal goal of this study was to leverage the next generation of inorganic mass spectrometry based on ICP-MS/MS to address the numerous analytical challenges of (ultra-)trace element analysis of human FF specimens. Ultra-trace element measurements are defined by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute as fluid concentrations below 10 μg L-1 or tissue mass fractions below 1 μg g-1. Stringent pre-analytical procedures were developed to minimize exogenous contamination during FF specimen collection and storage in a prospective study of 56 women seeking IVF treatment. ICP-MS/MS instrumental parameters were carefully optimized, and the method validated for 11 biologically important elements that included 4 at trace levels (Cu, Se, Sr, and Zn) and 7 at ultra-trace levels (As, Cd, Co, Mo, Mn, Hg, and Pb). Method limits of detection (LODs) for ultra-trace elements varied from 5.6 ng L-1 for Cd to 0.11 μg L-1 for Mo. A total of 197 human FF specimens were analyzed using the proposed ICP-MS/MS method with 84% of specimens detectable for Pb and 100% detectable for Co, Cu, Mn, Mo, Sr, and Zn. The method based on ICP-MS/MS was compared to a previous method developed for FF using SF-ICP-MS.

Ecotoxicological tests on green alga Desmodesmus subspicatus are used to determine the toxicity of environmental samples. Since green algae are among the primary producers in most of aquatic food chains, harmful pollutants accumulated in the algae can be transmitted to higher trophic levels. A method for analysing the bioaccumulation of chromium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus and sulphur (Cr, Zn, K, P, S) by the unicellular alga D. subspicatus using ICP-MS/MS has been optimized. Cr and Zn were selected as elements originating from transport; K, P and S are among the basic mineral elements. Bioaccumulation was monitored during a 72-h ecotoxicological test, which made it possible to assess the relationship between sample toxicity, accumulation of pollutants in algae and a change in the content of selected elements in algal cells. For testing, potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) and aqueous extract of contaminated sediment were selected. It was found that with increasing concentrations of the toxicant, the concentration of Cr and Zn in the algal cells increased, with the most significant increase being observed at the EC50 concentration corresponding to a 50% growth inhibition; on the other hand, the content of K in cells gradually decreased to values below the detection limit of ICP-MS/MS at the highest concentrations of the toxicant. For sulphur, the concentration in the cells was increased up to the EC50 concentration and then decreased; the content of P in cells increased with the increasing toxicant concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

126Sn is one of the long-lived fission products that might have been released into the environment after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011. The presence of radionuclides must be monitored for the proper treatment of wastes obtained from decommissioning accident-related nuclear facilities and the surrounding environment. In the work, we propose a reliable method for verifying the presence of 126Sn in construction materials by combining the HCl-free solid phase extraction on TEVA® resin and a selective measurement by inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS). The method has been optimized and characterized. More than 95% of chemical recovery was achieved for Sn from typical concrete matrixes. The interference caused by an isobar 126Te and possible polyatomic interferences from matrixes were effectively suppressed by the developed chemical separation and the tandem MS/MS configuration. The total decontamination factor for the Te interference was of the order of 105. The estimated method detection limit for 126Sn in concrete as measured at m/z = 160 was 12.1 pg g− 1, which is equivalent to 6.1 mBq g− 1. In conclusion, the sensitivity of the developed method is comparative to the conventional radiation-counting methods and sufficient for verifying the presence of 126Sn in construction materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a rapid method for determining the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in water samples using inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) in the oxygen reaction mode, thus eliminating the need for Sr purification. With O 2 as the reaction gas, Sr + ions undergo a mass shift, measured at m/z 102 and 103. Our investigation into the interference elimination, concentration effects, and matrix effects revealed that the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr determination method is robust, yielding a value of 0.7101 ± 0.0010 (2SD) for the NIST SRM 987 standard, consistent with the reference value of 0.71034 ± 0.00026 (2SD). This accuracy was maintained even with a Rb/Sr ratio of 100. Further, this method was insensitive to the concentration ratio of Sr in the sample and standard (from 0.1 to 10) and exhibited negligible sample matrix effects, as shown by the average values for an IAPSO seawater standard, calibrated with pure Sr and matrix-matched Sr standard solutions, yielding 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of 0.7091 ± 0.0006 (2SD) and 0.7092 ± 0.0008 (2SD) respectively, which were consistent with the literature values. Subsequently, real water samples were analyzed using the proposed method, yielding good results. A rapid method using ICP-MS/MS has been developed to determine the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in water samples. It eliminates the need for prior Sr purification and a matrix-matched standard. The comparability with MC-ICP-MS results and reduction of the sample handling and analysis times from 7 to 10 days to 20 min. [Display omitted] • Direct 87Sr/86Sr ratio determination in water samples using ICP-MS/MS. • Method unaffected by Sr concentration or sample matrix. • No matrix-matched standard needed, simplifying sample preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the most abundant Ca isotope (40Ca) suffers from isobaric interference with argon, hindering the potential for low detection limits of Ca. A powerful approach is to remove the interference by using a reaction gas in a reaction cell. Ammonia (NH3) has proven to be an effective reaction gas by process of a charge transfer reaction. However, NH3 is highly corrosive and toxic and cannot remove isobaric 40 K. Therefore, this work proposes the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) to mass shift the target analyte 40Ca to 40Ca16O+ as a non-corrosive and non-toxic alternative. Instrument performance testing demonstrated that N2O was capable of reaching equivalent detection limits (0.015 ng g−1) and background equivalence concentrations (0.041 ng g−1) to that of NH3 and limited by the blank only. Further investigation of matrix interferences with synthetic standards highlighted that the N2O approach supports the separation of potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg)–based interferences at tested concentrations of more than 600 times and almost 800 times higher than Ca respectively, whereas NH3 was found to only support the removal of Mg. This work highlights a clear advantage of N2O for low-level Ca determinations with high matrix loads, as well as compatibility with other instrumentation sensitive to corrosion that supports reaction cell technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a method was established for the speciation of six selenium species by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS/MS). The factors affecting separation were carefully investigated, including ionic strength, pH, and methanol content. Six species of selenium could be completely separated within 20 min, under the mobile phase of 25 mM citric acid in pH = 4.0 containing 2% methanol. The detection limits of selenite (Se(IV)), selenate (Se(VI)), selenomethionine (SeMet), selenocystine (SeCys2), methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys), and selenoethionine (SeEt) were 0.04, 0.02, 0.05, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.15 ng mL−1, respectively. To verify the practicality of this method, the analysis of selenium-enriched foods such as selenium-enriched spring water, selenium-enriched salts, and selenium-enriched tea were conducted, and recovery of 93.7–105% was achieved with RSD < 5%, revealing the high practical utility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous isotope speciation of various Pu isotopes is difficult to achieve with conventional inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) owing to isobaric inter- ferences. In analyzing ICP tandem MS (ICP MS/MS), CO2 gas reactions in a dynamic reaction cell (DRC) almost eliminated the background noise intensity produced by isobaric interference from isotopes originating from actinides such as Am, Cm, and U at the locations (m/z) of significant Pu isotopes (239 Pu, 240 Pu, 241 Pu, 242 Pu, and 244 Pu). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-lived trans‑uranium nuclides such as 237Np, may reside in the environment for long period and result in ecological impact and human health threat. Accurate measurement of 237Np in the environment is important for the risk assessment and ecological evaluation. However, the spectral peak tailing and polyatomic ions interference greatly limit the measurement of 237Np with triple quadrupole ICP-MS (ICP-MS/MS), which have been successfully used for analysis of ultra-trace level 239,240Pu and 241Am. The novel methods for 237Np measurement with ICP-MS/MS in both on-mass and mass-shift modes were examined in this paper. When helium was used as the collision gas for the ICP-MS/MS measurement with on-mass mode, the interference contribution to the counts for 237Np (at m / z 237) as low as 4 × 10−8 was observed only from Hg, while no measurable interference from Tl and Pb was observed. Moreover, when the mass-shift mode is employed with O 2 /He and He as the collision/reaction gas, the interference contributions from Hg, Tl and Pb were all negligible. The detection limit of 237Np was reduced to 0.014 fg/g and 0.019 fg/g for on-mass and mass-shift mode, respectively. The novel methods were demonstrated to enable accurate determination of 1.0 fg/g level 237Np in the emulated sample solutions with a 237Np/238U atomic ratio as low as 10−9. Combined with appropriate chemical separation procedure, the developed methods were verified with certified reference materials and soil samples. [Display omitted] • ICP-MS/MS with O 2 /He+He gases was first utilized to 237Np measurement. • Mass-shift mode with O 2 /He+He gases effectively remove interference. • Very low detection limit for 237Np (<0.020 fg/g) was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic metals found in the environment have been linked to female infertility and gynecological illnesses. Reliable analytical methods, such as inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS), are necessary to determine the elemental composition of biological samples. Currently, the multielemental profile of peritoneal fluid (PF) samples has not yet been established. Due to the complexity of the PF matrix, an ICP-MS/MS-based method has been optimized to mitigate matrix effects and spectral interferences. A dilution factor of 1:4 was the best option to mitigate matrix effects while keeping sensitivity at an appropriate level. A collision gas (He) was useful to lower the extent of spectral interferences for 56Fe, 52Cr, 63Cu, and 68Zn. An intermediate validation test was performed to evaluate accuracy, achieving recoveries ranging from 90 to 110%. The method was validated in terms of intermediate precision, reproducibility, and trueness, with an expanded uncertainty lower than 15%. Afterward, it was applied to perform the multielemental analysis of 20 PF samples. The concentrations for major analytes were up to 151 µg L−1. Meanwhile,209Bi, 111Cd, 52Cr, 55Mn, 95Mo, 60Ni, 208Pb, 118Sn, and 51V were present at concentrations included within the 1–10 µg L−1 range, while 59Co and 139La were found at concentrations below 1 µg L−1.

Panax notoginseng is an important functional health product, and has been used worldwide because of a wide range of pharmacological activities, of which the taproot is the main edible or medicinal part. However, the technologies for origin discrimination still need to be further studied. In this study, an ICP-MS/MS method for the accurate determination of 49 elements was established, whereby the instrumental detection limits (LODs) were between 0.0003 and 7.716 mg/kg, whereas the quantification limits (LOQs) were between 0.0011 and 25.7202 mg/kg, recovery of the method was in the range of 85.82% to 104.98%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were lower than 10%. Based on the content of multi-element in P. notoginseng (total of 89 mixed samples), the discriminant models of origins and cultivation models were accurately determined by the neural networks (prediction accuracy was 0.9259 and area under ROC curve was 0.9750) and the support vector machine algorithm (both 1.0000), respectively. The discriminant models established in this study could be used to support transparency and traceability of supply chains of P. notoginseng and thus avoid the fraud of geographic identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sichuan pickle is one of popular traditional fermented foods in China. However, the contamination of heavy metals in Sichuan pickle, particularly home‐made Sichuan pickle and aged pickle brine, is little known. Therefore, the content of trace (Cr, Cu, and Zn) and toxic elements (As, Pb, and Cd) in Sichuan industrial pickle (SIP), Sichuan home‐made pickle (SHP), and aged pickle brine collected from local markets and families in Sichuan province, respectively, was detected by inductively coupled plasma–tandem mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS/MS) and the health risk was assessed by target hazard quotients including target hazard quotient (THQ) and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ). Consequently, the mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, and Cd were 0.122, 0.540, 2.516, 0.023, 0.015, and 0.106 mg/kg in SIP and 0.071, 0.364, 2.698, 0.014, 0.015, and 0.289 mg/kg in SHP, respectively, lower than the maximum allowable concentrations set by Chinese regulations, except for Cr and Cd in few samples. Principal component analysis of the heavy metal content could obviously distinguish