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We offer digestion's, microwave, open & closed vessel, vapor generation, chelation, fusion, and more.
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All test methods suffer from some kind of interference which may bias the result in a positive or negative manner. At WCAS we not only offer the latest method for metals analysis, ICPMS, we also offer the latest in sample preparation alternatives to reduce analytical problems and give accurate results. In optical emission (ICP-OES) or atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAA), interferences may be due to substances which emit or absorb light near the same wavelength or cause a high continuum background absorption or emission. In mass spectrometry (ICPMS) interferences may be caused by species formed in the plasma which have the same mass as an analyte, or sample components which enhance or suppress the formation or transmission of analytes from the sample, through the plasma, the interface, lenses, quadrapole, and detector. Usually in ICPMS, interferences are less than with AA or ICP-OES. Interferences from other elements in ICPMS are minimal because all elements except indium have at least one isotope that has a unique mass. Matrix interferences are minimized because the high temperature plasma efficiently atomizes and ionizes practically all sample components. We have extensive experience with all sorts of sample types from air to zeolites, from blood to bullets, and from rocks to reagents. Our philosophy is always to make sample preparation as simple as possible. We test a large variety of certified reference materials to demonstrate accuracy. We offer the following sample preparation alternatives:
• Open vessel digestion in glass or Teflon for simple sample dissolutions.
• Microwave/closed Teflon vessel digestion for samples requiring long digestion times, high pressures, or having volatile analytes.
• Hydride/Vapor Generation for As, Se, Hg, Sb, Sn, and Ge.
• Chelation to separate transition elements from alkali metal salts such as metals in sea water.
• Reductive Precipitation to remove some elements from high concentration salt solutions.
• Fusion to solubilize minerals which are not completely soluble in acid.
Each technique has advantages and disadvantages. For a quotation...
9240 Santa Fe Springs Rd
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670562.948.2225 Fax 562.948.5850
Formerly West Coast Analytical Service (WCAS) and Bodycote Testing Group
