A Fundamental Partnership For Lab Research - LC-MS/MS and Ultrapure (Type1) Water

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy is used to analyze samples that combine both liquid Chromatography (LC) and Mass spectrometry (MS). In modern days mass spectrometry is the sensitive application that replaces several immunoassays, enhances the efficiency of drug analysis, and more. 

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography separates the different components from a mixture when it is passed through the chromatographic column. Mass Spectrometry is used to determine the molecular mass, composition, and structural elucidation of the analyte. The Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry are not combined easily and so the interface is used to transfer the liquid elements from LC to MS. such as Direct liquid Introduction (DLI), Atmospheric-Pressure Ionization (API), Electrospray Ionization (ESI), Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI), Thermo spray and Plasma spray Ionization (TSPI), and more are used.

LC-MS is a powerful technique that gained its importance in biomedical laboratories. Modern LC-MS instrumentation is used widely from research to clinical laboratories routine use. As discussed LC-MS technique effectively applied in various applications such as,

  • Biomedical Applications 
  • Environmental Applications
  • Biochemical Genetic Disorders
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Drug Monitoring and Toxicology
  • Hormones testing
  • Vitamins and Related Metabolites

Read more: Water Purification System | Chromatography Lab

Biomedical Applications 

LC-MS technique is used to detect the steroid drugs or toxins in the body fluids, profiling endogenous steroids especially for the athletes, These applications are highly sensitive and require an ultrapure (Type1) water purification system for the laboratory use that enhances the performance of the applications. The water purification system for the laboratory use with ultrapure water improves the accuracy of the applications.

Environmental Applications

LC-MS technique and water purification system laboratory that produces ultrapure water is important in environmental applications. LC-MS technique is used in the analysis of soil, drinking water, air, and sludge. The environmental applications include,

  • Environmental Chemical Testing,
  • Agriculture,
  • Public health and safety,
  • Field testing,
  • Petroleum, and others.

Several pesticides and herbicides are used in the environment, especially in agriculture. These pesticides and herbicides used are analyzed using the LC-MS technique. This LC-MS technique effectively separates polycyclic hydrocarbons and organometallic compounds. 

Using the ultrapure water system for the laboratory helps research scientists troubleshoot the problems without any doubt of contaminants in the water. The ultrapure water is used in the preparation of blanks, standards, preparation of samples, and for the mobile phases. If the ultrapure water purification system for the laboratory is not used, it is difficult to obtain accurate results.

Biochemical Genetic Disorders

The blood samples of newborn babies are analyzed using the LC-MS technique in the clinical laboratory to detect metabolic disorders by analyzing the defect in the enzymes. The ultrapure water system for the laboratory helps to use the LC-MS technique without the interference of contaminants from the water and enhances the performance of the applications.

Pharmaceuticals

LC-MS and ultrapure water systems for laboratories are used to determine pharmaceutical compounds. Thermospray is used to study antibiotics and potential antimalarials. Using the LC-MS technique, the intoxication of the drug can be demonstrated. Separation and characterization of components in a crude mixture can be achieved. These applications performed with lab water purifiers enhance the efficiency. 

LC-MS technique with laboratory water purifier (ultrapure water) is performed in the pharmaceutical application, is highly sensitive, provides precise quantifications and enhances analytical output.

Drug Monitoring and Toxicology

Therapeutic drug monitoring is the test performed to measure the amount of drug that is present in the blood. This test is performed to make sure that the dose of medicine to take is safe and effective for the health condition. Most medicine’s dosage can be determined correctly without any testing. But for some medicines, it is hard to determine the dosage of medicine and hence special testing is required to determine the dose that works effectively for the health conditions and does not cause any dangerous effects. This drug monitoring uses LC-MS assays for immunosuppressants, aminoglycosides, anticancer drugs, antivirals, and more. 

LC-MS technique can also be used to measure several drugs and metabolites in a single run by multiplexing the LC-MS assays. This technique is used in toxicology to screen and detect a wide range of toxins, drugs, and metabolites.

These are very sensitive and high-risk applications that are to be performed with a lot of care and hence laboratory water purifiers (ultrapure water) is important in such laboratories to avoid the inference of contaminants or inorganic or organic compounds that is present in the water. 

Hormones testing

Steroid hormones are hormones that belong to the class of chemical compounds steroids. These steroids are secreted by three glands: adrenal cortex, testes, and ovaries. Highly sensitive LC-MS assays are helpful in steroid biochemistry and in the measurement of low dihydrotestosterone and testosterone in women and children. Urinary steroids are also simplified with the LC-MS technique. And hence these applications performed with the LC-MS technique require a laboratory water purifier for accurate results.

Vitamins and Related Metabolites

Many Vitamins such as vitamin D, 25- hydroxyvitamin D2, and D3 in plasma and serum are measured using LC-MS assays. LC-MS assays are available for many fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin K15 and vitamin E13 and 15. 

LC-MS and Ultrapure water

LC-MS instrumentation gets considerable attractiveness over other analytical tools. This LC-MS technique effectively measures multiple complex analytes in the single labwork flow with a very high level of sensitivity. LC-MS biomedical analysis is a quick analytical process performed with high sensitivity, reliability, and traceability.

Read more: Buying Tips - Water Purification Systems For Laboratory

This provides you with a clear understanding that reagent water for the successful LC-MS analytical practice is to be ultrapure and is examined here.

Sensitivity

The Lab water purification system produces ultrapure water that is used extensively in the LC-MS workflow. The water which has dissolved contaminants results in ghost peaks, noisy baselines, and high MS background. This will decrease the sensitivity of the applications and makes it challenging to detect analytes at low concentration. Using ultrapure water enables to avoid interferences and is assured with the detected analytes that come from the samples and not from the water. Therefore high-quality ultrapure water (18.2 MOhm.cm resistivity, < 5 ppb TOC) should be used carefully without any recontamination.

Traceability

The modern lab water purification system comes with online monitoring functionalities that enable research scientists to ensure the quality of the lab purified water at the point of use and conforms to the suitability to use it in LC-MS analyses. When the lab purified water is not traced for the contaminants present in the water then it is critical to find and eliminate the source of impurities before repeating experiments. Tracing and recording the quality of the lab purified water at the point of use for LC-MS experiments enables scientists to evaluate and link it to the source of contamination for that particular experiment.

Reliability

The water purification system for laboratory use must not only produce a high-quality ultrapure water system but the lab water purifier should consistently produce high-quality water. This consistency ensures the reliability of the lab water purifier to perform high sensitive applications, The online monitoring tool enables research scientists to monitor the consistent purity of the water. The resistivity of the water defines the ionic purity of the water. The resistivity meter incorporated in the lab water purification system ensures ionic purity in the water.

The organic contamination of the water is determined using the Total Oxidizable Carbon (TOC) level. The lab water purifier that produces ultrapure water of 18.2 MOhm.cm resistivity and  TOC below 5 ppb (or μg/L) is suitable for LC-MS practice. Lab Q ultrapure Type -1 water purification system laboratory with high resistivity 18.2 MOhm.cm and  TOC below 5 ppb (or μg/L) can be used for LC-MS analyses.

Conclusion

Here we discussed LC-MS analyses in Biomedical laboratories, Pharmaceutical laboratories, Bio-chemical laboratories, Clinical laboratories, Environmental laboratories, and more. The suitability and the importance of ultrapure water with high consistency and reliability to be used. Water purification system laboratory with ultrapure water and LC-MS technique- an essential partnership for laboratory research and successful analytical applications. 


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