Dionex™ Aquion™ with degas bundle for anion analysis - FAQs

Any of the Thermo Scientific Dionex IC systems can be used in conjunction with the iCAP RQ ICP-MS system. Visit our site to see all system configurations (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/chromatography/ion-chromatography-ic/ic-icp-ms-speciation-analyzer.html)

The following are some of the most common analytes screened by speciation analysis:
• Arsenic
• Chromium
• Iodide
• Mercury

Visit our Speciation Analysis by IC-ICP-MS page to view our application note videos where our scientists walk through speciation analysis of example analytes:
• Speciation Analysis of Arsenic in Organic Brown Rice Syrup using the Thermo Scientific iCAP-Q ICP-MS
• Chromium Speciation Analysis in Drinking Water by IC-ICP-MS
• Analysis of Arsenic Species in Apple Juice by IC-ICP-MS

IC-ICP-MS provides a complete inorganic elemental analysis solution for speciation analysis.
• Metal-free ion chromatography (IC) separates the individual ionic species without contributing trace metal contamination
• Ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) performs trace elemental detection and quantification

Metal-free IC (with high resolution ion exchange columns and simple online connectivity) together with high sensitivity ICP-MS and integrated software are a powerful combination for fast and efficient metal speciation. Visit our Speciation Analysis by IC-ICP-MS page to see our scientists discuss real-life examples and benefits of combining IC and ICP-MS workflows for speciation analysis.

Speciation analysis has become important for food, environmental, and pharmaceutical industries, where simply measuring the total amount of an element is insufficient. Identifying the different species and concentrations of those species provides a more informed understanding of the environmental or health related impact associated with a particular sample. The clinical or environmental approach would be very different depending on the concentration of the toxic species. For example, an exposure to toxic inorganic arsenic (arsenite and arsenate) is a much bigger concern than an exposure to the mildly toxic organic arsenic species. In contrast, organic mercury species are more toxic than inorganic mercury species, so an exposure to methylmercury or ethylmercury poses a more severe health risk.

Speciation analysis is the process of separating and quantifying different molecular versions of a compound, which can exhibit very different physiochemical properties, including varying toxicities.