between SIP and SHP. The content of As, Pb, and Cd in leaf pickles was significantly higher than that in pickles fermented with other types of vegetables. A significant enrichment of heavy metals in aged pickle brine over 10 years was observed, but pickle jars had no significant effect on heavy metal content in aged pickle brine. The intake of heavy metals through daily consumption of SIP and SHP was at a safe level, whereas the TTHQ of leaf pickle was 1.006, indicating a potential health risk. In conclusion, this study provided fundamental data for food safety assurance of Sichuan pickle. Practical Application: Sichuan pickle is one of popular traditional fermented foods in China. In the present study, we investigated the contamination of heavy metals in Sichuan pickles by detecting the content of Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in Sichuan industrial pickle, Sichuan home‐made pickle, and aged pickle brine, and estimated the health risk to local residents. This study can provide a reference for the safety risk of Sichuan industrial and home‐made pickle in terms of heavy metal contamination, and enhance the food safety in the processing, production, and consumption of Sichuan pickle in local families and pickle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for determining the platinum‐group elements (PGEs) and rhenium (Re) in archaeological bronzes was developed. For 20 mg of sample, detection limits of 0.07 (Re) to 1.4 (palladium; Pd) ng g–1 were achieved. The method was tested on standards and compared with measurements determined by the PGEs via matrix separation. The method was applied to 45 samples from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. In the process, the PGEs provided no further information for the Bronze Age samples. The samples from the Hallstatt and La Tène Period show increased contents of Pd and platinum (Pt). These contents distinguished the samples from all other samples and give an important indication of the possible ores used. Three groups can be distinguished in the Middle Ages by their Pd and Pt contents. One group falls into the field of Bronze Age samples. The other two groups have significantly higher Pd and Pt contents. One group has higher Pd than Pt contents, while the other group has exactly the opposite. In a sample, it is possible that the high contents of Pd and other PGEs indicate the use of copper shale in the Eisenach area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, using ICP-MS/MS, the 234U, 235U, 236U, and 238U in the sediment samples from coastal region, Bangladesh, were measured as 5.13–5.48, 0.234–0.252, (2.70–4.59) × 10–5, and 4.92–5.31 Bq kg−1, and the 236U/238U atom ratios were (2.87–4.57) × 10–8, indicating the predominate influence of global fallout on 236U. For the rock samples from hilly area, the corresponding concentrations were much higher as 18.7–4023, 0.902–173, 9.58 × 10–5–1.29 × 10–2, and 18.8–2279 Bq kg−1, but the 236U/238U atom ratios were in the same range of (1.52–3.04) × 10–8, indicating the 236U was primarily due to the natural nuclear reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenophosphate is an important intermediate for selenoprotein synthesis. Despite its biological significance, the existence of selenophosphate in in vivo samples has not been corroborated by instrumental analyses, such as NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. In this study, we synthesized selenophosphate and subjected it to detailed structural analyses, including 31P NMR, 77Se NMR, and LC-ICP-MS/MS analyses. We confirmed that the structural information of the chemically synthesized selenophosphate was consistent with that of the product biologically synthesized by SelD, a bacterial selenophosphate synthetase. Based on these results, the structure of the SelD product was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a method was established for the speciation of six selenium species by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS/MS). The factors affecting separation were carefully investigated, including ionic strength, pH, and methanol content. Six species of selenium could be completely separated within 20 min, under the mobile phase of 25 mM citric acid in pH = 4.0 containing 2% methanol. The detection limits of selenite (Se(IV)), selenate (Se(VI)), selenomethionine (SeMet), selenocystine (SeCys2), methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys), and selenoethionine (SeEt) were 0.04, 0.02, 0.05, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.15 ng mL−1, respectively. To verify the practicality of this method, the analysis of selenium-enriched foods such as selenium-enriched spring water, selenium-enriched salts, and selenium-enriched tea were conducted, and recovery of 93.7–105% was achieved with RSD < 5%, revealing the high practical utility of the proposed method.

