Base Peak / Ezine
Terror trap: Walkthrough portal for explosives screening
Date: Sep 1, 2011
Author: Steve Down
A walkthrough portal for detecting traces of explosives on passengers based on APCI mass spectrometry and a novel linear ion trap has been demonstrated in Japan with triacetone triperoxide, one of the favoured explosives used by terrorists.
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A new LESA life: screening food surfaces for pesticides by liquid extraction surface analysis
Date: Aug 15, 2011
Author: Steve Down
Pesticides on food surfaces at levels 20-fold lower than current EPA tolerance levels have been detected by mass spectrometry following automated sampling by liquid extraction surface analysis, providing a rapid screening procedure for food supplies.
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Journal Highlight: Investigation of the afterglow time regime in pulsed radiofrequency glow discharge time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Date: Aug 8, 2011
Author:
The pulsed power operation mode of a radiofrequency glow discharge time-of-flight mass spectrometer was investigated for several ions, in terms of intensity profiles along each pulse period, with particular attention to the plateau and transient afterglow regions.
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Orange legacy: High levels of PCDDs in Vietnamese breast milk from historical Agent Orange spraying
Date: Aug 1, 2011
Author: Steve Down
Dioxins present in Agent Orange, the defoliant sprayed during the Vietnam War, remain at elevated levels in the milk of Vietnamese nursing mothers residing in the contaminated areas more than 40 years later, with major health implications for the feeding infants.
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Increasing ions: solvent-assisted inlet ionisation boosts sensitivity
Date: Jul 15, 2011
Author: Steve Down
A novel form of inlet ionisation mass spectrometry for samples in solution has been demonstrated by scientists in the USA. The technique differs from atmospheric pressure ionisation by transporting the solution to the vacuum inlet via a heated capillary in which ionisation occurs, effectively reducing ion losses and increasing sensitivity.
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Journal Highlight: Development and validation of LC-HRMS and GC-NICI-MS methods for stereoselective determination of MDMA and its phase I and II metabolites in human urine
Date: Jul 11, 2011
Author:
Three mass spectrometric methods involving LC/MS and GC/MS were derived and validated for evaluating the stereoselective elimination of phase I and phase II metabolites of MDMA in human urine.
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Pool party poopers: Swimmers and pool workers exposed to haloacetic acids
Date: Jul 1, 2011
Author: Steve Down
The exposure of swimmers and workers to the cytotoxic and carcinogenic haloacetic acids at indoor and outdoor swimming pools has been estimated by researchers in Spain from their urinary contents, revealing that ingestion is the major route of contact.
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Small and perfectly formed: Miniature mass spectrometer for field detection of chemical warfare agents
Date: Jun 15, 2011
Author: Steve Down
Chemical warfare agent simulants have been detected and measured using an automated miniature mass spectrometer designed to be deployed in the field for continuous facility monitoring, with analysis response times of 90 seconds.
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Journal Highlight: GC-MS based metabolomics for rapid simultaneous detection of E. coli and Salmonella food-borne pathogens in ground beef and chicken
Date: Jun 13, 2011
Author:
A metabolomic-based method for the rapid detection and discrimination of food-borne pathogens used GC/MS with principal components analysis and will be critical to reduce food-related disease outbreaks and product recalls.
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Fire retardants on flood plains: Transfer to soil, grass and cows' milk when rivers flood their banks
Date: Jun 1, 2011
Author: Steve Down
When rivers break their banks and flood neighbouring pasture, polybrominated flame retardants from the sediments contaminate soil in the fields, according to a new UK study, but are not transferred efficiently to the grass or to the milk of grazing cows.
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