TY - CONF A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - Element analytical approaches for emerging contaminant analysis-materials meet environment N2 - Im Rahmen des Vortrags wurden Elementanalytische Methoden auf Basis der ICP-MS und HR-CS-GFMAS im Kontext der Material-Umweltanalytik in Form eines Übersichtsvortrags vorgestellt. Neben den Techniken wurden diverse Applikationsbeispiele für unterschiedliche Umweltmatrizes genannt. T2 - ANAKON 2025 CY - Leipzig, Germany DA - 10.03.2025 KW - ICP-MS KW - Emerging contaminants KW - Evironment PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65126 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nakadi, Flavio V. T1 - Single-event analysis of discrete entities using microwave-induced nitrogen plasma–mass spectrometry N2 - ICP-MS has become a standard for (ultra)trace elemental analysis due to its excellent sensitivity and multi-element capabilities. However, its widespread use is hampered by spectral interferences—especially in the low mass range (<81 amu)—primarily arising from Ar-based polyatomic ions, such as ArO+ and Ar2+, which compromise the accurate quantification of key elements like Fe and Se.1 Over the years, improvements such as collision/reaction cells and sector-field configurations have helped mitigate these interferences, albeit often at the cost of instrument complexity and increased operational burden.The microwave-induced nitrogen plasma (MINP) source, sustained by microwaves at atmospheric pressure and using nitrogen as the plasma gas, offers a fundamentally different plasma environment. Nitrogen is not only more economical (40-60%) and readily available than Ar, but also avoids the generation of problematic Ar-based interferences. While MINP had been previously applied in optical emission and bulk mass spectrometry,2 its implementation in single-event detection had not yet been demonstrated. This study pioneers the application of MINP-MS in single-event mode for real-time, high-throughput characterization of NPs, cells, and MPs. The evaluation began with Fe2O3 NPs monitoring the 56Fe nuclide, with a limit of detection of 8.6 ag for Fe, equivalent to a particle size threshold of 19 nm—surpassing the detection capabilities of quadrupole-based ICP-MS systems. Size distribution results obtained by SP-MINP-MS for Fe2O3 NPs (20–70 nm) matched closely with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), confirming the method’s accuracy. For Se, despite its high ionization energy, metallic SeNPs (150 and 250 nm) were reliably quantified by monitoring 80Se. A calibration curve constructed using SeNP standards yielded excellent linearity (R2 = 0.9994). This approach was further extended to single-cell analysis, using Se-enriched yeast (SELM-1 CRM) as a model. A transport efficiency-independent calibration strategy was employed, relying on SeNPs to determine Se content per cell. The results showed strong agreement with data from conventional SC-ICP-MS, with average Se masses of ~65 fg per cell, validating the performance of SC-MINP-MS for biological systems. Additionally, the instrument's capability to handle large, low atomic number particles was demonstrated via the analysis of polystyrene (PS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) MPs. These MPs (2.5–3.0 µm) were quantified by monitoring 12C+ signals and applying a calibration strategy using citric acid as a standard. The resulting size distributions closely matched nominal sizes, reinforcing the system’s robustness for micrometer-sized polymeric materials. Event durations ranging from 470 to over 900 µs were consistent with literature values for single-entity ICP-MS and correlated well with particle size. These findings establish single-event MINP-MS as a promising analytical platform for analyzing discrete entities. It provides significant advantages over conventional Ar-based ICP-MS, including reduced interferences, lower operational cost, and comparable or superior sensitivity for analytes such as Fe and Se. By avoiding the limitations of Ar-based plasmas and enabling accurate quantification across a wide range of particle types and sizes, MINP-MS in single-event mode opens new avenues for high-resolution, interference-free elemental analysis at the individual entity level. T2 - 17th Rio Symposium on Atomic Spectrometry (17th RSAS) CY - São Pedro City, Brazil DA - 09.11.2025 KW - MICAP-MS KW - Nitrogen plasma KW - Nanoparticles KW - Cells KW - Microplastic KW - Single particle KW - Single event KW - ICP-MS PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64954 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bayerl, C. A1 - Shahryari, M. A1 - Reiter, R. A1 - Proß, V. A1 - Lehmann, K. A1 - Kühl, A. A. A1 - Becker, Dorit A1 - Schulz, Andreas A1 - Infante Duarte, C. A1 - Taupitz, M. A1 - Geisel, D. A1 - Tzschätzsch, H. A1 - Saatz, Jessica A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Asbach, P. T1 - Quantitative Analysis of Gadolinium Deposits in Liver Tissue of Patients After Single or Multiple Gadolinium-based Contrast Agent Application N2 - Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are widely used in magnetic resonance imaging. Concerns exist regarding gadolinium deposition and its potential histopathologic tissue alterations, especially after repeated administrations of linear, less stable GBCAs. This study aimed to quantify gadolinium mass fractions in liver specimens of subjects exposed to GBCAs in correlation with histopathologic features. In this study, mass fractions of gadolinium in