TY - JOUR A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Wittwer, Phillip A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Pfeifer, Jens A1 - Cossmer, Antje A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - A fast and simple PFAS extraction method utilizing HR–CS–GFMAS for soil samples N2 - Here, we describe an optimized fast and simple extraction method for the determination of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in soils utilizing high resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR–CS–GFMAS). To omit the bias of the solid phase extraction (SPE) step commonly used during the analysis of extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF) we optimized a fast and simple SPE-free extraction method. The developed extraction method consists of a liquid-solid extraction using acidified methanol without any additional SPE. Four extraction steps were representative to determine a high proportion of the EOF (>80% of eight extractions). Comparison of the optimized method with and without an additional SPE clean-up step revealed a drastic underestimation of EOF concentrations using SPE. Differences of up to 94% were observed which were not explainable by coextracted inorganic fluoride. Therefore, not only a more accurate but also a more economic as well as ecologic method (bypassing of unnecessary SPE) was developed. The procedural limit of quantification (LOQ) of the developed method was 10.30 μg/kg which was sufficient for quantifying EOF concentrations in all tested samples. For future PFAS monitoring and potential regulative decisions the herein presented optimized extraction method can offer a valuable contribution. KW - Per- and polyfluorinated alkly substances (PFASs) KW - High resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS) KW - Soils KW - Solid phase extraction (SPE) KW - Extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF) KW - Solid-liquid extraction PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133922 VL - 295 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-54359 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lange, M. A. A1 - Khan, I. A1 - Opitz, P. A1 - Hartmann, J: A1 - Ashraf, M. A1 - Qurashi, A. A1 - Prädel, L. A1 - Panthöfer, M. A1 - Cossmer, Antje A1 - Pfeifer, Jens A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Meermann, Björn A1 - Mondeshki, M. A1 - Tahir, M. N. A1 - Tremel, W. T1 - A Generalized Method for High-Speed Fluorination of Metal Oxides by Spark Plasma Sintering Yields Ta3O7F and TaO2F with High Photocatalytic Activity for Oxygen Evolution from Water N2 - A general method to carry out the fluorination of metal oxides with poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE, Teflon) waste by spark plasma sintering (SPS) on a minute scale with Teflon is reported. The potential of this new approach is highlighted by the following results. i) The tantalum oxyfluorides Ta3O7F and TaO2F are obtained from plastic scrap without using toxic or caustic chemicals for fluorination. ii) Short reaction times (minutes rather than days) reduce the process time the energy costs by almost three orders of magnitude. iii) The oxyfluorides Ta3O7F and TaO2F are produced in gram amounts of nanoparticles. Their synthesis can be upscaled to the kg range with industrial sintering equipment. iv) SPS processing changes the catalytic properties: while conventionally prepared Ta3O7F and TaO2F show little catalytic activity, SPS-prepared Ta3O7F and TaO2F exhibit high activity for photocatalytic oxygen evolution, reaching photoconversion efficiencies up to 24.7% and applied bias to photoconversion values of 0.86%. This study shows that the materials properties are dictated by the processing which poses new challenges to understand and predict the underlying factors. KW - Fluorination KW - Oxygen evolution reaction KW - Photocatalysis KW - Spark plasma sintering KW - Tantalum oxyfluorides PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-524329 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202007434 VL - 23 IS - 20 SP - 7434 PB - Wiley‐VCH GmbH AN - OPUS4-52432 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hildebrandt, L. A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Zimmermann, T. A1 - Reese, A. A1 - Ludwig, J. A1 - Pröfrock, D. T1 - A metrologically traceable protocol for the quantification of trace metals in different types of microplastic N2 - The presence of microplastic (MP) particles in aquatic environments raised concern About possible enrichment of organic and inorganic pollutants due to their specific surface and chemical properties. In particular the role of metals within this context is still poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop a fully validated acid digestion protocol for metal analysis in different polymers, which is a prerequisite to study such interactions. The proposed digestion protocol was validated using six different certified reference materials in the microplastic size range consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polyvinyl chloride. As ICP-MS/MS enabled time-efficient, sensitive and robust analysis of 56 metals in one measurement, the method was suitable to provide mass fractions for a multitude of other elements beside the certified ones (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Sb, Sn and Zn). Three different microwaves, different acid mixtures as well as different temperatures in combination with different hold times were tested for optimization purposes. With the exception of Cr in acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, recovery rates obtained using the optimized protocol for all six certified reference materials fell within a range from 95.9% ± 2.7% to 112% ± 7%. Subsequent optimization further enhanced both precision and recoveries ranging from 103% ± 5% to 107 ± 4% (U; k = 2 (n = 3)) for all certified metals (incl. Cr) in acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The results clearly show the analytical challenges that come along with metal analysis in chemically resistant plastics. Addressing specific analysis Tools for different sorption scenarios and processes as well as the underlying kinetics was beyond this study’s scope. However, the future application of the two recommended thoroughly validated total acid digestion protocols as a first step in the direction of harmonization of metal analysis in/on MP will enhance the significance and comparability of the generated data. It will contribute to a better understanding of the role of MP as vector for trace metals in the environment. KW - Microplatic KW - Digestion KW - Analytical Chemistry PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-510727 DO - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236120 VL - 15 IS - 7 SP - e0236120 AN - OPUS4-51072 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kaufmann, Jan Ole A1 - Brangsch, J. A1 - Kader, A. A1 - Saatz, Jessica A1 - Mangarova, D. B. A1 - Zacharias, M. A1 - Kempf, W. E. A1 - Schwaar, T. A1 - Ponader, Marco A1 - Adams, L. C. A1 - Möckel, J. A1 - Botnar, R. M. A1 - Taupitz, M. A1 - Mägdefessel, L. A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Hamm, B. A1 - Weller, Michael G. A1 - Makowski, M. R. T1 - ADAMTS4-specific MR-probe to assess aortic aneurysms in vivo using synthetic peptide libraries N2 - The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has substantially increased during the last 20 years and their rupture remains the third most common cause of sudden death in the cardiovascular field after myocardial infarction and stroke. The only established clinical parameter to assess AAAs is based on the aneurysm size. Novel biomarkers are needed to improve the assessment of the risk of rupture. ADAMTS4 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase with ThromboSpondin motifs 4) is a strongly upregulated proteoglycan cleaving enzyme in the unstable course of AAAs. In the screening of a one-bead-one-compound library against ADAMTS4, a low-molecular-weight cyclic peptide is discovered with favorable properties for in vivo molecular magnetic resonance imaging applications. After identification and characterization, it’s potential is evaluated in an AAA mouse model. The ADAMTS4-specific probe enables the in vivo imaging-based prediction of aneurysm expansion and rupture. KW - Peptide KW - Peptide library KW - OBOC library KW - Combinatorial chemistry KW - Peptide aptamers KW - Binding molecule KW - Affinity KW - Synthetic peptides KW - Contrast agent KW - Magnetic resonance imaging KW - One-bead-one-compound library KW - On-chip screening KW - Lab-on-a-chip KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - SPR KW - Surface plasmon resonance KW - Alanine scan KW - Fluorescence label KW - MST KW - Docking KW - Chelate PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-560930 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30464-8 N1 - Geburtsname von Ponader, Marco: Wilke, M. - Birth name of Ponader, Marco: Wilke, M. VL - 13 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Springer Nature Limited CY - Heidelberg AN - OPUS4-56093 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Junge, Florian A1 - Wittwer, Philipp A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - Zoister, Christian A1 - Nickl, Philip A1 - Koch, Matthias A1 - Meermann, Björn A1 - Haag, Rainer T1 - Adsorber Charge Dominates over Hydrophobic or Fluorophilic Functionalization in Influencing Adsorption of PFCA onto Polystyrene Resins N2 - A systematic series of industrial-relevant polystyrene-based anion exchange resins that are functionalized with hydro- or fluorocarbon chains are compared regarding their adsorption behavior toward perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCA) in respect to their charge, chain length, and type of chain. The results clearly show the dominance of electrostatic interactions in the adsorption process as uncharged adsorber materials showed no adsorption at all. In contrast, the charged adsorber materials showed in general a PFCA removal of 80% to 30% over the experiment depending on effluent fraction. Unexpectedly, for perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) the highest removal rate is found with consistently >90%. Despite observing significant benefits in the adsorption of PFCA for fluoroalkylated adsorbers in comparison to their non-fluorinated counterparts, this effect of fluoroalkylation is comparatively small and can not be clearly attributed to fluorophilic interactions between the fluoroalkyl chains. These findings help clarifying that the introduction of fluorocarbon moieties in adsorber materials is not necessary in order to remove fluorocarbon molecules from the environment. KW - PFAS KW - Remediation KW - Adsorption KW - Fluorophilic interactions PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-601883 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202400199 SN - 2196-7350 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - John Wiley & Sons CY - Hoboken, New Jersey, USA AN - OPUS4-60188 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schannor, Mathias A1 - Oelze, Marcus A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - He, Yubei A1 - Schmidt, Robin A1 - Heidemann, Luisa A1 - Savic, Lynn Jeanette A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - Advancing Biomarker Research: In Situ Cu Isotope Analysis in Liver Tumors by LA-MC-ICP-MS N2 - Stable metal isotopes have received increasing attention as medical biomarkers due to their potential to detect changes in metal metabolism related to diseases. In particular, copper stable isotopes are a powerful tool to identify isotopic variation between tumors and healthy tissue, suggesting application in cancer diagnosis. However, potential mechanisms causing isotope fractionation, such as redox- or bond-forming reactions and interactions of metals during transmembrane import and export, are less well understood. Here, we established an in situ method using laser ablation-multicollector-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) to advance our understanding of the underlying processes responsible for isotope fractionation between normal and diseased tissues. Gelatin-based bracketing standards and quality control reference materials, crucial for laser ablation analysis, were developed to allow correction for instrumentally induced isotope fractionation during LA-MC-ICP-MS analysis. Using such matrix-matched standards, the method achieved intermediate precisions for delta values of better than 0.15 ‰ (2 s) for inorganic reference materials and of better than 0.17 ‰ (2 s) for biological reference materials. The developed routine was tested on rabbit VX2 liver tumor samples, a model system resembling human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) used to study liver cancer. In situ Cu isotope compositions between healthy (𝛿65/63NIST976(Cu) = −1.5 ‰ to 0.2 ‰) and tumorous (𝛿65/63NIST976(Cu) = 0.0 ‰ to 1.3 ‰) liver tissue show distinct differences in their isotope ratios. The observed isotopic dichotomy is consistent with previous solution-based MC-ICP-MS work, showing enrichment of heavy 65Cu in cancer biopsies relative to healthy tissue. KW - Biomarker KW - Laser Ablation KW - Reference Material PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626865 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05626 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 97 IS - 8 SP - 4425 EP - 4432 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-62686 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Flierl, Lukas A1 - Rienitz, Olaf A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Pramann, Axel T1 - An advancement of the gravimetric isotope mixture method rendering the knowledge of the spike purity superfluous N2 - The gravimetric isotope mixture method is the primary method to determine absolute isotope ratios. This method, however, depends on the existence of suitable spike materials and knowledge of their purities. Determining the purity of the spikes can be tedious and labour-intensive. In this publication, an advancement of the gravimetric isotope mixture method, rendering the determination of the purity of the spike materials unnecessary, is presented. The advancement combines mass spectrometry and ion chromatography leading to an approach being independent of the purity of the spike materials. In the manuscript the mathematical background and the basic idea of the novel approach are described using a two-isotope system like copper or lithium. KW - Isotope amount ratios KW - Metrology KW - Mass spectrometry KW - Ion chromatography PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-608726 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05465-9 SP - 5325 EP - 5333 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-60872 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - An optimized method for PFAS analysis using HR–CS–GFMAS via GaF detection N2 - The analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) via sum parameters like extractable organic fluorine (EOF) in combination with high resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR–CS–GFMAS) is highly promising regarding fluorine sensitivity and selectivity. However, the HR–CS–GFMAS method includes several drying and heating steps which can lead to losses of volatile PFAS before the molecular formation step using e.g., GaF formation. Hence, the method