Episode 1 of The Lab Report: Water Contamination Analysis Using ICP-OES (US EPA Method 200.7)

Summary

In this lab report, Paul Krampitz explores the analysis of water using an ICP plasma spectrometer, revealing the presence of various elements. The process involves heating water with an argon plasma to convert it into a gaseous mixture, which is then analyzed for elemental composition. The ICP system's high resolution and multicomponent spectral fitting technique address complex spectral interferences and background corrections. The technology is highlighted for its efficiency in environmental laboratories, offering a significant productivity boost and adherence to EPA standards for water and wastewater analysis.

Takeaways

• 🔬 The video discusses the analysis of water using an ICP plasma spectrometer to determine the presence of different elements.
• 🔥 A heat source is required for water analysis, with the script mentioning butane lighters and commercial flames like welding torches, but emphasizing the need for even hotter sources like argon plasma.
• 🌌 Argon plasma is used in the Optima ICP system, which is a hot, ionized gas with electrons, maintained by an induced magnetic field, capable of reaching temperatures hotter than the Sun's surface.
• 💧 When water is introduced into the plasma, it quickly converts from liquid to gas, releasing a gaseous mixture of elements originally in the water sample.
• 🌌 The electrons in the elements' orbitals get excited by the plasma and emit photons when they return to lower energy levels, which are then separated by wavelength in the ICP spectrometer.
• 📊 The ICP system correlates the signal from the emitted photons to a known calibration standard to quantify the metals present in the water.
• 🔄 The script mentions the importance of rinsing out tubing between samples to avoid contamination, and the use of a fast valve to reduce the rinse time significantly.
• ⏱️ The ESI fast system mentioned in the script can halve the sample-to-sample time, which is beneficial for environmental laboratories that bill per sample.
• 🧬 The complexity of the spectrum when analyzing multiple elements is highlighted, with the potential for emission lines to overlap and interfere with the analytes of interest.
• 🛠️ The Optima system is noted for having the best resolution for a simultaneous ICP system and employs a technique called multicomponent spectral fitting (MSF) to handle complex backgrounds and spectral interferences.
• 🏥 MSF is an EPA-approved method that models noise components and increases detection limits, making ICP an excellent technique for analyzing water and wastewater according to EPA 200.71222 standards.

Q & A

What causes the characteristic blue color when copper is in solution?

Copper in solution has a characteristic blue color because it absorbs most of the red portion of the spectrum, leaving the blue portion to be seen.

What is an ICP plasma spectrometer and how is it used in water analysis?

An ICP plasma spectrometer is an analytical instrument that uses a hot ionized Argon plasma to convert liquid water samples into a gaseous mixture of elements. It then measures the wavelengths of light emitted by these elements to determine their concentrations in the water.

Why is a heat source needed for the analysis of water using an ICP plasma spectrometer?

A heat source is needed to create a plasma, which is a hot ionized gas that can break down water into its constituent elements. This process allows for the analysis of these elements' concentrations in the water sample.

What is the temperature of the plasma used in the Optima ICP system?

The plasma used in the Optima ICP system reaches temperatures of 10,000 degrees Kelvin or hotter, which is hotter than the surface temperature of the Sun.

How does the ICP system handle the complex spectrum of elements in water samples?

The ICP system uses a technique called multicomponent spectral fitting (MSF), which is a deconvolution technique combined with CMAN filtering to handle complex backgrounds and spectral interferences.

What is the significance of the fast valve system used in the ICP auto sampler?

The fast valve system in the ICP auto sampler reduces the rinse time for the tubing from about 90 seconds to 7 to 10 seconds, which significantly improves productivity, especially for environmental laboratories.

How does the ICP system separate the emitted photons from the elements in the plasma?

The ICP system separates the emitted photons by their wavelength using optics inside the instrument, which then correlates the signal to a known calibration standard or concentration.

What is the EPA approved method for analyzing complex matrices in water samples?

The EPA approved method for analyzing complex matrices in water samples is multicomponent spectral fitting (MSF), which is used to handle complex backgrounds and spectral interferences.

What are the benefits of using an ICP system for water and wastewater analysis?

ICP systems offer excellent resolution, handle complex spectra, and provide lower detection limits. They are also in full compliance with EPA 200.71222, making them an excellent choice for water and wastewater analysis.

How does the ICP system improve the analysis of drinking water and waste?

The ICP system simplifies the analysis of drinking water and waste by conforming to EPA 200.71222, which includes all necessary lines, QC checks, and calibration standards.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Analyzing Water with ICP Plasma Spectrometer

This paragraph introduces the concept of analyzing water for different elements using an ICP plasma spectrometer. The video script explains how various elements in water have characteristic colors due to the absorption of light, using copper as an example. The host, Paul Krampitz, welcomes viewers to the lab report and describes the process of using an ICP system, which involves a heat source hotter than a commercial flame, to convert water into a gaseous mixture of elements. The plasma, a mix of ionized argon gas and electrons, is created by an induced magnetic field and can reach temperatures exceeding 10,000 Kelvin. The script also touches on the process of how elements emit photons when their electrons return to lower energy levels after being excited by the plasma, and how these photons are separated by wavelength to quantify the metals present in the water. The importance of rinsing the system's tubing between samples to avoid contamination is highlighted, and the use of a fast valve to reduce rinse time is explained. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the ESI fast system, which can halve sample-to-sample time, benefiting environmental laboratories by increasing productivity.

05:02

🌐 Advanced Techniques for Spectral Analysis in Water

The second paragraph delves into the complexities of spectral analysis when dealing with multiple elements in water samples. It discusses the challenge of overlapping emission lines from various elements, which can complicate the analysis. The Optima ICP system is introduced as having the best resolution on the market for a simultaneous ICP system, capable of handling complex backgrounds and spectral interferences through a technique called multicomponent spectral fitting (MSF). MSF is an advanced method that combines matrix deconvolution with CMAN filtering, an EPA-approved method for addressing complex matrices. This technique models noise components and significantly improves detection limits. The paragraph also mentions the application of ICP in environmental analysis, specifically for water and wastewater, and its compliance with EPA 200.71222, which includes all necessary quality checks and calibration standards. The script concludes by emphasizing the ease of following the EPA's guidelines for drinking water and waste analysis, making the process more accessible for analysts.

Keywords

💡ICP plasma spectrometer

An ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) plasma spectrometer is an analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of a sample. It involves atomizing the sample into a plasma, which then emits light that is characteristic of the elements present. In the video, the ICP spectrometer is used to analyze water samples, providing insights into the different elements present and their concentrations.

💡Argon plasma

Argon plasma is a hot, ionized gas used in the ICP spectrometer. It is created and maintained by an induced magnetic field and can reach temperatures of 10,000 Kelvin, which is hotter than the surface of the Sun. The plasma is crucial for the analysis process as it converts the liquid water sample into a gaseous mixture of elements, which can then be analyzed.

💡Electron excitation

Electron excitation refers to the process where electrons in an atom absorb energy and jump to a higher energy level. In the context of the video, when the elements in the water sample hit the plasma, their electrons are excited, and upon returning to their original energy levels, they emit photons. This emission is what the ICP spectrometer measures to determine the elements present in the sample.

💡Photon

A photon is a quantum of light that carries energy. In the video, the energy emitted by electrons returning to their original energy levels after excitation is in the form of photons. The ICP spectrometer measures these photons, which are inversely proportional to the wavelength, to identify and quantify the elements in the water sample.

💡Wavelength

Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive points in a wave that are in the same phase. In the video, the ICP spectrometer separates the emitted photons by their wavelength, which is a characteristic property of the elements. This separation allows for the identification and quantification of the elements in the water sample.

💡Calibration standard

A calibration standard is a known reference material with a defined composition used to calibrate an analytical instrument. In the video, the ICP spectrometer correlates the signal from the sample with that of a known calibration standard to accurately quantify the concentration of metals in the water.

💡Fast valve

A fast valve is a component used in the ICP system to reduce the time required for rinsing the tubing between samples. The video mentions a 1 mil loop that can be rinsed at a rate of about 25 L per minute, significantly reducing the time needed for sample preparation and improving the efficiency of the analysis.

💡Spectral interference

Spectral interference occurs when the emission lines of certain elements overlap or interfere with those of other elements, making it difficult to accurately measure their concentrations. The video explains that the Optima ICP system uses a technique called multicomponent spectral fitting (MSF) to handle both complex backgrounds and spectral interferences.

💡Multicomponent spectral fitting (MSF)

MSF is a technique used to resolve complex spectral interferences in the analysis of samples by an ICP spectrometer. It involves modeling and deconvoluting the overlapping emission lines of different elements to accurately determine their concentrations. The video mentions that the Optima system employs MSF, which is an EPA-approved method for analyzing complex matrices.

💡Environmental Laboratories

Environmental Laboratories are facilities that perform various analyses related to environmental monitoring and protection. The video highlights the importance of reducing sample-to-sample time in these laboratories, as it directly impacts productivity and cost-effectiveness, especially when analyzing a large number of samples.

💡EPA 200.71222

EPA 200.71222 refers to a specific method or standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the analysis of drinking water and wastewater. The video mentions that the ICP system conforms to this standard, which includes all necessary calibration, quality checks, and procedures for accurate analysis.

Highlights

Different elements in water have characteristic colors due to the absorption of certain parts of the spectrum.

Copper's characteristic blue color is due to the absorption of the red portion of the spectrum.

ICP plasma spectrometer is used for analyzing water, requiring a heat source hotter than commercial flames.

Argon plasma is used, which is ionized gas with electrons, maintained by an induced magnetic field.

Plasma temperatures reach over 10,000 Kelvin, hotter than the Sun's surface.

Water introduced into plasma converts quickly into a gaseous mixture of elements.

Elements emit photons when electrons transition back to lower energy levels.

The ICP system separates photons by wavelength to quantify metal concentrations.

The auto sampler system with tubing requires thorough rinsing between samples to prevent contamination.

A fast valve is used to reduce rinsing time, increasing sample analysis efficiency.

Environmental laboratories benefit from reduced sample-to-sample time, increasing productivity.

Complex spectra from multiple elements can overlap or interfere with the analytes of interest.

The Optima system has the best resolution for simultaneous ICP systems and handles complex backgrounds and spectral interferences.

Multicomponent Spectral Fitting (MSF) is an EPA approved method for handling complex matrices.

MSF models noise components, increasing detection limits by two-fold.

ICP is an excellent technique for water and wastewater analysis, conforming to EPA 200.71222.

The report concludes with the potential for increased knowledge and smarter decision-making in the future.

Transcripts

good water ever wonder what's in your

water well different elements whenin

solution have characteristic colors to

them copper has a characteristic blue

color and that's because most of the red

portion of the spectrum is absorbed so

we see blue however we're going to use

this General principle to analyze

different types of elements in different

types of water samples using different

types of analytical Technologies hello

and welcome to the lab report I'm your

host Paul krampitz and today we'll be

talking about the analysis of water

using an ICP plasma spectrometer in

order to do the analysis of water we're

going to need some sort of heat Source

sort of like a lighter here this is a

butane lighter it burns at about 8 to

900° C something like that commercial

Flames that you might be familiar with

like welding and a acetylene torches

they can reach temperatures of 3500 de

kin however we need something even

hotter we're going to be using an argon

plasma like we use on the Optima ICP

system uh the plasma itself is hot

ionized Argon gas with a mixture of

electrons in it maintained by an induced

magnetic field and an induced magnetic

field is probably very similar to the

first experiment you ever did in school

where you took a battery you wrapped it

around a nail and you picked up graphite

shavings what did you do you made an

electromagnet well this whole system

that creates the plasma actually creates

temperatures of 10,000 de Kelvin or

hotter than the surface temperature of

the Sun believe it or not when we

introduce water into the plasma it

quickly converts the liquid into a solid

into a gas so soon you have a gaseous

mixture of elements that were actually

in your water now each one of those

elements has a

nucleus uh surrounded by shells of

electrons when it hits the plasma those

electrons in the different orbitals are

excited and they jump up to a higher

energy level well when they go back down

to other transitions or where they came

from they'll emit The energy they got in

the form of a

photon which is inversely proportional

to the wavelength the Optics inside the

ICP will then separate these photons by

wavelength and then correlates the

signal to that of a known calibration

standard or concentration to quantitate

the metals the ICP system and auto

sampler system has a lot of tubing in

length that is so so you may be able to

see all this tubing here that has to be

rinsed out when you're doing an analysis

so if you're going from a very

concentrated solution to another sample

that doesn't have much of that element

in it you may have an issue right you

may not have rinsed out what's in the

sample prior to what you're doing now so

what we use is something called a fast

valve this application uses a 1 mil Loop

that can be rinsed out at a about 25 L a

minute with a very quick rinse instead

of about 90 seconds to rinse all the

tubing out this system only needs about

7 to 10 seconds to rinse out that Loop

now we used an ESI fast system in this

application note that basically reduces

your sample to sample Time by half now

for Environmental Laboratories that's a

huge productivity gain because you get

paid per sample right the next thing

that you have to worry about when we

were talking about all these different

elements here that we're having this

solution whether it's copper nickel iron

cobalt chrome you have a very complex

Spectrum or can for example just iron

has thousands of emission lines itself

add in Chrome and nickel and others that

have a lot of emission lines and very

soon you have an incredibly complex

complex Spectrum there's a pretty good

chance that those lines are going to

overlap or interfere with the elements

or the analytes of of interest that

you're trying to measure the Optimus

system has the best resolution on the

market for a simultaneous ICP system

besides the excellent resolution of 6

Peters at 200 nanometers that the Optima

has the Optima is also the only unit to

employ a correction that handles both

complex

backgrounds and spectral interferences

at the same time this technique is

called multicomponent spectral fitting

or msf it's basically an MLs

deconvolution technique coupled with

something called cman filtering which

handles very complex backgrounds and

removes that as a component this is an

EPA approved method for 200.71222

that analysts have trouble with us

running complex matrices is to get rid

of all the noise you can have Photon

shot noise you can have all kind kinds

of different noise sources that actually

shows up in your blank while msf models

those noise components out what that

gives you is a two-fold increase in

detection limits or lower detection

limits IP is an excellent work source

technique for Waters and wastewaters and

conforms completely to EPA 200.71222

that includes all the lines all the QC

checks all the calibration uh standards

that you need and is basically a recipe

for you to follow to make it much easier

for you to do 20.7 in the analysis of

drinking

Waters and wastes well that's our report

for this week I hope you learn something

new because you'll be smarter tomorrow

and see you next week

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