In 1996, Congress directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop ways to measure the effect certain substances may have on the human endocrine system, including evaluating the risk they may pose and, if necessary, take action to protect human health and the environment. As a result, GC/MS analysis or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is […]
IC Analysis Measures Air Pollution
Evaluating health risk from air pollution using advanced monitoring methods, such as ion chromatography, or IC analysis, is the purpose of a research experiment that was launched last month in Kathmandu, Nepal. Environmental health scientist Rick Peltier from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) to measure air pollution metal content […]
Using Chemistry to Create Technicolor Body Scans
Did you know the bright colors you see in CT Scans at the doctor’s office or in medical TV shows are actually added in after the scan for artistic effect? Well that’s about to change. Experts are now using FTIR analysis and computed tomography (CT-scans) to create technicolor, 3D images in which the colors identify […]
Environmental Testing Using Ion Chromatography
Ion Chromatography and Environmental Testing Simple, fast and accurate, ion chromatography is often used for materials analysis in the electronic, industrial, biological, pharmaceutical, chemical and food sectors, where it is utilized to determine and salt content in foods. Being exceedingly versatile, ion chromatography can analyze circuit boards to identify deposits that contribute to shortages, examine plastics for residual cleaning […]
Detecting the Source of Computer Head Crashes
Imagine preparing for a critical presentation tomorrow, only to discover that all of your research is gone! You just experienced a head crash. If you can’t recover the information, it may help you to know that you can use Auger electron spectroscopy to examine the aftermath of a head crash and determine what went wrong. […]
FTIR Analysis of Molds and Bacteria in Factories
Last October, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a shocking report that detailed the hideous conditions inside a Massachusetts pharmaceutical lab, as reported in the New York Times. The lab was the source of a nationwide outbreak of meningitis that killed 25 people, made 313 ill, with as many as 14,000 people having been […]
FTIR Testing Identifies Unknown Materials
One of the inventors of the early telegraph, Dr. David Alter, a nearly forgotten Pennsylvanian, found a fragment of a great mass of very brilliant glass from a glass house, which had been destroyed in the great Pittsburgh Fire of 1845. From this, he made a prism through which he went on to discover Spectrum […]
FTIR Test Sheds Light on How Plants Extract Oxygen From Water
Most of us were exposed to the concept of photosynthesis in our early education. As adults, it’s unlikely that we think much about how the plants that surround us supply us with oxygen. But, if you’re a scientist, you may be intrigued by the complex process plants use to harness the sun’s energy. Recently, Fourier […]
Infrared Spectroscopy Testing From Mars!
In 1877, Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, was making telescopic observations of Mars when he discovered what appeared to be natural features of the Mars surface which he called “canali,” an Italian word meaning “channels.” This term was mistranslated into English as “canals.” Over time, a myth grew that Martians existed who built these canals. Ever […]
Headspace Analysis and Blood Alcohol Test Errors
As any forensic scientist knows, human error can account for inaccurate information, resulting in a flawed interpretation. In cases involving drunken driving, where the blood alcohol content (BAC) of the driver is requested, defense attorneys have been known to challenge what’s called the headspace analysis. Headspace gas chromatography (GC) is a way of separating volatile […]