The effect of ion kinetic energy on gas phase ion reactivity with ICP-MS/MS was investigated in order to explore tuning strategies for interference removal. The collision/reaction gases CO 2 , N 2 O and O 2 were used to observe the ion product distribution for 48 elements using an Agilent tandem ICP-MS (ICP-MS/MS) as a function of reaction gas flow rate (pressure) and ion kinetic energy. The kinetic energy of the incident ion was varied by adjusting the octopole bias (V oct). The three gases all form oxides (MO+) as the primary product with differing reaction enthalpies that result in distinct differences in the ion energies required for reaction with product ion distributions that vary with Voct. Consequently, by varying the ion kinetic energy (i.e., V oct), differences in interference reactivity can be used to achieve maximum separation. Three practical application examples were reported to demonstrate how the ion kinetic energy can be varied to achieve the ideal ion product distribution for interference resolution: CO 2 for the removal of 238U in Pu analyses, CO 2 for the removal of 40Ar16O vs. 56Fe, and O 2 for the removal of Sm in Eu analyses, analogous to Pu/Am. The results demonstrate how the starting ion energy defined by V oct is an important factor to fully leverage the utility of any given reaction gas to remove interferences in the mass spectrum using ICP-MS/MS. [Display omitted] • Discussion on the utility of varying incident ion kinetic energy. • Ion kinetic energy variation of 48 elements for interference removal investigation. • Detection limit of 39 and 0.02 pg g−1 calculated for 238Pu and 239Pu, respectively. • Interference removal of 40Ar16O+ on 56Fe analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine concentrations above 1 mg kg−1 in lipid feedstocks for biofuel production can generate corrosion issues in the different refining units as well as catalyst deactivation by clogging or fouling. To reach accurate analyses by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques at low concentration levels, dilution in organic solvents rises as a simpler and more straightforward sample preparation methodology than conventional sample decomposition procedures (e.g. , microwave-assisted acid digestion). However, matrix effects and the impact of the Cl chemical form on the signal must be overcome to obtain accurate results. In this work, the high temperature torch integrated sample introduction system (hTISIS) operated at 350 °C is coupled to an inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) for the determination of Cl in lipid biofuel feedstock samples diluted in xylene and these results are compared with those reported by a conventional sample introduction system. Under optimal conditions of the hTISIS-ICP-MS/MS configuration, matrix effects are efficiently overcome (recovery values ranged from 101 to 104%) as well as the effect of the Cl chemical form on the signal for 6 organochloride compounds. Thus, an external calibration approach can be set to carry out the quantification of this element in real samples. The method is successfully validated, obtaining a good agreement in the Cl concentration reported in a standard reference material (SRM NIST 1634c) and also by comparing the concentration results obtained by external calibration and standard addition approaches in two biofuel feedstock samples. The hTISIS coupled to an ICP-MS/MS system is used for the first time to overcome not only matrix effects but also the impact of the Cl chemical form in biofuel feedstock samples. This novel method, with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 7.1 μg kg−1, give access to an accurate Cl determination in all kind of lipid feedstocks for clean fuel production. [Display omitted] • Coupling of a total sample introduction system (hTISIS) to an ICP-MS/MS. • Matrix effect mitigation in biofuel lipid feedstock samples. • Overcoming the effect of Cl chemical form on the analyte sensitivy. • Simple and accurate Cl determination by external calibration approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of local and imported bottled water in Canada has greatly increased during the past three decades. While the presence of natural radioactivity is often overlooked when dealing with the water quality of these bottled products, it could contribute substantially to the uptake of radionuclides especially when sourced from regions with higher radioactivity levels compared to where it is consumed. In this study, the activity of several naturally occurring radionuclides (i.e., 210Po, 226,228Ra, 230,232Th, 234,235,238U) were measured in bottled water available in Québec, Canada after sample pretreatment and analysis by either radiometric or mass spectrometry approaches. 230,232Th and 228Ra concentrations were below minimum detectable activity levels in all samples tested. Analytical results for 234U, 235U, 238U, and 226Ra showed concentrations that ranged from 0.38 to 115 mBq/L, (2.2–313) x 10−2 mBq/L, 0.48–58.4 mBq/L, and 1.1–550 mBq/L, respectively. 210Po was detected in only 5 samples and its activity ranged from 2 to 26 mBq/L. To determine variability in activity within brands, the same brands of bottled water were purchased during two consecutive years and analyzed. The possible radiological impact of the consumption of these types of water was assessed based on different drinking habit scenarios. Some of the imported water brands showed higher activity concentrations than local sources or tap water, suggesting that individuals drinking predominantly imported bottled water would receive a higher radiation dose than those who drink mainly local water. • Naturally occurring radionuclides (210Po, 226Ra, 228Ra 230Th, 232Th, 234U, 235U and 238U) were measured in 15 bottled water brands available in Québec City, as well as in municipal tap water. • Temporal analyses were done by sampling the bottled water in two separate periods in two consecutive years. • The analyses revealed variations in U and Ra activities, demonstrating the need to routinely monitor each radionuclide. • In most samples, 226Ra was the major contributor to dose and calculated committed doses were systematically higher for younger individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax notoginseng is an important functional health product, and has been used worldwide because of a wide range of pharmacological activities, of which the taproot is the main edible or medicinal part. However, the technologies for origin discrimination still need to be further studied. In this study, an ICP-MS/MS method for the accurate determination of 49 elements was established, whereby the instrumental detection limits (LODs) were between 0.0003 and 7.716 mg/kg, whereas the quantification limits (LOQs) were between 0.0011 and 25.7202 mg/kg, recovery of the method was in the range of 85.82% to 104.98%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were lower than 10%. Based on the content of multi-element in P. notoginseng (total of 89 mixed samples), the discriminant models of origins and cultivation models were accurately determined by the neural networks (prediction accuracy was 0.9259 and area under ROC curve was 0.9750) and the support vector machine algorithm (both 1.0000), respectively. The discriminant models established in this study could be used to support transparency and traceability of supply chains of P. notoginseng and thus avoid the fraud of geographic identification.

The feasibility of using inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) to overcome spectral overlaps in the determination of non-metallic elements was investigated. The contents of Si, P, S, Cl, Br, and I in herbal tea were determined by using ICP-MS/MS after microwave digestion. In the MS/MS mode, O2 and H2 were consecutively used as reaction gases. Low background equivalent concentration (BEC) and limit of detection (LOD) of analytes were obtained when using O2 mass shift, H2 mass shift, and H2 on-mass methods. The LODs for Si, P, S, Cl, Br, and I were 0.41, 0.048, 0.34, 0.76, 0.055, and 0.007 μg L−1, respectively. Standard reference materials NIST SRM 1515 (apple leaves) and NIST SRM 1547 (peach leaves) were used to evaluate the accuracy of the analytical method. The developed method was used to analyze 20 herbal teas. The ranges of values for Si, P, S, Cl, Br, and I in herbal tea were 236–4100, 1830–4360, 1290–3850, 335–4620, 0.86–8.21, and 0.091–0.65 μg g−1, respectively. The results showed that several non-metallic elements essential for the human body might be obtained by drinking herbal tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new HCl-free chromatographic separation procedure has been developed for sequential separation of Zr and Mo from concrete matrices for selective measurement of 93Zr and 93Mo by ICP-MS/MS. The recoveries of greater than 90% for Zr and Mo from concretes could be achieved. The measurement condition was optimized for complete suppression of interferences from 93Nb and peak tailing from abundant isotopes of Zr and Mo in concrete matrices. The removal of interferences was verified by measurement of radio-contamination-free concretes used as a sample matrix blank. Method detection limits of 1.7 mBq g− 1 and 0.2 Bq g− 1 were achieved for, respectively, 93Zr and 93Mo in the concrete matrices. The interference removal factor for Nb (equivalent to the decontamination factor in radiochemical separation) was of the order of 105, and the abundance sensitivity was of the order of 10─8, indicating that the developed method is reliable for verifying the presence of ultralow concentrations of 93Zr and 93Mo. The present method is suitable for the rapid assessment of 93Zr and 93Mo for radioactivity inventory of concrete rubble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients receiving long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) treatment are at risk of developing metabolic bone diseases (MBDs). The bone compartment serves as a repository for a range of metal(loid)s that are administered intravenously to patients via PN solutions. Thus, the mineral composition of patient bones may be linked to the development of MBDs in this group.Methods: We measured 12 elements in bone samples obtained post mortem from 7 long-term (2-21 years) PN patients and 18 control bones obtained from hip/knee replacement surgery. The samples were cleaned, digested, and subsequently analyzed using a method based on inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry.Results: Compared with the control group, bones obtained from PN patients were significantly (P < 0.05) depleted in calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), chromium, and strontium and enriched in manganese (Mn), zinc, barium, cadmium (Cd), and uranium (U). No differences were observed for cobalt or lead.Conclusions: Depletion of major components of bone mineral (Ca, P, and Mg) and enrichment in known toxicants (Cd, Mn, U) are concerns for PN patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to use natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) as an extractant for fractionation of compounds of selected elements from young barley and to compare it with the fractionation of elements from certified element materials. The use of such a comparison made it possible to prove the possibility of extracting the same forms of elements (species) from different materials, which confirmed the option of using NADES as extractants in speciation analysis. The research was conducted with hyphenated techniques—separation by high-performance chromatography coupled to an isotope-specific detector, mass spectrometry (MS) with ionization in inductively coupled plasma (ICP)—which are widely used in speciation analysis. Natural deep eutectic solvents also help introduce Green Analytical Chemistry principles (GAC). According to the results of our studies, the use of different NADES permit the extraction of various metals from a single sample. Moreover, using other natural solvents of eutectic properties helps extract different species of a given metal.

A method for the analysis of essential metals (Fe, Cu, Mg, and Zn) and non-metals (P, S) in single red blood cells was developed by single cell (SC)-ICP-MS. The use of a triple quadrupole configuration (MS/MS) enabled an effective elimination of polyatomic interferences, which affect the accuracy of ICP-MS analysis using a single quadrupole mass analyzer. Fixation with glutaraldehyde for at least 90 days was developed to improve the quantification of elements in a single red blood cell. The experimental conditions were optimized while special attention was paid to the residence time of analytes in the plasma. Addition of a surfactant (0.05% (v/v) Tween80®) improved quantification of elements in fixed red blood cells. The detection limits obtained by SC-ICP-MS/MS were lower than for ICP-MS, especially for S and P (3 fg and 1.7 fg. cell-1 instead of 163 and 6.3 fg. cell-1, respectively). [Display omitted] • ICP-MS/MS outperformed ICP-MS in single red blood cell analysis. • Red blood cells were preserved by fixation with glutaraldehyde for 90 days prior to analysis. • Addition of a surfactant reduced the difference in response between sample and standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae can be used in different branches of industry, including cosmetology, pharmaceutics and the food industry, information on their ability to accumulate different elements becomes more important. The microalgae biomass grown in the media enriched in elements can increase the accumulation of different ions and give a possibility to control the contents of the various elements. The aim of the study was to determine the total content of metals in microalgae by tandem mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS/MS) and analysis of the contents of particular metals as a function of the type of microalgae and conditions of cultivation. As the adverse effects of metals on the health of humans and animals have been well-documented and the use of microalgae has increased, the knowledge of metal contents in them is of particular importance in control of their quality. Analysis of results permitted distinction of three main groups of microalgae with similar total metal content levels. Moreover, the results revealed the ways of stimulating more significant accumulation of selected elements (for example, Se concentration in control algae 0.279 µg g−1, in the algae cultivated in enriched medium – 219.7 µg g−1). They indicated the possible correlations between the accumulation of different ions. The result obtained shows a significant effect of metal accumulation and has a considerable impact on the differentiation of Arthrospira platensis grown in the medium enriched in different elements (selenium, zinc, chromium) (p ≤ 0.05). Particular impact on the content of selected elements had the conditions of cultivation (type of support) and the microalgae species. Although the one species as the most significant source of selected elements cannot be indicated, it is possible to control the accumulation by the composition of the medium. • The microalgae's ability to accumulate essential elements has become a trendy environmental and food tool. • Rich in selected elements, microalgae have been presented as a novel food. • Analytical techniques for the determination of elements and conditions of cultivation are presented. • Controlling the accumulation of elements by microalgae helps cultivate a species as a great source of essential elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]