Determination of the Transport Efficiency in spICP-MS Analysis Using Conventional Sample Introduction Systems: An Interlaboratory Comparison Study
Otmar Geiss,
Ivana Bianchi,
Guillaume Bucher,
Eveline Verleysen,
Frédéric Brassinne,
Jan Mast,
Katrin Loeschner,
Lucas Givelet,
Francesco Cubadda,
Francesca Ferraris,
Andrea Raggi,
Francesca Iacoponi,
Ruud Peters,
Anna Undas,
Alexandra Müller,
Ann-Katrin Meinhardt,
Birgit Hetzer,
Volker Gräf,
Antonio R. Montoro Bustos,
Josefa Barrero-Moreno
Affiliations
Otmar Geiss
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy
Ivana Bianchi
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy
Guillaume Bucher
Service Commun des Laboratoires (SCL), 33608 Pessac, France
Eveline Verleysen
Sciensano, Trace Elements and Nanomaterials, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
Frédéric Brassinne
Sciensano, Trace Elements and Nanomaterials, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
Jan Mast
Sciensano, Trace Elements and Nanomaterials, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
Katrin Loeschner
Division for Food Technology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
Lucas Givelet
Division for Food Technology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
Francesco Cubadda
Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Francesca Ferraris
Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Andrea Raggi
Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Francesca Iacoponi
Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Ruud Peters
Wageningen Food Safety Research, Part of Wageningen University & Research, Business Unit Contaminants & Toxicology, 6708 Wageningen, The Netherlands
Anna Undas
Wageningen Food Safety Research, Part of Wageningen University & Research, Business Unit Contaminants & Toxicology, 6708 Wageningen, The Netherlands
Alexandra Müller
Max Rubner-Institut (MRI), Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Department of Food Technology and Bioprocess Engineering, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Ann-Katrin Meinhardt
Max Rubner-Institut (MRI), Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Department of Food Technology and Bioprocess Engineering, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Birgit Hetzer
Max Rubner-Institut (MRI), Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Department of Food Technology and Bioprocess Engineering, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Volker Gräf
Max Rubner-Institut (MRI), Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Department of Food Technology and Bioprocess Engineering, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Antonio R. Montoro Bustos
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
Josefa Barrero-Moreno
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy
In single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS), the transport efficiency is fundamental for the correct determination of both particle number concentration and size. In the present study, transport efficiency was systematically determined on three different days with six carefully characterised gold nanoparticle (AuNP) suspensions and in seven European and US expert laboratories using different ICP-MS instruments and spICP-MS software. Both particle size—(TES)—and particle frequency—(TEF)—methods were applied. The resulting transport efficiencies did not deviate much under ideal conditions. The TEF method however systematically resulted in lower transport efficiencies. The extent of this difference (0–300% rel. difference) depended largely on the choice and storage conditions of the nanoparticle suspensions used for the determination. The TES method is recommended when the principal measurement objective is particle size. If the main aim of the measurement is the determination of the particle number concentration, the TEF approach could be preferred as it might better account for particle losses in the sample introduction system.
