Thermo Fisher Scientific's new centre of excellence for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) supports labs that research, measure and monitor dioxins and other POPs found in food and the environment.
The centre provides access to productive, value-added methods for identifying some of the most difficult-to-detect POPs.
The first method developed by the centre provides an integrated workflow that includes instruments, software and consumables used in screening to confirmation.
The workflow is currently available within Booth 2835 at Pittcon 2011, which runs until 18 March in Atlanta.
POPs are chemical substances produced by human activity and are widely distributed in the environment by natural processes, persisting for many years after forming.
POPs, such as dioxins, can be toxic to living organisms (including humans) as they accumulate in soft tissues, and contaminants can become more concentrated as they move up the food chain.
Listed or proposed POPs specified in the Stockholm Convention on POPs, administered by the United Nations Environment Program, include polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxaphenes, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), perfluorinated compounds, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and chlorinated paraffins.
The Thermo Fisher centre of excellence for POPs, located in Bremen, Germany, is an industry-wide resource equipped with the latest technology and expertise to support collaborative projects, serving as a knowledge hub for POPs analysis and the development of effective POPs methodologies.
The facility will also partner with industry and governmental laboratories to improve the quality and efficiency of worldwide POPs monitoring.
Thermo Fisher has already developed an integrated POPs workflow solution at its new centre to provide routine, high-throughput sample analysis in POPs laboratories.
The solution incorporates Thermo Scientific consumables, a Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum XLS triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS for selective, fast screening and a Thermo Scientific DFS High Resolution GC-HRMS for confirmatory analysis according to international regulations.
POPs analysis requires that large volumes of data must be reviewed, interpreted and reported.
The new POPs workflow solution includes Thermo Scientific Targetquan software, designed specifically for large-scale data processing in this type of analysis.
The software creates a direct connection to the Thermo Scientific Samplemanager laboratory information management system (LIMS) to offer sample and measurement traceability and complete laboratory management.
Hans-Joachim Huebschmann, technology manager for GC/MS at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said: 'Our scientists have developed turnkey methods for low-level screening, from fast, simplified sample clean-up to the confirmation analysis of non-compliant samples.
'The new POPs centre of excellence provides training for correct analytical method setup, selection of the separation columns and data handling,' he added.
Kyle D'Silva, product manager for GC/HRMS at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said: 'With the combination of TSQ Quantum XLS triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS and DFS High Resolution GC-HRMS, we provide the necessary analytical tools for efficient environmental and food safety control.
'Our goal is to support food manufacturers as well as governmental control and environmental labs in responding with the necessary sensitivity and accuracy required for these challenging analyses,' he added.
