Scientific Solutions 

An Independent Consultant Serving 

the Writing, Marketing and Educational Requirements of the Analytical Science Community

Recent Magazine Publications Credited to Robert Thomas of Scientific Solutions

Robert Thomas, the principal consultant of SCIENTIFIC WRITING SOLUTIONS, has authored and co-authored over 60 very informative articles in various trade journals and scientific magazines. A selection of these articles (from earliest to latest) include:

• Choosing the Right Trace Element Technique: Do You Know What To Look For?

.... from the October, 1999 issue of Today's Chemist at Work, which gives an overview of the most important considerations when evaluating the major Atomic Spectroscopy techniques (link to journal website).

• Beta Test Proves Mass Spec's Mettle

.... from the February, 2000 issue of Today's Chemist at Work, which shows the importance of beta testing a brand new ICP-MS system before it is introduced to the marketplace ( link to pdf file). 

• Money to Burn: Consider What it Costs to Run Your Trace Element Analysis

.... from the September 2000 issue of Today's Chemist at Work, which makes a comparison of the major Atomic Spectroscopic techniques, based on their running costs (link to doc file).

• Oil Analysis Prevents Paralysis: Monitoring Engine Lubrication Can Help Avoid Wear and Breakdowns

.... from the October issue of Today's Chemist at Work, which takes a look at the way oil analysis is used to diagnose the condition and well-being  of engine components (link to pdf file).

• Early Detection of Cervical Cancer: New Diagnostics Identify HPV

.... from the July/August issue of Modern Drug Discovery, which highlights the roll of the human papilloma virus (HPV) in cervical cancer, which kills 500, 000 women every year (link to journal website).

• Recent Developments in LC-MS-MS for the Identification and Measurement of Nanoscale Amounts of Proteins and Peptides

..... from the January, 2001 issue of Spectroscopy, which gives an overview of how a novel LC-MS-MS approach is being used to detect nanoscale amounts of biomolecules, in the search for new drugs - (link to pdf file).

• A Solid Sampling Tool Finally Reaches Maturity: What Drove the Development of Laser Ablation Sample Introduction for Atomic Spectroscopy?

..... from the February, 2001 issue of Spectroscopy, which gives an overview of the influences in the development and commercialization of laser ablation as a sample introduction tool for analyzing solids by plasma-based spectrochemical
techniques. (link to pdf file).

• A Guide to ICP-MS Wall Poster

..... included in the February, 2001 issue of Spectroscopy. This is a beginner's guide to ICP-MS, explaining the basic fundamentals of the technique and focusing on the 5 main commercially available mass spec technologies (link to journal website)

• A Beginner's Guide to ICP-MS - Monthly Tutorial

..... A new tutorial series on ICP-MS fundamentals aimed at beginners. The first one appeared in the April, 2001 issue of Spectroscopy and continues for 12-15 issues (link to journal website).

• Implementing Enhanced ICP-MS Technology to Attain SEMI Grade 5 Purity Levels 

.....  from the January, 2002 issue of the semiconductor journal MICRO. Describes the use of an ICP-MS system fitted with a dynamic reaction cell to attain SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Material International) Grade 5 purity levels (10 ppt), directly in neat in hydrogen peroxide (link to journal website)

• Determining the Link between Trace Elements and Human Disease

.... from the January, 2002 issue of Today's Chemist at Work. Traces the role of atomic spectroscopy techniques to lower trace element  detection capability in biological samples for the improvement of human health (link to journal website).

• Physiomics and Drug Discovery

....from the July, 2002 issue of Modern Drug Discovery. Using automated fluorescence microscopy, researchers are performing high-content, cell-based screening assays - exemplified by a collaboration between the Harvard School of Medicine and Universal Imaging Co.

• A Statistical Approach to Reporting Uncertainty on Certified Values of Chemical Reference Materials

..... from the September, 2002 issue of Spectroscopy, which discusses an approach, based well-established principles, to standardize the reporting of uncertainty  associated with certified values quoted on Certified Reference Materials.

• The Benefits of Dynamic Reaction Cell ICP-MS Technology to Determine Ultra Trace Metal Contamination Levels in High Purity Phosphoric and Sulfuric Acid

..... from the January issue of Spectroscopy, which discusses the benefits of DRC- ICP-MS to analyze high purity semiconductor acids

• Achieving High Trace Element Purity Levels Using Dynamic Reaction Cell ICP-MS

..... from the April, 2003 issue of MICRO Magazine, which discusses the benefits of a dynamic reaction cell being used by Merck Electronic Chemicals in Singapore for the analysis of high purity sulfuric acid and iso propyl alcohol IPA).

• Dynamic Reaction Cell ICP-MS for the Analysis of Semiconductor Materials

..... from the October 1 issue of Analytical Chemistry. This prestigious A-Page article provides an overview of the benefits DRC-ICP-MS for the analysis of various semiconductor materials

• A Coupled Technique to Improve Protein Yield Measurements

..... from the October issue of PharmaGenomics, which describes how an optimized sample delivery system can improve the accuracy and precision of protein yields using various chromatographic separation techniques

• Reduction of Carbon-Based Interferences in Organic Compound Analysis by Dynamic Reaction Cell ICP MS

....from the September, 2004 issue of Spectroscopy, which shows that dynamic reaction cell ICP MS can eliminate a number of argon- and carbon-based polyatomic interferences, allowing the determination of many critical elements in problematic organic compounds found in the semiconductor industry

• Meeting the Demands of the Next Generation of Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometers

..... from the October, 2004 issue of NASA Tech Briefs, which outlines the optical requirements in designing a hyperspectral imaging spectrometer from the ground up.

• Using Dynamic Reaction Cell ICP-MS to Determine the Full Suite of Elements in Rainwater 

.....from the January, 2005 issue of Spectroscopy, which describes how an environmental and geochemical contract lab has replaced hydride generation AFS with DRC-ICP-MS to determine the full suite of elements (inc.  As and Se) in rainwater samples.

• Reducing the Impact of Spectral Interferences on the Determination of Precious Metals in Geological Matrices Using DRC-ICP-MS

  .....from the May, 2005 issue of Currents Trends in Mass Spectrometry, which describes the benefit of DRC-ICP-MS technology to reduce matrix derived spectral interferences in the determination of ultra trace levels of precious metals in complex geological matrices.

   

• Oil Analysis and Preventive Maintenance 

  .....from the May, 2005 issue of Plant Engineering describing the advantages of an oil analysis, preventive maintenance program to reduce the downtime of heavy plant equipment.

   

• On-Line Remote Sampling of an ICP Mass Spectrometer to Monitor Trace Metal Contamination Levels in Semiconductor Process Chemical Baths

  ....from the July, 2005 issue of Semiconductor Manufacturing describing the benefits of using a remote sampling technique in order to monitor trace element contamination levels in process chemicals by DRC ICP-MS.

   

• Harsh Environments Dictate Design of Imaging Spectrometers

.....from the August, 2005 issue of Laser Focus     World, which describes how a manufacturer of    imaging spectrometers designed a piece of           equipment specifically to be used in harsh              environments.

• Using Infrared Spectroscopy in Used Engine Oils - Estimating Base Number

 .....from the Nov/Dec issue of Practicing Oil            Analysis, which describes how FTIR is used in conjunction with principal component analysis (PCA) to monitor the total base number (TBN) of oils.

• Biodiesel: Renewable and Biodegradable Fuel

 ..... from the February, 2006 issue of Hydrocarbon Processing, which talks about how GC is being used to ensure the quality of biodiesel fuel made from vegetable oil.

• Advances in the Separation and Detection of As, Cr, and Se Species in Potable Waters Using HPLC Coupled with Dynamic Reaction Cell ICP-MS

..... from the May, 2006 issue of Current Trends in Mass Spectroscopy (supplement of Spectroscopy Magazine), which describes the use of HPLC and dynamic reaction cell ICP-MS to simultaneously determine different species of As, Cr and Se in water samples.

• New Developments in Wavelength Dispersive XRF and XRD for the Analysis of Foodstuffs and Pharmaceutical Materials

..... from the Sept, 2006 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine, which describes the benefits of new XRF and XRD instrumentation for the analysis of foodstuffs and pharmaceutical materials

• Optimization of a High Sample Throughput Method for the Determination of Trace Nutrients in Agricultural Soil Samples Using ICP-OES

..... from the October, 2006 issue of Applications of ICP and ICP-MS Techniques for Today's Spectroscopists (Supplement to Spectroscopy Magazine), which describes the ultra-high throughput (over 3000 samples/day) agricultural soil samples.

• ICP-MS Plays a Vital Role in the Investigation of Lead Levels in a Public School System’s Drinking Water Supply

..... from the May, 2007 issue of Controlled Environments on how the development of ICP-MS has improved our understanding of lead contamination in drinking water.

• Using ICP-MS for Environmental Trace Metal Detection

..... from the June issue of Lab Manager magazine, describing the use of ICP-MS for carrying out high throughput of environmental samples.

• A Novel Sample Preparation Approach to Increase the Throughput of Pesticide Analysis by LC–MS-MS

..... from the July, 2009 issue of LC/GC describing the use of a novel laboratory grinding mill to increase the sample throughput of the analysis of pesticide residues in plant material by LC-MS-MS.

• Comparison of Different Sample Preparation Procedures for the Determination of RoHS/WEEE Regulated Elements in Printed Circuit Boards and Electrical Components by X-Ray Fluorescence

..... from the April, 2010 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine, showing the limitations of traditional energy dispersive XRF for the direct analysis of components used in PCBs, by comparing different sample preparation techniques.

• Analysis of Toxic Trace Metals in Pet Foods Using Cryogenic Grinding and Quantitation by ICP-MS

......from the January, 2011 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine, showing the extremely high levels of trace and heavy metals in commercially-available dog and cat foods.

• Ensuring the Safety and Quality of Foodstuffs Produced in China: The Role of ICP-MS

.....from the November, 2011 issue of Applications of ICP and ICP-MS Techniques for Today's Spectroscopists (Supplement to Spectroscopy Magazine), describing how ICP-MS has helped to improve the quality of foodstuffs produced in China.

• Optimization of an Analytical Method for the Determination of Trace Metals in Urine by ICP-MS Coupled with a Dynamic Reaction Cell

....from the January, 2012 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine describing an optimized method for analyzing the urine samples of steelworkers by Dynamic Reaction Cell ICP-MS.

• Efficient Removal of Polyatomic Spectral Interferences for the Multielement Analysis of Complex Human Biological Samples by ICP-MS, 

......from the July, 2012 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine, describing the use of a novel collision/reaction interface for the efficient removal of polyatomic interferences in the analysis of human blood and urine samples.

• Field-Flow-Fractionation Coupled with ICP-MS for the Analysis of Engineered Nanoparticles in Environmental Samples, 

...... from the September, 2012 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine describing the use of FFF coupled with ICP-MS for the separation and characterization of metallic nanoparticles discharged into the environment

• Portable Raman for Raw Material QC: What’s the Return on Investment? November, 2012 issue of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

... from the November, 2012 issue of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing on the ROI of Raman Spectroscopy for the identification of pharmaceutical materials

• ICP-MS with Autodilution and Autocalibration for Implementing the New USP Chapters on Elemental Impurities, Spectroscopy Magazine, ICP Supplement, November, 2012

.....from the November, 2012 issue of Applications of ICP and ICP-MS Techniques for Today's Spectroscopists (Supplement to Spectroscopy Magazine), describing a  fully-automated method for determining elemental impurities in pharmaceutical materials using the new USP Chapters 232/233.

• The Benefits of a High-Performance, Handheld Raman Spectrometer for the Rapid Identification of Pharmaceutical Raw Materials, December, 2012 issue of American Pharmaceutical Review

..... from the December, 2012 issue of American Pharmaceutical Review on the use of Raman Spectroscopy for the identification of pharmaceutical materials

• Miniature Spectrometer Designs Open New Applications Potential, May, 2013 issue of Laser Focus World

... from the May, 2013 issue of Laser Focus World on the benefits of miniature spectrometers to open up new application areas

• The Use of Raman Spectroscopy in Cancer Diagnostics, September, 2103 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine

... from the Sept, 2013 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine on the benefits of Raman and Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for detecting breast and pancreatic cancers

• Collaboration Results in a Breakthrough Design of Desorption Tube For Soil Vapor Intrusion Analysis

....from the October, 2013 issue of Pollution Equipment News about a partnership that produced a revolutionary new tube for carrying out soil vapor analysis

• How to Select an ICP-MS System: Some Important Considerations

.... from the November, 2013 issue of Spectroscopy Magazine, about important factors to consider when purchasing a new ICP-MS system

• The Benefits of Ion–Molecule Chemistry for the Determination of Titanium in Whole Blood and Serum Using Quadrupole-Based Collision–Reaction Cell ICP-MS Technology

.... from the November, 2013 issue of Applications of ICP Supplement to Spectroscopy Magazine, about the use of a dynamic reaction cell to determine titanium in human serum and blood

• The Use of Hand-held Raman Spectroscopy for Forensic Investigations,

...... from Spectroscopy Magazine, Raman Supplement, June, 2014 about the use of Raman technology for drugs and explosives' identifications

• Emerging Technology Trends in Atomic Spectroscopy Are Solving Real-World Application Problems

  ...... from Spectroscopy Magazine, Raman Supplement, June, 2014 about new technology being used to solve real-world problems

   

• The Benefits of Single-particle ICP MS for the Characterization of Engineered Nanomaterials

....... from R&D Magazine, April, 2014, about the importance of measurement protocol to characterize nanoparticles

• A Single-Method Approach for the Analysis of Volatile and Semi volatile Organic Compounds in Air Using Thermal Desorption Coupled with GC–MS

........ from LC/GC, October, 2014, describing a innovative method to analyze both volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in air using one EPA method as opposed to the traditional two methods

• Shifting the Landscape of Nanomaterial Measurement, 

..... from The Analytical Scientist, November 24, 2014; describing a collaboration between PerkinElmer and the Uni of Montreal on the characterization of nanomaterials

• GC Ensures Integrity of Drinking Water in Fracking Locations, 

.....from Laboratory Equipment, February, 2015, describing the use of GC-MS to test water wells close to fracking sites

• Determining Elemental Impurities in Pharmaceutical Materials: What Atomic Spectroscopic Technique is Right for Your Lab? 

......from Atomic Perspectives, Column, Spectroscopy Magazine, March 2015, offering suggestions for the best technique to use for USP Chapter 232/233

• Handheld X-ray Diffraction for Remote, Field-Based Applications

......from Atomic Perspectives, Column, Spectroscopy Magazine, July, 2015 about a novel design of a new hand-held XRD spectrometer for mineral and metallurgical applications

• Approaches to Maximize Performance and Reduce the Frequency of Routine Maintenance in ICP-MS

...... from Atomic Perspectives, Column, Spectroscopy Magazine, October, 2015 about tips and guidelines for maximizing performance in ICP-MS

• The Benefits of Single-Particle ICP-MS to Better Understand the Fate and Behavior of Engineered Nanoparticles in Environmental Water Samples

 ........from Spectroscopy Magazine, Special Environmental Issue, October, 2015, about the benefits of single particle ICP-MS for the characterization of nanoparticles in water samples

• The Benefits of GC/MS Coupled with a Headspace Trap to Monitor Volatile Organic Compounds in the Production of Beer, 

.....from Chromatography Today, May/June, 2016

• Money To Burn: Do you Know What is Costs to Run your Atomic Spectroscopy instrumentation?  

.....from International Labmate, April, 2016

• Extending the Hydrocarbon Range for the Analysis of Soil Gas Samples Using Automated Thermal Desorption Coupled with GC-MS, 

from LCGC, March, 2016

• Replacing Traditional Heavy Metals Testing with Modern Plasma-Based Spectrochemical Techniques, 

....from Atomic Perspectives Column, Spectroscopy Magazine, March, 2016

• Money To Burn: Do you Know What is Costs to Run your Atomic Spectroscopy instrumentation? International LabMate, April, 2016

....from Chromatography Today, May/June, 2016

• The Benefits of GC/MS Coupled with a Headspace Trap to Monitor Volatile Organic Compounds in the Production of Beer, 

.....from Current Trends in Mass Spec, July, 2016

• The Applicability of Field-Portable GC–MS for the Rapid Sampling and Measurement of High-Boiling-Point Semivolatile Organic Compounds n Environmental Samples, 

......from Petro Industry News, September, 2016

• Optimization of EPA Method 325 for the Fast, Accurate and Precise Monitoring of VOCs Around Oil Refinery Fencelines, 

......from Spectroscopy magazine, October, 2016

• New Approaches in Sample Preparation and Precise Multielement Analysis of Crude Oils and Refined Petroleum Products Using Single-Reaction-Chamber Microwave Digestion and Triple-Quadrupole ICP-MS, 

• Single Particle ICP-MS: A Key Analytical Technique for Characterizing Nanoparticles, AP Column, Spectroscopy Magazine, March, 2017

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• Characterizing Fuel by Gas Chromatography: Making Sure that IndyCar Race Teams are Playing by the Rules, Petro Industry News, February, 2017

   

Robert Thomas is a regular freelance contributor to scientific journals and magazines. We will keep you posted as each new article is published. For a full list of all his publications to date, please click here.