leads to a strong discrimination of PFAS within the EOF depending on their physical/chemical properties and is therefore associated with reduced accuracy. To reduce this discrepancy and to indicate realistic PFAS pollution values, an optimization of the HR–CS–GFMAS method for PFAS analysis is needed. Hence, we determined fluorine response factors of several PFAS with different physical/chemical properties upon application of systematic optimization steps. We could therefore improve the method's sensitivity for PFAS analysis using a modifier drying pre-treatment step followed by a sequential injection of sample solutions. The highest improvement in sensitivity of volatile PFAS was shown upon addition of a Mg modifier during drying pre-treatment. Thereby, during optimization the relative standard deviation of fluorine response factors could be reduced from 55 % (initial method) to 27 % (optimized method) leading to a more accurate determination of organofluorine sum parameters. The method provides an instrumental LOD and LOQ of β(F) 1.71 μg/L and 5.13 μg/L, respectively. Further validation aimed to investigate several matrix effects with respect to water matrices. Here, substance-specific behavior was observed. For example, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which was used as calibrator, showed signal suppressions upon high chloride concentrations (>50 mg/L). Hence, a thorough separation of Cl from analytes during sample preparation is needed for accurate sum parameter analysis. KW - PFAS KW - GF-AAS KW - Method optimization PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-610522 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126811 VL - 281 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-61052 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - Dierckes, G. A1 - Göckener, B. A1 - Koschorreck, J. A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - Analyse von PFAS mittels (Non-)Target HRMS, dTOPA und EOF in Schwebstoff-Proben aus Zeitreihen der Umweltprobenbank N2 - Per- und polyfluorierte Alkylverbindungen (PFAS) sind eine Substanzklasse bestehend aus mehreren tausenden Einzelverbindungen. Unter PFAS zählen alle Verbindungen, die mindestens eine perfluorierte Methyl- (-CF3) oder Methylen-Gruppe (-CF2-) besitzen. Somit zählt auch ein großer Teil der fluorierten Medikamente, Pflanzenschutzmittel oder Biozide in die PFAS-Substanzklasse. Aufgrund der Persistenz, Bioakkumulation in Nahrungsketten, Toxizität und der ubiquitären Verbreitung von PFAS zählen sie zu den „emerging pollutants“. Die PFAS-Analytik ist wegen ihrer vielfältigen physikalisch-chemischen Eigenschaften und der sehr hohen Anzahl an PFAS eine große Herausforderung. Da es für viele Anwendungen noch ungewiss ist, welche PFAS verwendet werden, wie sie in die Umwelt gelangen und welche Transformations- bzw. Abbauprodukte entstehen, stoßen analytische Ansätze, die nur auf Einzelsubstanzen abzielen, hier an ihre Grenzen. PFAS-Summenparameter-Methoden, die darauf abzielen ein möglichst vollständiges Abbild der PFAS-Belastungssituation widerzuspiegeln, werden daher immer wichtiger. KW - PFAS KW - HR-CS-GFMAS KW - Fluorine KW - SPM KW - LC-MS/MS KW - Schwebstoffe PY - 2023 VL - 5 SP - 1 EP - 6 AN - OPUS4-57544 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jurković, J. A1 - Kazlagić, Anera A1 - Sulejmanović, J. A1 - Smječanin, N. A1 - Karalija, E. A1 - Prkić, A. A1 - Nuhanović, M. A1 - Kolar, M. A1 - Albuquerque, A. T1 - Assessment of heavy metals bioaccumulation in Silver Birch (Betula pendula Roth) from an AMD active, abandoned gold mine waste N2 - Acid mine drainage (AMD) is generally outlined as one of the largest environmental concerns, characterized by very low pH value of mine waste, heavy metals and high sulphate content. This extremely hostile environment reduces plant ability to develop and grow. Present study focuses on a silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), a pioneer species that grows on an extremely hostile gold mine waste, to investigate the bioaccumulation of rare metals (thallium (Tl) and indium (In)), as well as nine other more common heavy metals (bismuth (Bi), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag) and zinc (Zn)), and to asses phytoextraction and phytostabilization potential of silver birch. Additionally, parameters determining AMD process and overall contamination (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sulphates (SO₄²⁻), arsenic (As), iron (Fe), oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), acidity, hardness, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and radioactivity) were determined in mine waste and drainage water samples. To assess the heavy metals bioaccumulation and mine waste status, statistical geochemical indices were determined: bioaccumulation factor (BCF), pollution load index (PLI), geochemical abundance index (GAI) and exposure index (EI). The results show that silver birch bioaccumulates the essential elements Cu, Ni, Mn and Zn, and the nonessential elements Tl (average BCF = 24.99), In (average BC = 23.01) and Pb (average BCF = 0.84). Investigated mine waste was enriched by Bi, Ag and Cd according to positive values of GAI index. Present research provides a novel insight into bioaccumulation of nonessential heavy metals in silver birches who grow on the extremely hostile mine waste, and they exhibit significant phytoremediation potential. KW - Heavy metals KW - Acid mine drainage KW - Bioaccumulation KW - Silver birch KW - Thallium PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01774-7 SN - 1573-2983 SN - 0142-7245 VL - 45 SP - 9855 EP - 9873 PB - Springer Science and Business Media CY - Dordrecht AN - OPUS4-61835 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dariz, P. A1 - Wortmann, U. G. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Schmid, Thomas T1 - Beautiful Pietàs in South Tyrol (Northern Italy): local or imported works of art? N2 - The study, dedicated to Beautiful Pietàs conserved in South Tyrol (Northern Italy), aims to establish, for the first time, a connection between Austroalpine raw materials and the high-fired gypsum mortars constituting the Gothic figure groups in question. The origin and chronology of this stylistically and qualitatively differing ensemble have been subject of art historical debate for nearly a century. The discourse is dominated by three main hypotheses: itinerary of an Austrian artist versus itinerary of the work of art created in an artist’s workshop in Austria versus itinerary of the stylistic vocabulary via graphical or three-dimensional models. The comparison of the δ34S values and the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the gypsum mortars and Austroalpine sulphate deposits (in a compilation of own reference samples and literature data) points to the exploitation of sediments in the Salzkammergut and possibly also in the evaporite district of the Eastern Calcareous Alps, thus evidencing the import of the sculptures and not the activities of local South Tyrolean or itinerant artists. Two geochronological units are distinguishable: The Pietà in the Church St. Martin in Göflan can be assigned to Upper Permian raw material, whereas the metrologically consistent sculptures in the Church of Our Lady of the Benedictine Abbey Marienberg and in the Chapel St. Ann in Mölten correlate with deposits of the Early Triassic (or the Lower-Middle Triassic transition). The medieval gypsum mortars also differ in their mineralogical characteristics, i.e. in their geologically related minor components, as in the first case, characterised by a significant proportion of primary anhydrite, natural carbonate impurities mainly consist of calcite (partly converted to lime-lump-like aggregates), whereas in the second group dolomite (or rather its hydration products after pyrometamorphic decomposition) predominates, accompanied by celestine, quartz and potassium feldspar. The Pietà in the Cathedral Maria Himmelfahrt in Bozen turned out to be made of Breitenbrunn calcareous sandstone (Leitha Mountains, Burgenland, Austria), which is why the sample is not considered in the geochemical analysis. KW - High-fired gypsum mortar KW - Sulphur isotope KW - Strontium isotope KW - Polarised light microscopy KW - Raman microspectroscopy PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-545610 DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-022-00678-6 SN - 2050-7445 VL - 10 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-54561 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Xiao, J. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Rosner, M. A1 - Jin, Z. T1 - Boron isotope fractionation in soil-plant systems and its influence on biogeochemical cycling N2 - Boron (B) is an essential mineral nutrient for higher plants. Although B plant nutrition is well studied, the B isotope fractionation at the soil-plant interface, within plant metabolism, and its influence on biogeochemical cycling is not fully understood. Boron concentrations and isotope variations (δ11B) of the dicotyledonous plants of Chenopodium album and Brassica napus and their growing soils along a climatic gradient were analyzed to decipher these unresolved issues of the B behavior. The boron concentrations and δ11B values show an increasing trend from roots to leaves for both plants, while a decreasing trend from flower to shell and to seed for Brassica napus. A large boron isotope fractionation occurs within the plants with median Δ11Bleaf-root ≈ +20‰, which is related to different boron transporters and transportation ways. Formation of borate dimerized rhamnogalacturonan II in cell and B(OH)3 transportation in xylem lead to heavier δ11B values from root to stem and leaf while B(OH)4􀀀 transportation in phloem lead to lighter δ11B values from flower to shell and seed. Although samples cover a distinct transect with systematically different climatic conditions, Δδ11B within the individual plant compartments and between the bulk plants and the soil available B do not show any systematic variation. This suggests that B uptake from the soil into Chenopodium album and Brassica napus occurs without a distinct isotope fractionation at the soil-plant interface (median Δ11Bbulkplant-soil = 􀀀 0.2‰) and plants are able to regulate boron uptake. Both the observed large B fractionation within plant and low or absent B isotope fractionation at the soil-plant interface may have profound implications for the biological and geological B cycle. If this observed boron behavior also exists in other plants, their litters would be an important source for exporting 11B-rich biological material from continental ecosystems via rivers to the global oceans. This may be helpful for the explanation of ocean B cycle and the increasing δ11B values over the Cenozoic. KW - Boron isotopic composition KW - Boron isotope fractionation KW - Soil available boron KW - Biological boron recycling KW - Chenopodium album KW - Brassica napus PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.120972 SN - 0009-2541 VL - 606 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-55031 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoffmann, V. A1 - Uhlemann, M. A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Pfeifer, jens T1 - Calibration capacity of hot-pressed hydrogen standards for glow discharge optical emission and mass spectrometry N2 - Mixed copper and titanium hydride powder was hot-pressed and characterized by Carrier Gas Hot Extraction, XRay Diffraction, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis coupled with Mass Spectrometry, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The hot-pressed and five conventional samples were applied for calibration of hydrogen in Glow Discharge Optical Emission and Mass Spectrometry. Up to the introduction of 15 ng/s hydrogen the Emission yield model is useful in Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometry. A correlation between saturation and even reversal of the emission yield of the spectral lines H121, H486 and H656 and low sputtering rates was found. Hydrogen effects exist for the spectral lines of Cu(II) 219 and Ti(I) 399. In Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry, a linear dependency of the 1H ion current on the sputtered mass per time exists over the total range of hydrogen content investigated. Hydrogen effects also exist for the sensitivity of 48Ti and 63Cu. The sputtering rate of two-phase materials depends linearly on the sputtered mass per time of one phase, which allows the sputtering rate of two-phase materials with known composition to be predicted. KW - Hot-pressing KW - GD-OES KW - GD-MS KW - Calibration KW - Hydrogen KW - Titanium hydride KW - Sputtering KW - Two-phase system PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2020.106039 VL - 176 SP - 106039 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-52074 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rienitz, O. A1 - Jährling, R. A1 - Noordmann, J. A1 - Pape, C. A1 - Röhker, K. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Manzano, J. V. L. A1 - Kozlowski, W. A1 - Caciano de Siena, R. A1 - Marques Rodrigues, J. A1 - Galli, A. H. A1 - Yim, Y.-H. A1 - Lee, K.-S. A1 - Lee, J. H. A1 - Min, H.-S. A1 - Chingbo, C. A1 - Naijie, S. A1 - Qian, W. A1 - Ren, T. A1 - Jun, W. A1 - Tangpaisarnkul, N. A1 - Suzuki, T. A1 - Nonose, N. A1 - Mester, Z. A1 - Yang, L. A1 - Pagliano, E. A1 - Greenberg, P. A1 - Mariassy, M. A1 - Näykki, T. A1 - Cankur, O. A1 - Coskun, F. G. A1 - Ari, B. A1 - Can, S. Z. T1 - CCQM-K122 "Anionic impurities and lead in salt solutions" N2 - The determination of the mass fractions of bromide, sulfate, and lead as well as the isotopic composition of the lead (expressed as the molar mass and the amount fractions of all four stable lead isotopes) in an aqueous solution of sodium chloride with a mass fraction of 0.15 g/g was the subject of this comparison. Even though the mass fractions ranged from 3 μg/g (bromide) to 50 ng/g (lead), almost all results reported agreed with the according KCRVs. KW - Absolute isotope ratio KW - Lead isotope ratios KW - Metrology KW - Traceability PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/57/1A/08012 VL - 57 IS - 1A SP - 8012 PB - IOP Science AN - OPUS4-51156 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Molloy, J. L. A1 - Winchester, M. R. A1 - Butler, T. A. A1 - Possolo, A. M. A1 - Rienitz, O. A1 - Roethke, A. A1 - Goerlitz, V. A1 - Caciano de Sena, R. A1 - Dominguez Almeida, M. A1 - Yang, L. A1 - Methven, B. A1 - Nadeau, K. A1 - Romero Arancibia, P. A1 - Bing, W. A1 - Tao, Z. A1 - Snell, J. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Koenig, Maren A1 - Kotnala, R. K. A1 - Swarupa Tripathy, S. A1 - Elishian, C. A1 - Ketrin, R. A1 - Suzuki, T. A1 - Oduor Okumu, T. A1 - Yim, Y.-H. A1 - Heo, S. W. A1 - Min, H. S. A1 - Sub Han, M. A1 - Lim, Y. A1 - Velina Lara Manzano, J. A1 - Segoviano Regalado, F. A1 - Arvizu Torres, M. A1 - Valle Moya, E. A1 - Buzoianu, M. A1 - Sobina, A. A1 - Zyskin, V. A1 - Sobina, E. A1 - Migal, P. A1 - Linsky, M. A1 - Can, S. Z. A1 - Ari, B. A1 - Goenaga Infante, H. T1 - CCQM-K143 Comparison of Copper Calibration Solutions Prepared by NMIs/DIs N2 - CCQM-K143 is a key comparison that assesses participants’ ability to prepare single element calibration solutions. Preparing calibration solutions properly is the cornerstone of establishing a traceability link to the International System of Units (SI), and therefore should be tested in order to confirm the validity of CCQM comparisons of more complex materials. CCQM-K143 consisted of participants each preparing a single copper calibration solution at 10 g/kg copper mass fraction and shipping 10 bottled aliquots of that solution to the coordinating laboratory, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The masses and mass fraction for the prepared solutions were documented with the submitted samples. The solutions prepared by all participants were measured at NIST by high performance inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (HP-ICP-OES). The intensity measurements for copper were not mapped onto values of mass fraction via calibration. Instead, ratios were computed between the measurements for copper and simultaneous measurements for manganese, the internal standard, and all subsequent data reductions, including the computation of the KCRV and the degrees of equivalence, were based on these ratios. Other than for two participants whose measurement results appeared to suffer from calculation or preparation errors, all unilateral degrees of equivalence showed that the measured values did not differ significantly from the KCRV. These results were confirmed by a second set of ICP-OES measurements performed by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). CCQM-K143 showed that participants are capable of preparing calibration solutions starting from high purity, assayed copper metal. Similar steps are involved when preparing solutions for other elements, so it seems safe to infer that similar capabilities should prevail when preparing many different, single-element solutions. KW - Metrology KW - Primary calibration solution KW - Traceability PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/58/1A/08006 SN - 0026-1394 VL - 58 IS - 1A SP - 08006 PB - IOP Science CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-51983 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hill, Sarah A1 - Infante, Heidi Goenaga A1 - Entwisle, John A1 - Strekopytov, Stanislav A1 - Ward-Deitrich, Christian A1 - Cowen, Simon A1 - Rienitz, Olaf A1 - Roethke, Anita A1 - Goerlitz, Volker A1 - Schulz, Ursula A1 - Pape, Carola A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Koenig, Maren A1 - Jacimovic, Radojko A1 - Fisicaro, Paola A1 - Ren, Tongxiang A1 - Wang, Song A1 - Song, Panshu A1 - Li, Haifeng A1 - Linsky, Maré A1 - Sobina, Egor A1 - Lozano, Hernán Ezequiel A1 - Puelles, Mabel A1 - Yamani, Randa A1 - Haraldsson, Conny T1 - CCQM-K160: platinum group elements in automotive catalyst N2 - The platinum group elements (PGEs) play an important role in reducing emissions from automotive vehicles through their use in catalytic convertors but also for catalysis in the pharmaceutical industry. The immense economic value of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh) highlights the importance of highly accurate measurements. Therefore, there is a need for National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) to demonstrate measurement capability in this space. A pilot comparison (CCQM-P63) for precious metals in automotive catalyst took place in 2006, but with a limited number of institutes participating. Furthermore, this study was performed over 17 years ago. Therefore, there was a need to maintain existing capability and demonstrate new capability in a key comparison, in order to claim calibration and measurement capability claims (CMCs). With the core capability matrix, this study falls into the "Difficult to dissolve metals/metal oxides" which will support CMC categories 8 (Metal and metal alloys), 9 (Advanced materials) and 14 (Other materials). Eleven NMIs and DIs participated in the Key Comparison CCQM-K160 Platinum Group Elements in Automotive Catalyst. Participants were requested to evaluate the mass fractions of Pt, Pd and Rh in mg/kg in an unused autocatalyst material (cordierite ceramic base). The Key Comparison Reference Values (KCRVs) and Degrees of Equivalence (DoEs) were calculated utilising the NIST Decision Tree for the measurands. The participants utilised a number of sample preparation and analytical methods including hot plate digestion, microwave digestion and sodium fusion, followed by either atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection. Several calibration techniques were used, namely external calibration, standard addition, isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) and an exact matching procedure. Additionally, one participant employed instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) with k0 standardisation which is a direct solid analysis method. The majority of participants claimed traceability to NIST primary calibrants or their own CRMs. Furthermore, several matrix CRMs were included or spiked samples for quality control. All institutes were required to determine the dry mass fraction using the stipulated protocol. The NIST decision tree was implemented for the calculation of the KCRVs and DoEs. The participant results overall showed good agreement with the KCRV, despite the variety of dissolution procedures and measurement techniques for this highly complex matrix and challenging measurands. Successful participation in CCQM-K160 demonstrated measurement capabilities for the determination of mass fraction of Pt, Pd and Rh in the mg/kg range and will support broad scope CMC claims for a wide range of challenging matrices. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA). KW - Metrology in Chemistry KW - Traceability KW - Uncertainty PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/61/1A/08011 VL - 61 IS - 1A SP - 1 EP - 39 PB - IOP Publishing AN - OPUS4-60524 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kepsutlu, B. A1 - Wycisk, V. A1 - Achazi, K. A1 - Kapishnikov, S. A1 - Perez-Berna, A.J. A1 - Guttmann, P. A1 - Cossmer, Antje A1 - Pereiro, E. A1 - Ewers, H. A1 - Ballauff, M. A1 - Schneider, G. A1 - McNally, J.G. T1 - Cells Undergo Major Changes in the Quantity of Cytoplasmic Organelles after Uptake of Gold Nanoparticles with Biologically Relevant Surface Coatings N2 - Here, we use cryo soft X-ray tomography (cryo-SXT), which delivers 3D ultrastructural volumes of intact cells without chemical fixation or staining, to gain insight about nanoparticle uptake for nanomedicine. We initially used dendritic polyglycerol sulfate (dPGS) with potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications in inflammation. Although dPGS-coated gold nanoparticle (dPGS-AuNP) uptake followed a conventional endocytic/degradative pathway in human lung epithelial cell lines (A549), with cryo-SXT, we detected ∼5% of dPGS-AuNPs in the cytoplasm, a level undetectable by confocal light microscopy. We also observed ∼5% of dPGS-AuNPs in a rarely identified subcellular site, namely, lipid droplets, which are important for cellular energy metabolism. Finally, we also found substantial changes in the quantity of cytoplasmic organelles upon dPGS-AuNP uptake over the 1–6 h incubation period; the number of small vesicles and mitochondria significantly increased, and the number of multivesicular bodies and the number and volume of lipid droplets significantly decreased. Although nearly all organelle numbers at 6 h were still significantly different from controls, most appeared to be returning to normal levels. To test for generality, we also examined cells after uptake of gold nanoparticles coated with a different agent, polyethylenimine (PEI), used for nucleic acid delivery. PEI nanoparticles did not enter lipid droplets, but they induced similar, albeit less pronounced, changes in the quantity of cytoplasmic organelles. We confirmed these changes in organelle quantities for both nanoparticle coatings by confocal fluorescence microscopy. We suggest this cytoplasmic remodeling could reflect a more common cellular response to coated gold nanoparticle uptake. KW - Cellular trafficking KW - Confocal laser scanning microscopy KW - Cytoplasmic remodeling KW - Dendritic polyglycerol sulfate KW - Polyethylenimine KW - 3D ultrastructural analysis KW - Cryo-soft X-ray tomography PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.9b09264 VL - 14 IS - 2 SP - 2248 EP - 2264 AN - OPUS4-50464 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Isleyen, Alper A1 - Can, Suleyman Z. A1 - Cankur, Oktay A1 - Engin, Betul Ari A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Koenig, Maren A1 - Horvat, Milena A1 - Jacimovic, Radojko A1 - Zuliani, Tea A1 - Fajon, Vesna A1 - Jotanovic, Aida A1 - Gaževic, Luka A1 - Milosevic, Milena A1 - Ochsenkuehn–Petropoulou, Maria A1 - Tsopelas, Fotis A1 - Lymberopoulou, Theopisti A1 - Tsakanika, Lamprini-Areti A1 - Serifi, Olga A1 - Ochsenkuehn, Klaus M. A1 - Bulska, Ewa A1 - Tomiak, Anna A1 - Kurek, Eliza A1 - Cakılbahçe, Zehra A1 - Aktas, Gokhan A1 - Altuntas, Hatice A1 - Basaran, Elif A1 - Kısacık, Barıs A1 - Gumus, Zeynep T1 - Certification of the total element mass fractions in UME EnvCRM 03 soil sample via a joint research project N2 - Soil certified reference material (CRM), UME EnvCRM 03 was produced by a collaborative approach among national metrology institutes, designated institutes and university research laboratories within the scope of the EMPIR project: Matrix Reference Materials for Environmental Analysis. This paper presents the sampling and processing methodology, homogeneity, stability, characterization campaign, the assignment of property values and their associated uncertainties in compliance with ISO 17034:2016. The material processing methodology involves blending a natural soil sample with a contaminated soil sample obtained by spiking elemental solutions for 8 elements (Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn) to reach the level of warning risk monitoring values specified for metals and metalloids of soils in Europe. Comparative homogeneity and stability test data were obtained by two different institutes, ensuring the reliability and back up of the data. The certified values and associated expanded uncertainties for the total mass fractions of thirteen elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn) are established. The developed CRM can be used for the development and validation of measurement procedures for the determination of the total mass fractions of elements in soil and also for quality control/assurance purposes. The developed CRM is the first example of a soil material originating from Türkiye. KW - Total element content KW - Soil KW - CRM KW - Certification KW - Environmental pollution monitoring PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-024-01597-8 SN - 1432-0517 VL - 29 SP - 293 EP - 301 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-59954 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kazlagić, Anera A1 - Rosner, M. A1 - Cipriani, A. A1 - Frick, D. A. A1 - Glodny, J. A1 - Hoffmann, E. J. A1 - Hora, J. M. A1 - Irrgeher, J. A1 - Lugli, F. A1 - Magna, T. A1 - Meisel, T. C. A1 - Meixner, A. A1 - Possolo, A. A1 - Pramann, A. A1 - Pribil, M. J. A1 - Prohaska, T. A1 - Retzmann, Anika A1 - Rienitz, O. A1 - Rutherford, D. A1 - Paula-Santos, G. M. A1 - Tatzel, M. A1 - Widhalm, S. A1 - Willbold, M. A1 - Zuliani, T. A1 - Vogl, Jochen T1 - Characterisation of conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios in cement, limestone and slate reference materials based on an interlaboratory comparison study N2 - An interlaboratory comparison (ILC)was organised to characterise 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios in geological and industrial reference materials by applying the so-called conventional method for determining 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios. Four cements (VDZ 100a,VDZ 200a, VDZ 300a, IAG OPC-1), one limestone (IAG CGL ML-3) and one slate (IAG OU-6) reference materials were selected, covering a wide range of naturally occurring Sr isotopic signatures. Thirteen laboratories received aliquots of these six reference materials together with a detailed technical protocol. The consensus values for the six reference materials and their associated measurement uncertainties were obtained by applying a Gaussian, linear mixed effects model fitted to all the measurement results. By combining the consensus values and their uncertainties with an uncertainty contribution for potential heterogeneity, reference values ranging from 0.708134 mol mol-1 to 0.729778 mol mol-1 were obtained with relative expanded uncertainties of ≤ 0.007 %. This study represents an ILC on conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios, within which metrological principles were considered and the compatibility of measurement results obtained by MC-ICP-MS and by MC-TIMS is demonstrated. The materials characterised in this study can be used as reference materials for validation and quality control purposes and to estimate measurement uncertainties in conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio measurement. KW - Sr isotope analysis KW - Isotope ratios KW - Cement KW - Geological material KW - MC-TIMS KW - MC-ICP-MS KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Measurement uncertainty KW - Cconventional method PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-579836 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12517 SN - 1639-4488 VL - 47 IS - 4 SP - 821 EP - 840 PB - Wiley online library AN - OPUS4-57983 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tatzel, M. A1 - Frings, P. J. A1 - Oelze, Marcus A1 - Herwartz, D. A1 - Lünsdorf, K. A1 - Wiedenbeck, M. T1 - Chert oxygen isotope ratios are driven by Earth's thermal evolution N2 - The 18O/16O ratio of cherts (δ18Ochert) increases nearly monotonically by ~15‰ from the Archean to present. Two end-member explanations have emerged: cooling seawater temperature (TSW) and increasing seawater δ18O (δ18Osw). Yet despite decades of work, there is no consensus, leading some to view the δ18Ochert record as pervasively altered. Here, we demonstrate that cherts are a robust archive of diagenetic temperatures, despite metamorphism and exposure to meteoric fluids, and show that the timing and temperature of quartz precipitation and thus δ18Ochert are determined by the kinetics of silica diagenesis. A diagenetic model shows that δ18Ochert is influenced by heat flow through the sediment column. Heat flow has decreased over time as planetary heat is dissipated, and reasonable Archean-modern heat flow changes account for ~5‰ of the increase in δ18Ochert, obviating the need for extreme TSW or δ18Osw reconstructions. The seawater oxygen isotope budget is also influenced by solid Earth cooling, with a recent reconstruction placing Archean δ18OSW 5 to 10‰ lower than today. Together, this provides an internally consistent view of the δ18Ochert record as driven by solid Earth cooling over billion-year timescales that is compatible with Precambrian glaciations and biological. KW - Climate KW - Oxygen isotope ratios KW - Silica diagenesis KW - Early Earth KW - Heat flow PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-569359 DO - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2213076119 SN - 0027-8424 VL - 119 IS - 51 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - National Academy of Sciences CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-56935 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brauckmann, C. A1 - Pramann, A. A1 - Rienitz, O. A1 - Schulze, A. A1 - Phukphatthanachai, Pranee A1 - Vogl, Jochen T1 - Combining Isotope Dilution and Standard Addition—Elemental Analysis in Complex Samples N2 - A new method combining isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) and standard addition has been developed to determine the mass fractions w of different elements in complex matrices: (a) silicon in aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), (b) sulfur in biodiesel fuel, and (c) iron bound to transferrin in human serum. All measurements were carried out using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The method requires the gravimetric preparation of several blends (bi)—each consisting of roughly the same masses (mx,i) of the sample solution (x) and my,i of a spike solution (y) plus different masses (mz,i) of a reference solution (z). Only these masses and the isotope ratios (Rb,i) in the blends and reference and spike solutions have to be measured. The derivation of the underlying equations based on linear regression is presented and compared to a related concept reported by Pagliano and Meija. The uncertainties achievable, e.g., in the case of the Si blank in extremely pure TMAH of urel (w(Si)) = 90% (linear regression method, this work) and urel (w(Si)) = 150% (the method reported by Pagliano and Meija) seem to suggest better applicability of the new method in practical use due to the higher robustness of regression analysis. KW - Isotope dilution mass spectrometry KW - tandard addition KW - ICP-MS KW - lank characterization KW - Silicon KW - Sulfur KW - Transferrin KW - Tetramethylammonium hydroxide KW - Biodiesel fuel KW - Human serum PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-526376 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092649 VL - 26 IS - 9 SP - 2649 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-52637 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Taylor, Tristen L. A1 - Tukhmetova, Dariya A1 - Duong, Thi Phuong Thanh A1 - Böwe, Anna-Maria A1 - Meermann, Björn A1 - Gundlach-Graham, Alexander T1 - Comparative study of the vibrating capillary nebulizer (VCN) and commercially available interfaces for on-line coupling of capillary electrophoresis with ICP-MS N2 - Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a powerful and sensitive tool for speciation analysis when combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); however, the performance of this technique can be limited by the nature of pneumatic nebulizers. This study compares two commercially available pneumatic nebulizers to a newly introduced vibrating capillary nebulizer (VCN) for on-line coupling of CE with ICP-MS. The VCN is a low-cost, non-pneumatic nebulizer that is based on the design of capillary vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization. As a piezoelectrically driven nebulization source, the VCN creates an aerosol independent of gas flows and does not produce a low-pressure region at the nebulizer orifice. To compare the systems, we performed replicate analyses of sulfate in river water with each nebulizer and the same CE and ICP-MS instruments and determined the figures of merit of each setup. With the CE-VCN-ICP-MS setup, we achieved around 2–4 times lower sensitivity compared to the commercial setups. However, the VCN-based setup provided lower noise levels and better linear correlation from the analysis of calibration standards, which resulted in indistinguishable LOD and LOQ values from the in-house-built VCN-based and commercial setups for CE-ICP-MS analysis. The VCN is found to have the highest baseline stability with a standard deviation of 3500 cts s−1, corresponding to an RSD of 2.7%. High reproducibility is found with the VCN with a peak area RSD of 4.1% between 3 replicate measurements. KW - Speciation analysis KW - Analytical chemistry KW - Surface water PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05162-7 SN - 1618-2650 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-59472 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yang, L. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Mann, J. A1 - Kraft, R. A1 - Vocke, R. A1 - Pramann, A. A1 - Eberhardt, J. A1 - Rienitz, O. A1 - Lee, K.-S. A1 - Lim, J. S. A1 - Sobina, E. A1 - Song, P. A1 - Wang, J. A1 - Mester, Z. A1 - Meija, J. T1 - Copper isotope delta measurements in high purity materials: CCQM-P213 pilot study N2 - Accurate and precise isotope ratio measurements of heavy elements are playing an increasinglyimportant role in modern analytical sciences and have numerous applications. Today, isotope ratio measurements are typically performed with two principal techniques: thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and multiple collector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). To obtain accurate results by mass spectrometry, isotopic certified reference materials (iCRMs) are needed for mass bias correction and for the validation of the method used for analysis.Thus, it is of paramount importance to achieve measurement comparability of all data reported, and to assess measurement capability of each CRM producer/National Metrology Institute (NMI). Therefore, the international comparison (CCQM-P213) was performed to assess the analytical capabilities of NMIs for the accurate determination of copper isotope ratio delta values in high purity materials. The study was proposed by the coordinating laboratories, National Research Council Canada (NRC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), as an activity of the Isotope Ratio Working Group (IRWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance - Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM). Participants included six NMIs and one designated institute (DI) from the six countries. Although no measurement method was prescribed by the coordinating laboratories, MC-ICP-MS with either standard-sample bracketing (SSB) or combined SSB with internal normalization (C-SSBIN) models for mass bias correction were recommended. Results obtained from the six NMIs and one DI were in good agreement. KW - Comparability KW - Traceability KW - Metrology KW - Isotope delta KW - Copper PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/60/1A/08019 VL - 60 IS - 1A SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - IOP Science AN - OPUS4-58040 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Solovyev, N. A1 - El-Khatib, Ahmed A1 - Costas-Rodrigues, M. A1 - Schwab, K. A1 - Griffin, E. A1 - Raab, A. A1 - Platt, B. A1 - Theuring, F. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Vanhaecke, F. T1 - Cu, Fe and Zn isotope ratios in murine Alzheimer's disease models suggest specific signatures of amyloidogenesis and tauopathy N2 - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by accumulation of tau and amyloid-beta in the brain, and recent evidence suggests a correlation between associated protein aggregates and trace elements, such as copper, iron and zinc. In AD, distorted brain redox homeostasis and complexation by amyloid-beta and hyperphosphorylated tau May alter the isotopic composition of essential mineral elements. Therefore, high-precision isotopic analysis may reveal changes in the homeostasis of these elements. We used inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)-based techniques to determine the total Cu, Fe and Zn contents in the brain, as well as their isotopic compositions in both mouse brain and serum. Results for male transgenic tau (Line 66, L66) and amyloid/presenilin (5xFAD) mice were compared to those for the corresponding age- and gendermatched wild-type control mice (WT). Our data show that L66 brains showed significantly higher Fe levels than the corresponding WT. Significantly less Cu, but more Zn was found in 5xFAD brains. We observed significantly lighter isotopic compositions of Fe (enrichment in the lighter isotopes) in the brain, and in serum of L66 mice compared to WT. For 5xFAD mice, Zn exhibited a trend towards a lighter isotopic composition in brain and a heavier isotopic composition in serum compared to WT. Neither mouse model yielded differences in the isotopic composition of Cu. Our findings indicate significant pathology-specific alterations of Fe and Zn brain homeostasis in mouse models of AD. The associated changes in isotopic composition May serve as a marker for proteinopathies Underlying AD and other types of dementia. KW - Alzheimer’s disease KW - Tau KW - Amyloid-beta KW - Copper KW - Iron KW - Zinc KW - Multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) KW - Brain KW - Serum KW - Isotopic analysis KW - Total element determination PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-520214 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100292 VL - 296 SP - 100292 PB - Elsevier Inc. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-52021 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tukhmetova, Dariya A1 - Lisec, Jan A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - Data processing made easy: standalone tool for automated calculation of isotope ratio from transient signals – IsoCor N2 - Despite numerous advantages offered by hyphenation of chromatography and electrokinetic separation methods with multicollector (MC) ICP-MS for isotope analysis, the main limitation of such systems is the decrease in precision and increase in uncertainty due to generation of short transient signals. To minimize this limitation, most authors compare several isotope ratio calculation methods and establish a multi-step data processing routine based on the precision and accuracy of the methods. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no universal data processing tool available that incorporates all important steps of the treatment of the transient signals. Thus, we introduce a data processing application (App) IsoCor that facilitates automatic calculation of isotope ratios from transient signals and eases selection of the most suitable method. The IsoCor App performs baseline subtraction, peak detection, mass bias correction, isotope ratio calculation and delta calculation. The feasibility and reliability of the App was proven by reproducing the results from isotope analysis of three elements (neodymium, mercury and sulfur) measured on-line via hyphenated systems. The IsoCor App provides trackability of the results to ensure quality control of the analysis. KW - Isotope ratio KW - Transient signal KW - MC-ICP-MS KW - Data processing KW - App PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-559068 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2JA00208F VL - 37 IS - 11 SP - 2401 EP - 2409 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-55906 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - You, Zengchao A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Determination of calcium, iron, and selenium in human serum by isotope dilution analysis using nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure plasma mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) N2 - In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) for Ca, Fe, and Se quantification in human serum using isotope dilution (ID) analysis. The matrix tolerance of MICAP-MS in Na matrix was investigated, uncovering that high Na levels can suppress the signal intensity. This suppression is likely due to the plasma loading and the space charge effect. Moreover, 40Ca and 44Ca isotopic fractionation was noted at elevated Na concentration. Nine certified serum samples were analyzed using both external calibration and ID analysis. Overestimation of Cr, Zn, As, and Se was found in the results of external calibration, which might be resulted from C-induced polyatomic interference and signal enhancement, respectively. Further investigations performed with methanol showed a similar enhancement effect for Zn, As, and Se, potentially supporting this assumption. The mass concentrations determined with ID analysis show metrological compatibility with the reference values, indicating that MICAP-MS combined with ID analysis can be a promising method for precise Ca, Fe, and Se determination. Moreover, this combination reduces the influences of matrix effects, broadening the applicability of MICAP-MS for samples with complex matrix. KW - Selenium KW - Nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry KW - Isotope dilution KW - Human serum KW - Calcium KW - Iron PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-598664 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05274-0 SN - 1618-2642 SP - 3117 EP - 3125 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-59866 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Can, S. Z. A1 - Engin, B. A. A1 - İşleyen, A. A1 - Jotanovic, A. A1 - Acosta, O. A1 - Prina, P. A1 - Schvartz, M. A1 - Savić, M. A1 - Stojanović, M. A1 - Ahumada, D. A. A1 - Abella, J. P. A1 - Näykki, T. A1 - Saro-Aho, T. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Koenig, Maren A1 - Rienitz, O. A1 - Noordmann, J. A1 - Pape, C. A1 - Towara, J. A1 - Kakoulides, E. A1 - Alexopoulos, C. A1 - Ketrin, R. A1 - Mardika, E. A1 - Komalasari, I. A1 - Elishian, C. A1 - Naujalis, E. A1 - Knašienė, B. A1 - Uribe, C. A1 - Carrasco, E. A1 - Zoń, A. A1 - Warzywoda, B. A1 - Stakheev, A. A1 - Dobrovolskiy, V. A1 - Stolboushkina, T. A1 - Glinkova, A. A1 - Sobina, E. A1 - Tabatchikova, T. A1 - Gažević, L. A1 - Paunovic, M. A1 - Jaćimović, R. A1 - Zuliani, T. A1 - Zambra, R. P. A1 - Napoli, R. T1 - Determination of elements in river water N2 - The need for quality assessment of anthropogenic impact on environmental pollution is increasing due to discharge from various industries, the use of chemicals in agriculture and the consumption of fossil fuels. Diminishing resources such as natural waters used for the cultivation of agricultural products, plant and animal habitats are under severe pollution pressure and are at constant risk. Several parameters, such as Pb, Cd, Ni, Hg were listed by Water Framework Directive in Directive(2008/105/EC) in the priority substances. Cadmium and Hg were identified as priority hazardous substances whereas As is an important contaminant for its potential toxicological and carcinogenic effects. An inter-comparison study is organised in EURAMET TC-MC in order to demonstrate the capability participants for measuring five elements in river water. The participants carried out measurements for analytes: Pb, Cd, Ni and As as mandatory elements, and Se as an optional one. Participants were asked to perform the measurements with respect to the protocol provided. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA). KW - Metrology KW - Traceability KW - Toxic elements KW - River water PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/60/1A/08001 VL - 60 IS - 1a SP - 1 EP - 40 PB - BIPM & IOP Publishing Ltd AN - OPUS4-56786 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Morcillo Garcia-Morato, Dalia A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Riedel, Jens A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Determination of lithium in human serum by isotope dilution atomic absorption spectrometry N2 - The therapeutic dose of lithium (Li) compounds, which are widely used for the treatment of psychiatric and hematologic disorders, is close to its toxic level; therefore, drug monitoring protocols are mandatory. Herein, we propose a fast, simple, and low-cost analytical procedure for the traceable determination of Li concentration in human serum, based on the monitoring of the Li isotope dilution through the partially resolved isotope shift in its electronic transition around 670.80 nm using a commercially available high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. With this technique, serum samples only require acidic digestion before analysis. The procedure requires three measurements—an enriched 6Li spike, a mixture of a certified standard solution and spike, and a mixture of the sample and spike with a nominal 7Li/6Li ratio of 0.82. Lanthanum has been used as an internal spectral standard for wavelength correction. The spectra are described as the linear superposition of the contributions of the respective isotopes, each consisting of a spin-orbit doublet, which can be expressed as Gaussian components with constant spectral position and width and different relative intensity, reflecting the isotope ratio in the sample. Both the spectral constants and the correlation between isotope ratio and relative band intensity have been experimentally obtained using commercially available materials enriched with Li isotopes. The Li characteristic mass (mc) obtained corresponds to 0.6 pg. The procedure has been validated using five human serum certified reference materials. The results are metrologically comparable and compatible to the certified values. The measurement uncertainties are comparable to those obtained by the more complex and expensive technique, isotope dilution mass spectrometry. KW - Lithium KW - Human serum KW - Isotope dilution KW - Atomic absorption spectrometry KW - High-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-532446 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03636-6 VL - 414 IS - 1 SP - 251 EP - 256 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-53244 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Karbach, H. A1 - Bell, A. M. A1 - Bauer, O. B. A1 - Karst, U. A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - Determination of metal uptake in single organisms, Corophiumvolutator, via complementary electrothermal vaporization/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and laserablation/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry N2 - Rationale: (Eco-)toxicological effects are mostly derived empirically and are notcorrelated with metal uptake. Furthermore, if the metal content is determined,mostly bulk analysis of the whole organism population is conducted; thus, biologicalvariability is completely disregarded, and this may lead to misleading results. Toovercome this issue, we compared two different solid sampling techniques for theanalysis of single organisms.Methods: In this study, complementary electrothermal vaporization/inductivelycoupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV/ICP-MS) , laser ablation/inductivelycoupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA/ICP-MS)-based methods for the analysisof individual organisms were developed and the results obtained were comparedwith the concentrations obtained after digestion and measured using ICP-MS.For this purpose, a common (eco-)toxicological test organism, the mud shrimpCorophium volutator, was selected. As proof-of-concept application, these organismswere incubated with environmentally relevant metals from galvanic anodes, whichare often used for protection against metal corrosion in, for example, offshorewind farms.Results: The bulk analysis revealed that large quantities of the incubated elementswere detectable. Using the ETV/ICP-MS method, we could identify a highbiovariability within the population of organisms tested. Using the LA/ICP-MSmethod, it could be determined that the large quantities of the elements detectedwere due to adsorption of the metals and not due to uptake, which correlates wellwith the absence of (eco-)toxicological effects.Conclusions: The results obtained imply the efficiency of complementary methods toexplain the absence or presence of (eco-)toxicological effects. In particular, methodsthat allow for single-organism analysis or provide even a spatial resolution supportthe interpretation of ecotoxicological findings. KW - ICP-MS KW - Metal toxicity KW - Metal uptake KW - Corophium volutator KW - Seawater PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8953 VL - 35 IS - 2 SP - e8953 AN - OPUS4-52077 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Fischer, E. A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Pfeifer, Jens A1 - Cossmer, Antje A1 - Wittwer, Philipp A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - Determination of organically bound fluorine sum parameters in river water samples - Comparison of combustion ion chromatography (CIC) and high resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS) N2 - In this study, we compare combustion ion chromatography (CIC) and high resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS) with respect to their applicability for determining organically Bound fluorine sum parameters. Extractable (EOF) and adsorbable (AOF) organically bound fluorine as well as total fluorine (TF) were measured in samples fromriver Spree in Berlin, Germany, to reveal the advantages and disadvantages of the two techniques used as well as the two established fluorine sum Parameters AOF and EOF. TF concentrations determined via HR-CS-GFMAS and CIC were comparable between 148 and 270 μg/L. On average, AOF concentrations were higher than EOF concentrations, with AOF making up 0.14–0.81% of TF (determined using CIC) and EOF 0.04–0.28% of TF (determined using HR-CSGFMAS). The results obtained by the two independent methods were in good agreement. It turned out that HR-CS-GFMAS is a more sensitive and precise method for fluorine analysis compared to CIC. EOF and AOF are comparable tools in Risk evaluation for the emerging pollutants per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances; however, EOF is much faster to conduct. KW - High resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS) KW - Combustion ion chromatography (CIC) KW - Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) KW - Adsorbable organically bound fluorine (AOF) KW - Extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF) KW - Surface waters PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-515351 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-03010-y SN - 1618-2650 VL - 413 IS - 28 SP - 103 EP - 115 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-51535 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kazlagić, Anera A1 - Russo, Francesco A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Sturm, Patrick A1 - Stephan, D. A1 - Gluth, Gregor ED - Resch-Genger, Ute ED - Koch, Matthias ED - Meermann, Björn ED - Weller, Michael G. T1 - Development of a sample preparation procedure for Sr isotope analysis of Portland cements N2 - The 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio can, in principle, be used for provenancing of cement. However, while commercial cements consist of multiple components, no detailed investigation into their individual 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios or their influence on the integral 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio of the resulting cement was conducted previously. Therefore, the present study aimed at determining and comparing the conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of a diverse set of Portland cements and their corresponding Portland clinkers, the major component of these cements. Two approaches to remove the additives from the cements, i.e. to measure the conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotopic fingerprint of the clinker only, were tested, namely, treatment with a potassium hydroxide/sucrose solution and sieving on a 11-µm sieve. Dissolution in concentrated hydrochloric acid/nitric acid and in diluted nitric acid was employed to determine the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of the cements and the individual clinkers. The aim was to find the most appropriate sample preparation procedure for cement provenancing, and the selection was realised by comparing the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of differently treated cements with those of the corresponding clinkers. None of the methods to separate the clinkers from the cements proved to be satisfactory. However, it was found that the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of clinker and cement generally corresponded, meaning that the latter can be used as a proxy for the clinker 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio. Finally, the concentrated hydrochloric acid/nitric acid dissolution method was found to be the most suitable sample preparation method for the cements; it is thus recommended for 87Sr/86Sr isotope analyses for cement provenancing. KW - Cement KW - Provenancing KW - Sr isotopes KW - Portland clinker KW - Dissolution PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-542239 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03821-7 SN - 1618-2642 SN - 1618-2650 VL - 414 IS - 15 (Topical collection: Analytical methods and applications in the materials and life sciences) SP - 4379 EP - 4389 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-54223 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tukhmetova, Dariya A1 - Lisec, Jan A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - Development of an Online Isotope Dilution CE/ICP–MS Method for the Quantification of Sulfur in Biological Compounds N2 - We report an analytical methodology for the quantification of sulfur in biological molecules via a speciesunspecific postcolumn isotope dilution (online ID) approach using capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled online with inductively coupled plasma−mass spectrometry (online ID CE/ICP−MS). The method was optimized using a mixture of standard compounds including sulfate, methionine, cysteine, cystine, and albumin, yielding compound recoveries between 98 and 105%. The quantity of sulfur is further converted to the quantity of the compounds owing to the prior knowledge of the sulfur content in the molecules. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of sulfur in the compounds were 1.3−2.6 and 4.1−8.4 mg L−1, respectively, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 within the concentration range of sulfur of 5−100 mg L−1. The capability of the method was extended to quantify albumin in its native matrix (i.e., in serum) using experimentally prepared serum spiked with a pure albumin standard for validation. The relative expanded uncertainty of the method for the quantification of albumin was 6.7% (k = 2). Finally, we tested the applicability of the method on real samples by the analysis of albumin in bovine and human sera. For automated data assessment, a software application (IsoCor) which was developed by us in a previous work was developed further for handling of online ID data. The method has several improvements compared to previously published setups: (i) reduced adsorption of proteins onto the capillary wall owing to a special capillary-coating procedure, (ii) baseline separation of the compounds in less than 30 min via CE, (iii) quantification of several sulfur species within one run by means of the online setup, (iv) SI traceability of the quantification results through online ID, and (v) facilitated data processing of the transient signals using the IsoCor application. Our method can be used as an accurate approach for quantification of proteins and other biological molecules via sulfur analysis in complex matrices for various fields, such as environmental, biological, and pharmaceutical studies as well as clinical diagnosis. Sulfur is an essential element in living organisms, where it plays important roles in various biological processes, such as protein synthesis, enzyme activity, and antioxidant defense. However, the biological effects of different sulfur species can vary widely, and imbalances in sulfur speciation have been observed in a range of diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.1−3 The accurate quantification of sulfur and its species in biological samples requires sensitive and selective analytical techniques. In recent years, separation techniques coupled online with inductively coupled plasma−mass spectrometry (ICP−MS) have emerged as powerful online analytical tools complementary to molecular spectrometric methods for speciation analysis of biological compounds. External calibration4−9 and isotope dilution (ID)10−15 are common calibration approaches applied for online quantification of sulfur species in complex samples. The ID analysis is advantageous over. KW - Analytical Chemistry KW - CE/MC-ICP-MS KW - species-specific isotope information PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-594736 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03553 SN - 0003-2700 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-59473 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Isleyen, Alper A1 - Özcan, Kemal A1 - Tunc, Murat A1 - Boztepe, Aylin A1 - Coşkun, Fatma Gonca A1 - Moshammer, Kai A1 - Shehab, Moaaz A1 - Stratulat, Camelia A1 - Bratu, Adriana A1 - Hafner-Vuk, Katarina A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Strzelec, Michał A1 - Calvo, Mariana Villegas A1 - Frey, Anne Mette A1 - Strauss, Helena T1 - Development of three biofuel CRMs for the quality parameters in biodiesel and wood pellet via a joint research project N2 - Biomass is a key element in biofuels which can be defined as a fuel produced through contemporary biological processes, and its increased use can support the EU’s aims of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Information on the nature and the quality of the biomass or biofuel is important in order to support the optimization of their combustion with respect to realizing higher efficiencies and lower emissions during energy production. Three reference materials were produced by a collaborative approach among national metrology institutes and designated institutes within the scope of the EMPIR project: BIOFMET. The project was aimed to establish advanced traceable measurement standards for the determination of the calorific value, impurities, and other parameters such as density, kinematic viscosity, moisture, and ash. This paper presents the sampling and processing methodology, homogeneity, stability, characterization campaign, the assignment of property values, and their associated uncertainties in compliance with ISO 17034 for biofuel reference materials: biodiesel, wood pellet powder, and wood pellet. Parameters of interest in biodiesel reference material-UME BIOFMET CRM 01 are gross calorific value (GCV), density, viscosity, and mass fractions of Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, and S elements. Parameters to be certified in wood pellet powder reference material-UME BIOFMET CRM 02 are GCV, moisture, ash, and mass fractions of Al, Cr, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, S, and Zn elements. Parameters to be certified in the wood pellet reference material-UME BIOFMET CRM 03 are GCV and moisture. The homogeneity and stability of the materials were assessed in accordance with ISO 33405. The materials were characterized by interlaboratory comparison studies among competent metrology institute and designated institute laboratories. Assigned values and uncertainties of the certified values were calculated in accordance with ISO 33405, and uncertainties include characterization, homogeneity, and stability components. The developed CRMs are intended to be used for the development and validation of measurement procedures for the determination and quality control/assurance purposes of the quality parameters for biofuels. It should be emphasized that the UME BIOFMET CRM 01-Biodiesel CRM is the first biodiesel reference material certified for calorific value. Among the developed wood CRMs, the pellet form, UME BIOFMET CRM 03, was found to be more stable than the powder one, UME BIOFMET CRM 02, for the moisture parameter. Sixfold lower relative uncertainty value for short-term stability at 45 °C and twofold lower relative uncertainty value for long-term stability at 22 °C were obtained for the moisture parameter of the CRM in pellet form compared to the CRM in powder form. KW - Biofuel KW - Biodiesel KW - Wood pellet KW - Calorific value KW - Moisture KW - Element content PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05694-y SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-62371 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weber, K. A1 - Weber, M. A1 - Menneken, M. A1 - Kral, A. G. A1 - Mertz-Kraus, R. A1 - Geisler, T. A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Tütken, T. T1 - Diagenetic stability of non-traditional stable isotope systems (Ca, Sr, Mg, Zn) in teeth – An in-vitro alteration experiment of biogenic apatite in isotopically enriched tracer solution N2 - Stable isotope ratios and trace element concentrations of fossil bones and teeth are important geochemical proxies for the reconstruction of diet and past environment in archaeology and palaeontology. However, since diagenesis can significantly alter primary diet-related isotope signatures and elemental compositions, it is important to understand and quantify alteration processes. Here, we present the results of in-vitro Alteration experiments of dental tissues from a modern African elephant molar reacted in aqueous solutions at 30 °C and 90 °C for 4 to 63 days. Dental cubes with ≈ 3 mm edge length, comprising both enamel and dentin, were placed into 2 mL of acidic aqueous solution enriched in different isotopes (25Mg, 44Ca, 67Zn, 86Sr, initial pH 1). Element and isotope distribution profiles across the reacted cubes were measured with LA-(MC-)ICP-MS and EMPA, while potential effects on the bioapatite crystal structure were characterised by Raman spectroscopy. In all experiments isotope ratios measured by LA-(MC-)ICP-MS revealed an alteration of the enamel in the outer ≈ 200–300 μm. In contrast, dentin was fully altered (≈ 1.4 mm) after one week at 90 °C while the alteration did not exceed a depth of 150–200 μm during the 30 °C experiments. Then, the tracer solution started also to penetrate through the enamel-dentin junction into the innermost enamel, however, leaving the central part of the enamel unaltered, even after three months. The Raman spectra suggest an initial demineralisation in the acidic environment while organic matter (i.e. collagen) is still preserved. In the 90 °C experiment, Raman spectra of the v1 PO4) band of the dentin shift over time towards synthetic hydroxylapatite patterns and the Ca (and Sr) concentrations in the respective solutions decrease. This indicates precipitation of newly formed apatite. Isotope and element concentration profiles across the dental tissues reveal different exchange mechanisms for different isotope systems. Magnesium is leached from enamel and dentin, while Zn is incorporated into the apatite crystal structure. However, the distribution of both elements is not affected in the innermost enamel where their concentrations do not change over the whole duration of the experiments. We found no correlation of reaction depth in the cubes and experimental duration, which might be caused by natural variability of the dental material already at the beginning of the experiment. Our alteration experiments in a closed system at high temperatures ≤90 °C and low initial pH demonstrate that at least the central part of mm-thick mammalian enamel apatite seems to be resistant against alteration preserving its pristine bioapatite mineral structure as well as its in-vivo elemental and isotopic composition. The experiments assess diagenetic alteration in a novel multi-proxy approach using in-situ analyses in high spatial resolution. It is demonstrated that the isotopes of Ca, Sr, Zn and Mg in the dentin are prone for diagenetic alteration, while enamel is more resistant against alteration and could be used for dietary and physiological reconstructions in fossil teeth. KW - Bioapatite KW - Isotopes KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - Diagenesis KW - LA-(MC-)ICP-MS KW - EPMA PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120196 VL - 572 SP - 120196 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-52447 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Anderhalten, L. A1 - Silva, R. V. A1 - Morr, A. A1 - Wang, S. A1 - Smorodchenko, A. A1 - Saatz, Jessica A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Mueller, S. A1 - Boehm-Sturm, P. A1 - Rodriguez-Sillke, Y. A1 - Kunkel, D. A1 - Hahndorf, J. A1 - Paul, F. A1 - Taupitz, M. A1 - Sack, I. A1 - Infante-Duarte, C. T1 - Different Impact of Gadopentetate and Gadobutrol on Inflammation-Promoted Retention and Toxicity of Gadolinium Within the Mouse Brain N2 - Objectives: Using a murine model of multiple sclerosis, we previously showed that repeated administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine led to retention of gadolinium (Gd) within cerebellar structures and that this process was enhanced with inflammation. This study aimed to compare the kinetics and retention profiles of Gd in inflamed and healthy brains after application of the macrocyclic Gd-based contrast agent (GBCA) gadobutrol or the linear GBCA gadopentetate. Moreover, potential Gd-induced neurotoxicity was investigated in living hippocampal slices ex vivo. Materials and Methods: Mice at peak of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE; n = 29) and healthy control mice (HC; n = 24) were exposed to a cumulative dose of 20 mmol/kg bodyweight of either gadopentetate dimeglumine or gadobutrol (8 injections of 2.5 mmol/kg over 10 days). Magnetic resonance imaging (7 T) was performed at baseline as well as at day 1, 10, and 40 post final injection (pfi) of GBCAs. Mice were sacrificed after magnetic resonance imaging and brain and blood Gd content was assessed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-mass spectrometry (MS) and ICP-MS, respectively. In addition, using chronic organotypic hippocampal slice cultures, Gd-induced neurotoxicity was addressed in living brain tissue ex vivo, both under control or inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α] at 50 ng/μL) conditions. Results: Neuroinflammation promoted a significant decrease in T1 relaxation times after multiple injections of both GBCAs as shown by quantitative T1 mapping of EAE brains compared with HC. This corresponded to higher Gd retention within the EAE brains at 1, 10, and 40 days pfi as determined by laser ablation-ICP-MS. In inflamed cerebellum, in particular in the deep cerebellar nuclei (CN), elevated Gd retention was observed until day 40 after last gadopentetate application (CN: EAE vs HC, 55.06 ± 0.16 μM vs 30.44 ± 4.43 μM). In contrast, gadobutrol application led to a rather diffuse Gd content in the inflamed brains, which strongly diminished until day 40 (CN: EAE vs HC, 0.38 ± 0.08 μM vs 0.17 ± 0.03 μM). The analysis of cytotoxic effects of both GBCAs using living brain tissue revealed an elevated cell death rate after incubation with gadopentetate but not gadobutrol at 50 mM. The cytotoxic effect due to gadopentetate increased in the presence of the inflammatory mediator TNF-α (with vs without TNF-α, 3.15% ± 1.18% vs 2.17% ± 1.14%; P = 0.0345). Conclusions: In the EAE model, neuroinflammation promoted increased Gd retention in the brain for both GBCAs. Whereas in the inflamed brains, efficient clearance of macrocyclic gadobutrol during the investigated time period was observed, the Gd retention after application of linear gadopentetate persisted over the entire observational period. Gadopentetate but not gadubutrol appeared to be neurotoxic in an ex vivo paradigm of neuronal inflammation. KW - Imaging KW - ICP-MS KW - Gadolinium KW - Contrast agent KW - Laser ablation KW - Brain KW - Multiple sclerosis PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-546910 DO - https://doi.org/10.1097/RLI.0000000000000884 SN - 0020-9996/22/0000–0000 VL - 57 IS - 10 SP - 677 EP - 688 PB - Wolters Kluwer N.V. CY - Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands AN - OPUS4-54691 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Meermann, Björn A1 - Koch, Matthias A1 - Weller, Michael G. T1 - Editorial: Analytical methods and applications in materials and life sciences N2 - Current trends in materials and life sciences are flanked by the need to push detection limits to single molecules or single cells, enable the characterization of increasingly complex matrices or sophisticated nanostructures, speed up the time of analysis, reduce instrument complexity and costs, and improve the reliability of data. This requires suitable analytical tools such as spectroscopic, separation and imaging techniques, mass spectrometry, and hyphenated techniques as well as sensors and their adaptation to application-specific challenges in the environmental, food, consumer product, health sector, nanotechnology, and bioanalysis. Increasing concerns about health threatening known or emerging pollutants in drinking water, consumer products, and food and about the safety of nanomaterials led to a new awareness of the importance of analytical sciences. Another important driver in this direction is the increasing demand by legislation, particularly in view of the 17 sustainable development goals by the United Nations addressing clean energy, industry, and innovation, sustainable cities, clean water, and responsible consumption and production. In this respect, also the development of analytical methods that enable the characterization of material flows in production processes and support recycling concepts of precious raw materials becomes more and more relevant. In the future, this will provide the basis for greener production in the chemical industry utilizing recycled or sustainable starting materials. This makes analytical chemistry an essential player in terms of the circular economy helping to increase the sustainability of production processes. In the life sciences sector, products based on proteins, such as therapeutic and diagnostic antibodies, increase in importance. These increasingly biotechnologically produced functional biomolecules pose a high level of complexity of matrix and structural features that can be met only by highly advanced methods for separation, characterization, and detection. In addition, metrological traceability and target definition are still significant challenges for the future, particularly in the life sciences. However, innovative reference materials as required for the health and food sector and the characterization of advanced materials can only be developed when suitable analytical protocols are available. The so-called reproducibility crisis in sciences underlines the importance of improved measures of quality control for all kinds of measurements and material characterization. This calls for thorough method validation concepts, suitable reference materials, and regular interlaboratory comparisons of measurements as well as better training of scientists in analytical sciences. The important contribution of analytical sciences to these developments is highlighted by a broad collection of research papers, trend articles, and critical reviews from these different application fields. Special emphasis is dedicated to often-overlooked quality assurance and reference materials. T2 - 150 years BAM: Science with impact CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 01.01.2021 KW - Analysis KW - Life sciences KW - Analytical sciences KW - Quality assurance KW - Reference material KW - Fluorescence KW - Nanoparticle KW - Sensor KW - Material sciences KW - Pollutant KW - Environment KW - Method KW - Limit of detection KW - 150th anniversary KW - ABC KW - BAM KW - Collection KW - Editorial KW - Special issue KW - Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung KW - Jahrestag PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-550720 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-04082-8 SN - 1618-2642 SN - 1618-2650 VL - 414 IS - Topical collection: Analytical methods and applications in the materials and life sciences SP - 4267 EP - 4268 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-55072 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völzke, Jule L. A1 - Smatty, Sarah A1 - Döring, Sarah A1 - Ewald, Shireen A1 - Oelze, Marcus A1 - Fratzke, Franziska A1 - Flemig, Sabine A1 - Konthur, Zoltán A1 - Weller, Michael G. T1 - Efficient Purification of Polyhistidine-Tagged Recombinant Proteins Using Functionalized Corundum Particles N2 - Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a widely used technique for purifying polyhistidine-tagged recombinant proteins. However, it often has practical limitations that require complex optimizations and additional steps for purification. In this study, we introduce functionalized corundum particles as a novel, efficient, and economical method for purifying recombinant proteins in a column-free format. The corundum surface is modified with amino silane APTES, followed by EDTA dianhydride, and then loaded with nickel ions. We used the Kaiser test to monitor the modification process and ICP-MS to quantify the metal-binding capacity. To evaluate the system, we used His-tagged protein A/G (PAG) mixed with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The corundum particles exhibited a binding capacity of approximately 3 mg of protein per gram of corundum or 2.4 mg per 1 mL of corundum suspension. We also examined cytoplasm obtained from different E. coli strains as an example of a complex matrix. Varying the imidazole concentration in the loading and washing buffers showed that higher concentrations during loading improved purity. Even with sample volumes as large as one liter, we successfully isolated recombinant proteins down to a concentration of 1 µg/mL. We found higher purity levels with corundum when comparing the corundum material to standard Ni–NTA agarose beads. We successfully purified His6-MBP-mSA2, a fusion protein comprising monomeric streptavidin and maltose-binding protein, from E. coli cytoplasm, demonstrating the method's applicability. We also purified SARS-CoV-2-S-RBD-His8 expressed in human Expi293F cells, confirming its suitability for mammalian cell culture supernatants. The material cost of the nickel-loaded corundum material (without regeneration) is estimated to be less than 30 cents per gram of functionalized support or 10 cents per milligram of isolated protein. Another advantage of this system is the exceptional physical and chemical stability of corundum particles. Overall, we have demonstrated that this novel material offers an efficient, robust, and cost-effective purification platform for His-tagged proteins, even in challenging, complex matrices and large sample volumes with low product concentrations. This method has potential applications in both small laboratories and large-scale industrial settings. N2 - Die immobilisierte Metallaffinitätschromatographie (IMAC) ist eine weit verbreitete Technik zur Reinigung von rekombinanten Proteinen mit Polyhistidin-Markierung. Sie hat jedoch oft praktische Einschränkungen, die komplexe Optimierungen und zusätzliche Schritte für die Aufreinigung erfordern. In dieser Studie stellen wir funktionalisierte Korundpartikel als neuartige, effiziente und wirtschaftliche Methode zur Reinigung rekombinanter Proteine in einem säulenfreien Format vor. Die Korundoberfläche wird mit dem Aminosilan APTES und anschließend mit EDTA-Dianhydrid modifiziert und dann mit Nickelionen beladen. Wir haben den Kaiser-Test zur Überwachung des Modifizierungsprozesses und ICP-MS zur Quantifizierung der Metallbindungskapazität verwendet. Zur Charakterisierung des Systems verwendeten wir His-markiertes Protein A/G (PAG) in Kombination mit Rinderserumalbumin (BSA). Die Korundpartikel wiesen eine Bindungskapazität von etwa 3 mg Protein pro Gramm Korund oder 2,4 mg pro 1 ml Korundsuspension auf. Als Beispiel für eine komplexe Matrix untersuchten wir auch Zytoplasma, das aus verschiedenen E. coli-Stämmen gewonnen wurde. Die Variation der Imidazolkonzentration in den Lade- und Waschpuffern zeigte, dass höhere Konzentrationen beim Laden die Reinheit verbesserten. Selbst bei einem Probenvolumen von bis zu einem Liter konnten wir rekombinante Proteine von 1 µg/mL isolieren. Beim Vergleich des Korundmaterials mit Standard-Ni-NTA-Agarose-Beads stellten wir einen höheren Reinheitsgrad mit Korund fest. Wir reinigten erfolgreich His6-MBP-mSA2 aus E. coli-Zytoplasma, ein Fusionsprotein, das aus monomerem Streptavidin und Maltose-bindendem Protein besteht. Wir reinigten auch SARS-CoV-2-S-RBD-His8, das in humanen Expi293F-Zellen exprimiert wurde, und bestätigten damit die Eignung des Materials für Zellkulturüberstände von Säugetieren. Die Materialkosten für nickelbeladenen Korund (ohne Regenerierung) werden auf weniger als 30 Cent pro Gramm funktionalisierten Trägers oder 10 Cent pro Milligramm isolierten Proteins geschätzt. Ein weiterer Vorteil dieses Systems ist die außergewöhnliche physikalische und chemische Stabilität der Korundpartikel. Insgesamt haben wir gezeigt, dass dieses neuartige Material eine effiziente, robuste und kostengünstige Reinigungsplattform für His-markierte Proteine bietet, selbst bei schwierigen, komplexen Matrices und großen Probenmengen mit niedrigen Produktkonzentrationen. Diese Methode könnte sowohl in kleinen Labors als auch in der Großindustrie eingesetzt werden. KW - Aluminum oxide KW - Sapphire KW - Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid KW - Nickel chelate KW - EDTAD KW - HexaHis-Tag KW - His6 KW - 6xHis KW - His8 KW - Bioseparation KW - IMAC purification KW - Immunocapture KW - Affinity chromatography KW - Carrier KW - Nickel KW - Recombinant protein KW - Escherichia coli KW - Bacterial lysates KW - Cytoplasm KW - Polishing KW - Downstream processing PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-575672 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech12020031 VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - MDPI CY - Basel, Schweiz AN - OPUS4-57567 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nxumalo, T. A1 - Akhdhar, A. A1 - Mueller, V. A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Cossmer, Antje A1 - Pfeifer, Jens A1 - Krupp, E. A1 - Meermann, Björn A1 - Kindness, A. A1 - Feldmann, J. T1 - EOF and target PFAS analysis in surface waters affected by sewage treatment effluents in Berlin, Germany N2 - Per- and polyfuoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging organic pollutants and can occur in surface and groundwater. To identify the degree of pollution in surface water with PFAS, often targeted HPLC–ESI–MS/MS has been employed in which commonly 30–40 compounds are analyzed. However, other PFAS and organofuorines remain undetected. We sampled surface water of the river Spree and the Teltow Canal in Berlin, Germany, which are afected by the efuent discharge of wastewater treatment plants. Here, we employed high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS) for measuring extractable organofuorines (EOF) and compared in a mass balance approach the total fuorine to the identifed and quantifed PFAS from the targeted analysis. The analysis highlights that the EOF are in the range expected for an urban river system (Winchell et al. in Sci Total Environ 774, 2021). However, downstream of an efuent discharge, the EOF increased by one order of magnitude, e.g., 40.3 to 574 ng F L−1, along the Teltow Canal. From our target analytes, mostly short-chained perfuorinated carboxylic acids and sulfonates occur in the water, which however makes up less than 10% of the EOF. The increase in EOF in the Teltow Canal correlates well with the increase of perfuorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), indicating that PFHxA is characteristic for the discharged EOF but not responsible for the increase. Hence, it points to PFHxA precursor discharge. The study highlights that EOF screening using HR-CS-GFMAS is necessary to identify the full scale of pollution with regard to PFAS and other organofuorines such as pharmaceutical compounds from the efuent of WWTPs. KW - PFAS KW - WWTP KW - GF-MAS PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-580341 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-04500-x VL - 415 SP - 1195 EP - 1204 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-58034 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lancaster, Shaun T. A1 - Sahlin, Eskil A1 - Oelze, Marcus A1 - Ostermann, Markus A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Laperche, Valérie A1 - Touze, Solène A1 - Ghestem, Jean-Philippe A1 - Dalencourt, Claire A1 - Gendre, Régine A1 - Stammeier, Jessica A1 - Klein, Ole A1 - Pröfrock, Daniel A1 - Košarac, Gala A1 - Jotanovic, Aida A1 - Bergamaschi, Luigi A1 - Di Luzio, Marco A1 - D’Agostino, Giancarlo A1 - Jaćimović, Radojko A1 - Eberhard, Melissa A1 - Feiner, Laura A1 - Trimmel, Simone A1 - Rachetti, Alessandra A1 - Sara-Aho, Timo A1 - Roethke, Anita A1 - Michaliszyn, Lena A1 - Pramann, Axel A1 - Rienitz, Olaf A1 - Irrgeher, Johanna T1 - Evaluation of X-ray fluorescence for analysing critical elements in three electronic waste matrices: A comprehensive comparison of analytical techniques N2 - As the drive towards recycling electronic waste increases, demand for rapid and reliable analytical methodology to analyse the metal content of the waste is increasing, e.g. to assess the value of the waste and to decide the correct recycling routes. Here, we comprehensively assess the suitability of different x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF)-based techniques as rapid analytical tools for the determination of critical raw materials, such as Al, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Nb, Pd and Au, in three electronic waste matrices: printed circuit boards (PCB), light emitting diodes (LED), and lithium (Li)-ion batteries. As validated reference methods and materials to establish metrological traceability are lacking, several laboratories measured test samples of each matrix using XRF as well as other independent complementary techniques (instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ICP optical emission spectrometry (OES)) as an inter-laboratory comparison (ILC). Results highlighted key aspects of sample preparation, limits of detection, and spectral interferences that affect the reliability of XRF, while additionally highlighting that XRF can provide more reliable data for certain elements compared to digestion-based approaches followed by ICP-MS analysis (e.g. group 4 and 5 metals). A clear distinction was observed in data processing methodologies for wavelength dispersive XRF, highlighting that considering the metals present as elements (rather than oxides) induces overestimations of the mass fractions when compared to other techniques. Eventually, the effect of sample particle size was studied and indicated that smaller particle size (<200 μm) is essential for reliable determinations. KW - XRF KW - WEEE KW - PCB KW - Battery KW - LED KW - Recycling PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-614060 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2024.10.015 VL - 190 SP - 496 EP - 505 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-61406 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Morcillo, Dalia A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Oelze, Marcus A1 - Leonhardt, Robert A1 - Schmidt, Anita A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Exploring Age-Induced Lithium Isotope Fractionation in Lithium-Ion Batteries using Microwave-Induced Cold Nitrogen Plasma Mass Spectrometry N2 - This study explores Microwave-Inductively Coupled Atmospheric-pressure Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MICAP-MS) as a cost-effective alternative to Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) for analyzing lithium isotopic composition in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). We investigate the performance of MICAP-MS in measuring Li isotope ratios in new and aged commercial lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) batteries. Our results show that MICAP-MS, operating under cold plasma conditions at 800 W with an 8 mm torch position, achieves results metrologically compatible with MC-ICP-MS, with a precision ranging from 0.6‰ to 3.4‰ for δ7Li values. MICAP-MS benefits from a dielectric resonator for uniform plasma, better ion velocity control, and higher energy efficiency. Optimal settings were identified with dwell times of 10 ms for 6Li and 1 ms for 7Li. The study of LIBs revealed that 6Li migrates towards the anode over multiple charge–discharge cycles, causing 7Li to accumulate in the cathode, a fractionation effect that becomes more pronounced with prolonged cycling. MICAP-MS provides a cost-effective, precise alternative to MC-ICP-MS, with lower operational costs and enhanced portability, advancing the study of isotopic fractionation and aging in lithium-ion batteries. KW - MICAP-MS KW - Lithium KW - Battery aging KW - Lithium isotopes KW - Nitrogen plasma KW - Isotope fractionation KW - lithium cobalt oxide KW - LCO PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-643777 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00324a SN - 0267-9477 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-64377 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ecke, Alexander A1 - Westphalen, Tanja A1 - Retzmann, Anika A1 - Schneider, Rudolf T1 - Factors affecting the hydrolysis of the antibiotic amoxicillin in the aquatic environment N2 - The environmental fate of the frequently used broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) is of high concern regarding the potential evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Moreover, it is known that AMX is prone to hydrolysis, yielding a variety of hydrolysis products (HPs) with yet unknown effects. Studies to identify those HPs and investigate their formation mechanisms have been reported but a long-term study on their stability in real water samples was missing. In this regard, we investigated the hydrolysis of AMX at two concentration levels in four distinct water types under three different storage conditions over two months. Concentrations of AMX and four relevant HPs were monitored by an LC-MS/MS method revealing pronounced differences in the hydrolysis rate of AMX in tap water and mineral water on the one hand (fast) and surface water on the other(slow). In this context, the occurrence, relative intensities, and stability of certain HPs are more dependent on the water type than on the storage condition. As clarified by ICP-MS, the main difference between the water types was the content of the metals copper and zinc which are supposed to catalyze AMX hydrolysis demonstrating an effective method to degrade AMX at ambient conditions. KW - β-lactam KW - Stability KW - Degradation KW - Hydrolysis products KW - LC-MS/MS KW - ICP-MS PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136921 SN - 0045-6535 VL - 311 SP - 136921 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-56124 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kazlagić, Anera A1 - Stephan, D. A1 - Ostermann, Markus A1 - Possolo, A. A1 - Vogl, Jochen T1 - Fingerprinting Portland cements by means of 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotope ratios and geochemical profiles N2 - This study uses conventional 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotope and interelement ratios of Ca, Sr, K, Mn, Mg and Ti as fingerprints for provenancing ordinary Portland cements (OPC). Herein, the first database of Sr and Nd isotope ratios investigated in OPCs, stemming from 29 cement plants located worldwide, was created. The results show that the Sr isotope ratios of OPCs are higher than those of seawater from the observed geological period. The spread of 143Nd/144Nd in OPCs is not as large as the spread for 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios. However, the combination of both Sr and Nd isotope ratios provides the potential for distinguishing between cements of different production sites. Most of the OPCs investigated have measurable differences in their 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotope ratios, which can be employed as a valuable analytical fingerprinting tool. In the case of equivocal results, divisive hierarchical clustering was employed to help overcome this issue. The construction of geochemical profiles allowed the computing of suitably defined distances between cements and clustering them according to their chemical similarity. By applying this methodology, successful fingerprinting was achieved in 27 out of the 29 ordinary Portland cements that were analysed. KW - Elemental fingerprints KW - Geochemistry KW - Portland cement KW - Sr and Nd isotope analysis KW - Statistical analysis PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1680/jadcr.23.00018 SN - 0951-7197 VL - 36 IS - 6 SP - 260 EP - 271 PB - Emerald Publishing Limited AN - OPUS4-57979 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Capozzi, Staci L. A1 - Xia, Chunjie A1 - Shuwal, Matthew A1 - Zaharias Miller, Gillian A1 - Gearhart, Jeff A1 - Bloom, Erica A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - Venier, Marta T1 - From watersheds to dinner plates: Evaluating PFAS exposure through fish consumption in Southeast Michigan N2 - Muscle tissue and organ samples of six different fish species were collected from ten locations in Southeast Michigan’s Huron and Rouge watersheds. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were analyzed in 36 samples comprising filets, liver, gut, and eggs using targeted analysis and the direct total oxidizable precursor (dTOP) assay on a subset of six samples. The median concentrations of the ΣPFAS in filets from the Huron and Rouge watersheds were 13 and 6.3 ng/g wet weight (w.w.), respectively. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the most detected and abundant compound in fish organs, with the liver having the largest overall burden of PFAS. The highest percent increase in targeted PFAS after the dTOP assay was observed in the Catfish filet (552%) while the smallest increase was in the Catfish liver (32%) accounting for 1.3 and 8.1 nMole F/g dry weight (d.w.), respectively. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis revealed three distinct PFAS sources, of which the one attributed to PFOS explained 73% of the data. Results from this work have important implications for fish consumption in Michigan waterways. Among the filet samples analyzed, the calculated daily consumption limit of total PFOS was exceeded in approximately 82% and 91% of samples for adults and children over the age of seven years old, respectively. KW - Direct total oxidizable precursor (dTOP) assay KW - Huron river watershed KW - Positive matrix factorization (PMF) KW - Rouge river watershed KW - Consumption limit PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140454 SN - 1879-1298 VL - 345 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-62423 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Nowak, S. A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Riedel, Jens A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - High-Resolution Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Combined With Machine Learning Data Processing for Isotope Amount Ratio Analysis of Lithium N2 - An alternative method for lithium isotope amount ratio analysis based on a combination of high-resolution atomic absorption spectrometry and spectral data analysis by machine learning (ML) is proposed herein. It is based on the well-known isotope shift of approximately 15 pm for the electronic transition 22P←22S at around the wavelength of 670.8 nm, which can be measured by the state-of-the-art high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. For isotope amount ratio analysis, a scalable tree boosting ML algorithm (XGBoost) was employed and calibrated using a set of samples with 6Li isotope amount fractions, ranging from 0.06 to 0.99 mol mol–1, previously determined by a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). The calibration ML model was validated with two certified reference materials (LSVEC and IRMM-016). The procedure was applied toward the isotope amount ratio determination of a set of stock chemicals (Li2CO3, LiNO3, LiCl, and LiOH) and a BAM candidate reference material NMC111 (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2), a Li-battery cathode material. The results of these determinations were compared with those obtained by MC-ICP-MS and found to be metrologically comparable and compatible. The residual bias was −1.8‰, and the precision obtained ranged from 1.9 to 6.2‰. This precision was sufficient to resolve naturally occurring variations, as demonstrated for samples ranging from approximately −3 to +15‰. To assess its suitability to technical applications, the NMC111 cathode candidate reference material was analyzed using high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry with and without matrix purification. The results obtained were metrologically compatible with each other. KW - Lithium KW - Isotope KW - Machine learning KW - Algorithms KW - Reference material KW - AAS KW - Atomic Absorption Spectrometry PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00206 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 93 IS - 29 SP - 10022 EP - 10030 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC, USA AN - OPUS4-53028 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boyraz, B. A1 - Saatz, Jessica A1 - Pompös, I.-M. A1 - Gad, Michel A1 - Dernedde, J. A1 - Maier, A.-M. B. A1 - Moscovitz, O. A1 - Seeberger, P. H. A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Tauber, R. T1 - Imaging Keratan Sulfate in Ocular Tissue Sections by Immunofluorescence Microscopy and LA-ICP-MS N2 - Carbohydrate-specific antibodies can serve as valuable tools to monitor alterations in the extracellular matrix resulting from pathologies. Here, the keratan sulfate-specific monoclonal antibody MZ15 was characterized in more detail by immunofluorescence microscopy as well as laser ablation ICP-MS using tissue cryosections and paraffin-embedded samples. Pretreatment with keratanase II prevented staining of samples and therefore demonstrated efficient enzymatic keratan sulfate degradation. Random fluorescent labeling and site-directed introduction of a metal cage into MZ15 were successful and allowed for a highly sensitive detection of the keratan sulfate landscape in the corneal stroma from rats and human tissue. KW - Laser ablation KW - Imaging KW - Glycosaminoglycan KW - ICP-MS KW - Immunohistochemistry KW - Immunofluorescence KW - Tissue PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.1c01240 VL - 5 IS - 2 SP - 853 EP - 861 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington AN - OPUS4-54341 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Püschel, S. A1 - Liestmann, Z. A1 - Kalusniak, S. A1 - Kränkel, C. A1 - Schulz, Andreas A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Tanaka, H. T1 - Impact of Ho3+, Er3+, and Tm3+ on laser cooling of Yb:YLF N2 - Ytterbium-doped LiYF4 (Yb:YLF) is a promising material for all-solid-state optical cryocoolers, but the impact of foreign rare-earth impurities on the laser-cooling performance is not completely understood. In particular, Tm3+ has been reported to reduce the background absorption. This study quantitatively assesses the impact of Ho3+, Tm3+, and Er3+ impurities on laser-cooling of Yb:YLF by anti-Stokes fluorescence. We grew five Yb(5%):YLF crystals intentionally doped with tens of ppm levels of these impurities. Laser-induced thermal modulation spectroscopy tests confirmed that these rare-earth impurities reduce the external quantum efficiency of Yb:YLF without affecting the background absorption coefficient. Although Er3+ is a well-known quencher for Yb3+, Er3+ co-doping only slightly decreases the laser-cooling efficiency at low pump intensities but becomes detrimental at high pump intensities (>5 kW cm−2). However, this detrimental effect diminishes at lower temperatures, as evidenced by cooling an Er3+ co-doped crystal to the same minimum temperature of 144K as a solely Yb3+-doped crystal. Contrary to previous reports, Tm3+ proved to be the most detrimental among the three impurities. KW - ICP KW - Laser cooling KW - Impurity KW - LiYF4 KW - Crystal PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1364/OME.538215 VL - 14 IS - 10 SP - 2334 EP - 2348 PB - Optica Publishing Group CY - Washington DC, USA AN - OPUS4-61046 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rosenkranz, Daniel A1 - Kriegel, F. L. A1 - Mavrakis, E. A1 - Pergantis, S. A. A1 - Reichardt, Ph. A1 - Tentschert, J. A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Laux, P. A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - Improved validation for single particle ICP-MS analysis using a pneumatic nebulizer / microdroplet generator sample introduction system for multi-mode nanoparticle determination N2 - This study reports on the development of a single-particle (sp) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique suitable for the multi-mode determination of nanoparticle (NP) metal mass fraction and number concentration. The described technique, which is based on a dual inlet System consisting of a pneumatic nebulizer (PN) and a microdroplet generator (MDG), allows for the sequential introduction of ionic metal calibrant solutions and nanoparticle suspensions via all combinations of the two inlets; thus allowing for a combination of three independent modes of analysis. A novel interface, assembled using standard analytical components (a demountable quartz ICP-MS torch, flexible nonconducting silicon tubing and various connectors), was used to interface the dual inlet system to an ICP-MS. The interface provided improved functionality, compared to a previous design. It is now possible to conveniently exchange and introduce standard solutions and samples via all inlet combinations, analyze them, and also wash the sample inlet systems while the whole setup is still connected to an operating ICP-MS. This setup provided seamless and robust operation in a total of three analysis modes, i.e. three ways to independently determine the metal mass fraction and NP number concentration. All three analyses modes could be carried out within a single analytical run lasting approximately 20 min. The unique feature of the described approach is that each analysis mode is based on a different. KW - Nanomaterials KW - Nanoparticles KW - Single particle ICP-MS KW - Microdroplet generator PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2019.11.043 VL - 1099 SP - 16 EP - 25 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-50361 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Garcia-Fernandez, J. A1 - Turiel, D. A1 - Bettmer, J. A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Rivas Garcia, L. A1 - Llopis, J. A1 - Sanchez-Gonzalez, C. A1 - Montes-Bayon, M. T1 - In vitro and in situ experiments to evaluate the biodistribution and cellular toxicity of ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles potentially used as oral iron supplements N2 - Well-absorbed iron-based nanoparticulated materials are a promise for the oral management of iron deficient anemia. In this work, a battery of in vitro and in situ experiments are combined for the evaluation of the uptake, distribution and toxicity of new synthesized ultrasmall (4 nm core) Fe2O3 nanoparticles coated with tartaric/adipic acid with potential to be used as oral Fe supplements. First, the in vitro simulated gastric acid solubility studies by TEM and HPLC-ICP-MS reveal a partial reduction of the core size of about 40% after 90 min at pH3. Such scenario confirms the arrival of the nanoparticulate material in the small intestine. In the next step, the in vivo absorption through the small intestine by intestinal perfusion experiments is conducted using the sought nanoparticles in Wistar rats. The quantification of Fe in the NPs Suspension before and after perfusion shows Fe absorption levels above 79%, never reported for other Fe treatments. Such high absorption levels do not seem to compromise cell viability, evaluated in enterocytes-like models (Caco-2 and HT-29) using cytotoxicity, ROS production, genotoxicity and lipid peroxidation tests. Moreover, regional differences in terms of Fe concentration are obtained among different parts of the small intestine as duodenum>jejunum>ileum. Complementary transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show the presence of the intact particles around the intestinal microvilli without significant tissue damage. These studies show the high potential of these NP preparations for their use as oral management of anemia. KW - Iron nanoparticles KW - Anemia KW - ICP-MS KW - In vitro KW - In situ PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/17435390.2019.1710613 VL - 14 IS - 3 SP - 388 EP - 403 PB - Taylor & Francis Online CY - London AN - OPUS4-50314 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Drescher, D. A1 - Büchner, T. A1 - Schrade, P. A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Werner, S. A1 - Guttmann, P. A1 - Bachmann, S. A1 - Kneipp, J. T1 - Influence of Nuclear Localization Sequences on the Intracellular Fate of Gold Nanoparticles N2 - Directing nanoparticles to the nucleus by attachment of nuclear localization sequences (NLS) is an aim in many applications. Gold nanoparticles modified with two different NLS were studied while crossing barriers of intact cells, including uptake, endosomal escape, and nuclear translocation. By imaging of the nanoparticles and by characterization of their molecular interactions with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), it is shown that nuclear translocation strongly depends on the particular incubation conditions. After an 1 h of incubation followed by a 24 h chase time, 14 nm gold particles carrying an adenoviral NLS are localized in endosomes, in the cytoplasm, and in the nucleus of fibroblast cells. In contrast, the cells display no nanoparticles in the cytoplasm or nucleus when continuously incubated with the nanoparticles for 24 h. The ultrastructural and spectroscopic data indicate different processing of NLS-functionalized particles in endosomes compared to unmodified particles. NLS functionalized nanoparticles form larger intraendosomal aggregates than unmodified gold nanoparticles. SERS spectra of cells with NLS-functionalized gold nanoparticles contain bands assigned to DNA and were clearly different from those with unmodified gold nanoparticles. The different processing in the presence of an NLS is influenced by a continuous exposure of the cells to nanoparticles and an ongoing nanoparticle uptake. This is supported by mass-spectrometry-based quantification that indicates enhanced uptake of NLS-functionalized nanoparticles compared to unmodified particles under the same conditions. The results contribute to the optimization of nanoparticle analysis in cells in a variety of applications, e.g., in theranostics, biotechnology, and bioanalytics. KW - Nanoparticle KW - Laser ablation KW - SERS KW - ICP-MS PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.1c04925 SN - 1936-086X VL - 15 IS - 9 SP - 14838 EP - 14849 PB - American Chemical Society AN - OPUS4-54047 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weber, A. A1 - von Randow, M. A1 - Voigt, A.-L. A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Fischer, E. A1 - Meermann, Björn A1 - Wagner, M. T1 - Ingestion and toxicity of microplastics in the freshwater gastropodLymnaea stagnalis: No microplastic-induced effects alone or incombination with copper N2 - The interaction of microplastics with freshwater biota and their interaction with other stressors is still not very well understood. Therefore, we investigated the ingestion, excretion and toxicity of microplastics in the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. MP ingestion was analyzed as tissues levels in L. stagnalis after 6–96 h of exposure to 5–90 μm spherical polystyrene (PS) microplastics. To understand the excretion, tissue levels were determined after 24 h of exposure followed by a 12 h–7 d depuration period. To assess the toxicity, snails were exposed for 28 d to irregular PS microplastics (<63 μm, 6.4–100,000 particles mL−1), both alone and in combination with copper as additional stressor. To compare the toxicity of natural and synthetic particles, we also included diatomite particles. Microplastics ingestion and excretion significantly depended on the particle size and the exposure/depuration duration. An exposure to irregular PS had no effect on survival, reproduction, energy reserves and oxidative stress. However, we observed slight effects on immune cell phagocytosis. Exposure to microplastics did not exacerbate the reproductive toxicity of copper. In addition, there was no pronounced difference between the effects of microplastics and diatomite. The tolerance towards microplastics may originate from an adaptation of L. stagnalis to particle-rich environments or a general stress resilience. In conclusion, despite high uptake rates, PS fragments do not appear to be a relevant stressor for stress tolerant freshwater gastropods considering current environmental levels of microplastics. KW - Lymnaea stagnalis KW - Microplastic-induced effects KW - Mixture toxicity PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-513551 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128040 VL - 263 SP - 128040 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-51355 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -