Thermo Fisher Scientific Develops Hydride Generation AA Solution for Accurate Analysis of Mercury in Fish
CAMBRIDGE, UK. (January 22, 2009) - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced the publication of a new application note demonstrating the capability of the Thermo Scientific iCE 3000 Series AA spectrometers and Thermo Scientific VP100 vapor generation accessory to accurately detect trace levels of mercury in fish. Mercury is a significant environmental toxin that is capable of entering the marine food chain. The consumption of contaminated fish is the main route of human exposure to mercury, which can prove fatal. The application note entitled "Accurate analysis of low levels of mercury in fish by hydride generation AA", gives details of the reagents, sample preparation and instrument conditions needed to accurately analyze low levels of mercury. It is available to download free-of-charge via the literature library at www.thermo.com/ice
Growing concerns about the possible presence of this toxic chemical in the food supply chain have led to tighter restrictions on its presence in the food we eat. Countries and organizations around the world have developed regulations that enforce maximum concentrations of mercury in fish of approximately 0.5 mg/kg wet weight. Coupled with the VP100 vapor generation accessory, the iCE 3000 Series AA spectrometers are capable of reaching detection limits of 0.014 mg/kg. The sensitivity and precision of this configuration easily meets the detection limits detailed in all current international guidelines. Standards in this application were prepared from a 1000 ppm (mg/L) mercury standard solution and the results demonstrated excellent linearity up to 100 ppb, equivalent to 20 mg/kg in a fish sample.
The speed and efficiency of the VP100 allows the analysis of a sample approximately every 90 seconds, while the ease-of-use of the iCE 3000 Series AA allows further method optimization, providing full control over the analysis. In addition, this combination allows users to analyze mercury samples more easily and cost-effectively, compared with more complex and expensive techniques, such as HPLC-ICP-MS or GC-ICP-MS.
The iCE 3000 Series range of AA spectrometers combine high-precision optics and state-of-the-art design to provide unrivalled analytical performance, while the VP100 offers fast, repeatable and robust analysis. The iCE 3000 Series AA operates on the intuitive Thermo Scientific iCE SOLAAR software platform. The SOLAAR software is easy-to-use and gives step-by-step instructions to allow quick set-up and easy optimization of the analyses.
For more information on the iCE 3000 Series AA spectrometers, please call +1 800-532-4752, email analyze@thermofisher.com or alternatively please visit www.thermo.com/trace
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About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With annual revenues of $10 billion, we have more than 30,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com.
For further press information please contact:
Celine Callender, The Scott Partnership, 1 Whiteside, Station Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire CW4 8AA, United Kingdom Tel: + 44 1477 539 539 Fax: +44 1477 539 540 E-mail: thermo@scottpr.com Website: www.scottpr.com
Secondary Contact Information:
Jenny Rowland
+44 1606 548779
Jenny.rowland@thermofisher.com
