High-throughput metal screening in pharmaceutical samples by ICP-MS with automated flow injection using a modified HPLC configuration

There is growing pressure in pharmaceutical research and development to increase sample throughput and turnaround time for metal analysis. This need is especially pronounced when a large number of samples must be analyzed to support rapid remediation of metal contamination problems. In this study we describe the utilization of an HPLC-ICP-MS system in automated flow injection (FI) mode for the rapid assessment of metal (palladium, rhodium, chromium, etc.) concentration. The system consists of an HPLC standard or well-plate autosampler, a novel interface (consisting of a desolvating unit, an eluent splitter and a built-in peristaltic pump) and the ICP-MS instrument. This configuration ensures a fully automatic process and is well suited for standardization. The interface can be easily switched to adapt to HPLC eluents or FI introduction for speciation or flow injection analysis. The use of the well-plate autosampler decreases sample injection cycle time and adds flexibility to the system by allowing direct analysis with little or no sample preparation. The FI-ICP-MS method provides a means for high-throughput metal screening with unprecedented speed. Other advantages of the method include automatic analysis of microliter sample volumes, fast inter-sample washout and reduced reagent consumption. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.