human liver specimens from 25 subjects who underwent liver tumor resection surgery and had received GBCA (1 to 9 times over 4 years), were quantitatively analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Histomorphology was assessed based on the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS). Our results suggest that after intravenous administration of GBCA, a small fraction of gadolinium is retained in the liver over a time period of at least several weeks. A relationship was observed between Gadolinium retention and the number of GBCA administrations, but not with the cumulative dose and the degree of fatty liver disease. KW - ICP-MS KW - Contrast agent KW - Gadolinium KW - Liver PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-646608 DO - https://doi.org/10.1097/RLI.0000000000001254 SN - 1536-0210 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins CY - Philadelphia, Pa. AN - OPUS4-64660 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Traub, Heike T1 - Elemental mapping to study the interaction of MRI contrast agents with extracellular matrix components N2 - Non-specific Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have long been routinely used in clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostics. Nevertheless, the interaction of such contrast agents with tissue components is not yet fully understood. Typically, they go into extracellular space. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a three-dimensional network of macromolecules providing structural and biochemical support of the surrounding cells in all mammalian tissues. It is composed of structural proteins (e.g., collagen, elastin) and proteoglycans, which consist of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) covalently bound to a protein core. GAGs are long, linear polysaccharides composed of repeating disaccharide units that differ in molecular mass, disaccharide structure and degree of sulfation. Many diseases, including inflammation, fibrosis, and tumor invasion, are associated with characteristic ECM changes, especially at an early stage of disease development. As disease severity increases, the amount of one or more different GAG types in the ECM and the extent of GAG sulfation increases. Characteristic of GAGs is their ability to form complexes with cations, e.g., with lanthanides. Thus, GAGs could be a potential binding partner for GBCA molecules as a whole or for dechelated Gd. Currently, there are still many unanswered questions about the interaction of contrast agents with ECM components. In this study, therefore, the uptake and distribution of ionic Gd and various linear and macrocyclic GBCAs was investigated in spheroids as model systems mimicking the complex physiologically relevant tissue microenvironment. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and CRL-2242 cells, a CHO mutant that does not produce sulfated GAGs, were used to prepare spheroids. Afterwards the spheroids were incubated with gadolinium chloride and GBCAs. For elemental mapping laser ablation inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS) and synchrotron radiation nano X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (syn-nanoXRF) were used. Although all spheroids were exposed to identical Gd concentrations, differences were observed in the spatial distribution and the amount of Gd taken up. After incubation with linear and macrocyclic GBCAs, Gd is detected in the interior of both types of spheroids. Furthermore, differences in the Gd amount were found depending on the GBCA used. In contrast, incubation with gadolinium chloride leads to an Gd enrichment in the outer regions of the spheroids as well as to much higher Gd contents compared to incubation with GBCAs. Both LA-ICP-TOFMS and syn-nanoXRF can make an important contribution to better understand the relationship between the affinity of GBCAs and ECM components. However, to elucidate such complex interactions, further studies are needed, also with other (bio-)analytical techniques. T2 - Euroanalysis 2025 CY - Barcelona, Spain DA - 31.08.2025 KW - ICP-MS KW - Laser ablation KW - Contrast agent KW - Spheroid KW - Extracellular matrix PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64143 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schmitt, Johannes T1 - Data acquisition system for single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) with nanosecond time resolution N2 - This study presents our data acquisition system prototype for single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) with nanosecond time resolution (nanoDAQ) and a matching data processing approach for time-resolved data in the nanosecond range. The system continuously samples the secondary electron multiplier (SEM) detector signal with a dwell time of approximately 2 ns and enables detection of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) as small as 7.5 nm with a commercial single quadrupole ICP-MS instrument. [1] Analysis of acquired transient data is based on the temporal distance between detector events and a derived ion event density. It was shown that the inverse logarithm of the distance between detector events is proportional to particle size. Also, the number of detector events per particle can be used to calibrate and determine the particle number concentration (PNC) of a nanoparticle dispersion. [1] Particle-by-particle-based analysis of ion event density and other parameters derived from nanosecond time resolution show promising results. High data acquisition frequency of the systems allows recording of a statistically significant number of data points in 60 s or less, which leaves only the sample uptake and rinsing steps as remaining factors for limiting the total measurement time. T2 - ANAKON 2025 CY - Leipzig, Germany DA - 10.03.2025 KW - ICP-MS KW - Instrumentation KW - Nano KW - Nanoparticle Characterization PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63603 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schmitt, Johannes T1 - Data acquisition system for single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) with nanosecond time resolution N2 - This study presents our data acquisition system prototype for single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) with nanosecond time resolution (nanoDAQ) and a matching data processing approach for time-resolved data in the nanosecond range. The system continuously samples the secondary electron multiplier (SEM) detector signal with a dwell time of approximately 2 ns and enables detection of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) as small as 7.5 nm with a commercial single quadrupole ICP-MS instrument. [1] Analysis of acquired transient data is based on the temporal distance between detector events and a derived ion event density. It was shown that the inverse logarithm of the distance between detector events is proportional to particle size. Also, the number of detector events per particle can be used to calibrate and determine the particle number concentration (PNC) of a nanoparticle dispersion. Particle-by-particle-based analysis of ion event density and other parameters derived from nanosecond time resolution show promising results. High data acquisition frequency of the systems allows recording of a statistically significant number of data points in 60 s or less, which leaves only the sample uptake and rinsing steps as remaining factors for limiting the total measurement time. T2 - 20th European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 02.03.2025 KW - ICP-MS KW - Instrumentation KW - Nano KW - Nanoparticle Characterization PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63599 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Engelhard, Carsten T1 - From Particles to PFAS: Recent Advances in Plasma-based Instrumentation Development N2 - In this presentation, recent advances in plasma spectrochemistry with hot and cold plasma sources for the direct detection of nanoparticles as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) will be discussed. In the first part, single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) with an in-house built data acquisition system with nanosecond time resolution (nanoDAQ) will be presented. In the second part, we turn to a cooler plasma source. Specifically, a flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow source (FAPA) and its application for the direct mass spectrometric analysis of PFAS will be discussed. T2 - 20th European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 02.03.2025 KW - ICP-MS KW - Instrumentation KW - Nano KW - Nanoparticle Characterization KW - PFAS PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63581 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Engelhard, Carsten T1 - On ICP-MS with Nanosecond Time Resolution: From Nanoparticles to Microplastics N2 - In this presentation, recent developments in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrumentation for particle characterization in complex mixtures will be reviewed. The current state-of-the-art in single-particle (sp) ICP-MS instrumentation for the detection and characterization of nanoparticles (NP) and microplastics (MPs) as well as remaining challenges will be discussed. While millisecond dwell times were used in the advent of spICP-MS, the use of microsecond dwell times helped to improve nanoparticle data quality and particle size detection limits. We could show that a custom-built high-speed data acquisition unit with microsecond time resolution (μsDAQ) can be used to successfully address issues of split-particle events and particle coincidence, to study the temporal profile of individual ion clouds, and to extend the linear dynamic range by compensating for dead time related count losses. Our latest development is an in-house built data acquisition system with nanosecond time resolution (nanoDAQ). Recording of the SEM signal by the nanoDAQ is performed on the nanosecond time scale with a dwell time of approximately 2 ns and enables detection of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) as small as 7.5 nm with a commercial single quadrupole ICP-MS instrument. [1] Analysis of acquired transient data is based on the temporal distance between detector events and a derived ion event density. It was shown that the inverse logarithm of the distance between detector events is proportional to particle size. Also, the number of detector events per particle can be used to calibrate and determine the particle number concentration (PNC) of a nanoparticle dispersion. In addition to inorganic nanoparticles, first results on the detection of microplastics with spICP-MS will be discussed. T2 - ANAKON 2025 CY - Leipzig, Germany DA - 10.03.2025 KW - Nano KW - Microplastics KW - Nanoparticle Characterization KW - ICP-MS KW - Instrumentation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63580 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Traub, Heike T1 - LA-ICP-TOFMS to study the interaction of MRI contrast agents with extracellular matrix components N2 - Non-specific Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been used in clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for more than 35 years. However, the interaction of such contrast agents with tissue components is not yet fully understood. Many diseases are associated with characteristic changes of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is a three-dimensional network of macromolecules providing structural and biochemical support of the surrounding cells in all mammalian tissues. It is composed of structural proteins (e.g., collagen, elastin) and proteoglycans, which consist of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) covalently bound to a protein core. GAGs are long, linear polysaccharides composed of repeating disaccharide units that differ in molecular mass, disaccharide structure and degree of sulfation. GAGs are also characterized by their ability to form complexes with cations such as lanthanides. Thus, GAGs could be a potential binding partner for GBCAs as a whole or for dechelated Gd. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS) was used to investigate the uptake and distribution of ionic Gd and various linear and macrocyclic GBCAs in spheroids mimicking biological tissue and exhibiting different ECM expressions. In addition to Gd, other relevant elements such as Cu, Fe, P and Zn were also monitored. Spheroids from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and GAG-depleted CRL-2242 cells were incubated with gadolinium chloride and various GBCAs. Although all spheroids were exposed to identical Gd concentrations, differences were observed in the spatial distribution and the amount of Gd taken up. After incubation with linear and macrocyclic GBCAs, Gd is detected in the interior of both types of spheroids. In contrast, incubation with gadolinium chloride leads to an enrichment in the outer regions of the spheroids as well as to much higher Gd contents compared to incubation with GBCAs. LA-ICP-TOFMS can make an important contribution to better understand the relationship between the affinity of GBCAs and ECM components such as GAGs. However, to elucidate such complex interactions, further studies are needed, also with other (bio-)analytical techniques. T2 - 20th European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry (EWCPS-2025) CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 02.03.2025 KW - ICP-MS KW - Laser ablation KW - Contrast agent KW - Spheroid KW - Extracellular matrix PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62692 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zuliani, T. T1 - Advancing Stable and Long-lived Radiogenic Isotope Ratio Measurements of Environmental Pollutants N2 - The isotopic compositions of elements vary in the environment due to processes such as radioactive decay, cosmic ray spallation, mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionation, and different anthropogenic sources such as industrial activities, nuclear weapon testing, nuclear accidents, as well as natural phenomena long-range atmospheric and water transport, climate change, etc. Isotope ratio data obtained by mass spectrometry now plays an important role as tracers of a multitude of processes in Earth and environmental sciences. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a widely used technique for detecting variations in isotopic abundances in e.g., environmental samples. Recent advancements in mass spectrometric instrumentation have significantly enhanced sensitivity and precision, enabling the reliable detection of even minute variations in the isotopic composition of most elements with more than one natural isotope. However, to fully realize these new capabilities, a significant analytical challenge remains due to a vast number of analyte/matrix combinations, concomitant matrix effects, spectral interferences, and instrumental isotopic fractionation that must be characterized before and during the measurements. Success in developing new and improved methods for stable and long-lived radiogenic isotope ratio measurements by mass spectrometric methods depends on improvements in the reduction and quantification of uncertainties associated with sample preparation, instrumentation, and external calibration. The goal of this presentation is to show the key findings of the European Partnership on Metrology project “Metrology for the harmonisation of measurements of environmental pollutants in Europe” - MetroPOEM (https://www.npl.co.uk/euramet/metropoem), with a focus on the ICP-MS techniques used for isotope ratio measurements. Several elements were used as model systems for the development and optimisation of sample preparation and measurement procedures, including Li, B, Cr, Cd, Ni, Sb, Pb, and U. Isotope ratios of these elements determined by multi-collector ICP-MS, sector field ICPMS, quadrupole ICP-MS, and ICP-MS/MS will be assessed and compared. Data on their performance will be presented and assessed in terms of accuracy and precision. Comprehensive uncertainty budgets for the determination of the isotope ratios of the selected elements by different calibration approaches will be presented. The presented results will highlight the potential of recent advances in ICP-MS technology. T2 - 11th Nordic Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry CY - Loen, Norway DA - 09.06.2024 KW - Isotope analysis KW - ICP-MS KW - Measurement uncertainty PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61599 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -