How do Contaminant Analysis work?
Contaminant analysis combines an extraction and clean-up step with an element-selective or mass-selective detector. Elemental contaminants are measured by atomic spectroscopy: samples are digested in strong acid under heat or microwave energy, then aspirated into flame atomic absorption, graphite furnace atomic absorption or an inductively coupled plasma coupled to mass spectrometry, which reaches microgram per kilogram levels for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Organic contaminants are measured by chromatography with mass detection. Mycotoxins and veterinary drug residues are separated by liquid chromatography and detected by tandem mass spectrometry in selected reaction monitoring mode. Process contaminants such as acrylamide, chloropropanols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are usually separated by gas chromatography with tandem mass detection. Isotope-labelled internal standards correct recovery and matrix effects.
Which Contaminant Analysis variants are available?
- ICP-MS System for Heavy Metals in Food — An ICP-MS system for food measures lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and other elements at microgram per kilogram levels in a single run.
- Atomic Absorption Spectrometer for Food Elemental Analysis — An atomic absorption spectrometer measures individual elements in digested or diluted food samples using flame or graphite furnace atomisation.
- LC-MS/MS System for Mycotoxin Analysis — An LC-MS/MS system for mycotoxins quantifies aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins at microgram per kilogram levels in one run.
- LC-MS/MS System for Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis — An LC-MS/MS system for veterinary drug residues quantifies antibiotics, hormones, anthelmintics and coccidiostats at microgram per kilogram levels in meat, milk, eggs, honey and aquaculture products.
- GC-MS/MS System for Process Contaminant Analysis — A GC-MS/MS system measures process contaminants such as acrylamide, chloropropanols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and packaging migrants at microgram per kilogram levels.
How do I choose the right variant?
Choose the elemental technique from the number of elements and the sensitivity required. ICP-MS covers many elements in one run at microgram per kilogram levels and is the default for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury, with a speciation option for inorganic arsenic and methylmercury. Flame atomic absorption is economical for higher concentrations of a single element such as sodium, calcium or zinc, while graphite furnace atomic absorption serves low levels where ICP-MS is not available. For organic contaminants, select LC-MS/MS for mycotoxins and veterinary drugs and GC-MS/MS for process contaminants and packaging migrants. Confirm that the compound library, reference standards and validated clean-up procedures exist for your matrices, and compare detection limits with the regulatory maximum levels.
Where are Contaminant Analysis used?
Contaminant Analysis are specified in heavy metal monitoring in rice, seafood and infant food, mycotoxin testing of cereals, nuts and spices, veterinary drug residue control in meat and aquaculture, process contaminant checks for acrylamide and chloropropanols, packaging migrant and food contact material testing and import, export and regulatory compliance testing.
Which standards and certifications apply?
Work with Contaminant Analysis is commonly governed by ISO 17294-2, EPA 6020B, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915, EN 15662, ISO 16050, SANTE/11312/2021 and ISO/IEC 17025. Instrument certifications such as CE marking are confirmed per configuration and never assumed.
What are the key considerations before purchase?
Trace analysis is easily compromised by contamination from reagents, glassware and laboratory air. Use high-purity acids, digested blank checks and a clean, dedicated preparation area, and verify instrument performance with certified reference materials and recovery spiking. Collision or reaction cell gases and tuning solutions must meet the instrument specification, and elemental calibrations need regular verification because drift affects low-level results. For organic contaminants, reference standards are expensive and unstable, so storage and preparation records matter. Laboratories should participate in proficiency testing for the contaminants they report and keep confirmatory ion-ratio criteria under review.
