ICP Optical Emission Spectrometer Offers Simple and Effective Toy Analysis for Consumer Safety

Thermo Fisher Scientific (UK) announce a new application note to illustrate the capabilities of its Thermo Scientific iCAP 6200 ICP spectrometer for the analysis of toxic trace elements in children’s toys. The dual-view ICP instrument offers pre-optimised sample introduction settings and analysisready software method templates. The new application note, entitled “Analysis of migratory elements in toy samples using the Thermo Scientific iCAP 6200 ICP spectrometer,” assesses the performance of the iCAP 6200 ICP for the routine analysis of toy samples for consumer safety verification. It is available for download in the literature library at www.thermo.com/icap.

Manufacturers routinely analyse toy samples for toxic trace elements, but a number of recent cases of contaminated toys suggest that heavy metals are still present in consumer products. This has resulted in an increasing number of toy producers opting to perform in-house testing to ensure compliance with current regulations and protect consumers. For many, in-house testing can be less costly than outsourced analysis. Today, many regulations worldwide are based on a test method that monitors the levels of trace elements migrating from a toy material into an acidic solution. This simulates the release of elements when toy components are ingested by a child.

The application note details the analysis of three samples extracted from a toy car and a baby rattle, each prepared in accordance with ASTM F963-08 and EN71 Part 3. The study utilised the iCAP 6200’s integrated Thermo Scientific iTEVA software, which is supplied with pre-loaded method templates that enable protocol-compliant sample analysis in the environment, food safety, toy safety and WEEE/RoHS market sectors. These templates, combined with the instrument’s pre-optimised sample introduction system, enable simple, consistent out-of-the-box operation and ensure both novice and experienced ICP users can achieve powerful analytical performance with minimal method development requirements.

The capabilities of the iCAP 6200 ICP spectrometer are further examined in a webinar that is available free-of-charge via www.spectroscopynow.com/thermowebinars. The webinar is ideal for routine laboratories running, or considering, ICP technology, and explores how to achieve the utmost efficiency while remaining confident about the quality and reliability of results. Areas covered include: considerations for ICP instrument selection, optimising technology for cost efficiency and hints and tips to achieve pain-free method development. The webinar features examples from environmental and food/consumer safety applications.