Microwave Digestion Archive

Let’s take a more detailed look at the cost of analysis comparison between a dedicated mercury analyzer and one using Direct Mercury Analysis. It’s also worth noting that there are three approved methods using this approach - EPA Method 7473 for solid samples and liquids, ASTM method D-7623-10 for total mercury in crude oil using combustion gold amalgamation and cold vapor atomic absorption method and ASTM 6722-01 for coal combustion products.

At Lincoln University, Mercury determination was a challenging task when working with ICP-based techniques and CVAA. the DMA- 80 poses a unique advantage of a straight-forward operation that has allowed for an easy integration into several teaching courses at Lincoln University.

The determination of trace levels of Hg is a must and frequently measurements are performed by converting Hg to a vapor and measuring its concentration either by atomic absorption or by atomic fluorescence. DMA-80 Direct Mercury Analyser has proved its superb performance in applications for a plethora of samples, such as animal tissues, atmospheric particulate, coal, fish, hair, sediments, soils, vaccines, etc. Even speciation analysis could be performed when associating the DMA-80 with a proper extraction procedure.

Recently published on Spectroscopy, this column describes the work of Professor Luis Fernandez and his team in the Department of Biology at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina, who are leading a project to study the effects of illegal artisanal gold mining using mercury amalgamation extraction on the human and environmental ecosystem of Peru’s Madre de Dios region of the Amazon.

With the DMA-80 evo, you get the right results the first time, every time.

Learn how to achieve consistency in sample preparation to ensure low blank levels in trace metal determinationIn recent decades, significant strides have been made in enhancing the productivity, quality, and safety of the sample preparation processes, particularly focusing on the digestion step to improve efficiency. However, certain aspects of the sample preparation workflow still possess room for improvement, such as acid supply, reagent addition, vessel handling, and cleaning. In this study, we will explore how the implementation of Milestone easyFILL, an automated dosing system, can effectively overcome safety concerns and ensures consistency of result in sample preparation workflow for trace metal determination.

How often should I clean my digestion vessels? What are some common mistakes to avoid when cleaning digestion vessels? What are the steps involved in cleaning a digestion vessel? Learn how to reduce sample prep contamination by an effective cleaning of items used in ultra-trace analysis

Purify your own HF, HNO3 and HCl acids with the Milestone subCLEAN system is the smarter choice for your lab. Low cost, low grade acid is automatically loaded into the distillation container where it is gently heated below its boiling temperature using a sub-boiling technique. High purity acid vapours rapidly condense into a collection bottle by forced air cooling meaning that no chiller is required either.

The analytical instrument is just one component in achieving the lowest limits of detection using plasma spectrochemistry. The other critical area that puts significant demands on a laboratory’s overall detection capability is to ensure that the sample preparation procedure does not contribute any additional sources of contamination.