Teledyne Leeman Labs Blog

In this edition of the blog, we will continue to examine various methods of sample preparation.

Dry Ashing

Samples containing a high percentage of organic matter (biologicals and foodstuffs, for example) can be prepared by a procedure known as "dry ashing" With this technique, an amount of sample is heated in a crucible over a flame or in a muffle furnace. The use of a muffle furnace is preferred as it permits greater control of the temperature. The sample residue is then dissolved, and the analysis is performed.

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This is part 2 of the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry series.  Part 1 described what ICP-OES is and how it works.  Part 2 will be an overview and cover some of the components.

Overview

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) is a multi-element, trace-analysis technique used to measure the concentration of various elements in a variety of sample matrices. Also known as Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), the technique is capable of measuring the majority of the elements in the Periodic Table and is currently one of the most widely used methods for elemental analysis today.

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A majority of samples analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) are introduced to the instrument as solutions. Sample preparation for analysis by ICP-OES may be as simple as filtering and adding acid to a liquid sample or be a lengthy, complex procedure to dissolve a solid. In order to obtain the best possible analytical results, an appropriate technique must be used to convert the sample into a usable solution. Part 1 and 2 of this blog will briefly examine some of the more commonly used sample preparation techniques, and highlight their respective advantages and disadvantages.

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Selecting the right ICP requires consideration of analytical requirements, available technologies, manufacturer specific features and benefits, estimation of current and future sample loads (as well as the number of
elements determined), warranty and service offerings, and instrument cost vs return on investment (including the cost of analysis). While it can be difficult to navigate industry terminology, the answer to what ICP fits your needs, is not difficult to determine.

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Less than 40 years ago in 1978, the Communist dictator of Romania ordered the 400 families living in the small village of Geamana to leave their homes so that the country could build a copper mine. Unfortunately, the people did not have much choice as the village was to become an artificial lake for the toxic waste from the Rosia Poieni, one of Europe’s largest copper mines. The water that covers Geamana is laced with cyanide and other chemicals, making the area uninhabitable. Recently, the website Roadtrippers published several pictures from the abandoned village.

Unfortunately, the fate of Geamana is not uncommon. In the United States, the area around Treece, Kansas and Picher, Oklahoma was ranked in 1981 by the Environmental Protection Agency as the most contaminated in the country. The contamination was the result of extensive lead and zinc mining. In the 1920s, the area was the number one producer of the elements in the United States, supplying the metals for ammunition during the World Wars. While the metals were extracted, the waste was piled up around the town into mounds of contaminated gravel that still litter the landscape. A New York Times article from May 2012, describe the conditions:

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