March, 2016
ARA Now Certified for ICP-MS
Absolute Resource Associates (ARA) is excited to announce that we have completed certification requirements for our newest instrument, the Perkin-Elmer Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS NexION350X). Over the next few months we will be transitioning all of our metals analysis (except Mercury) from EPA Methods 200.7 and SW846 6010C to EPA Methods 200.8 and SW846 6020A.
The Perkin Elmer NexION350 combines a high-temperature ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) with a mass spectrometer (MS). The ICP breaks chemical bonds in the sample and ionizes any metals present. These ions are then separated and detected by the mass spectrometer. This approach offers high sensitivity and minimizes matrix interference. The instrument’s design produces a clean, stable environment for accurate and consistent results.
Methods 200.8 and SW846 6020A are approved EPA Methods for your projects, just as our current methods. For any projects that have a Quality Assurance Project Plan or other method specified document, please contact us and we will work with you to get those plans updated to reflect these new methods, reporting and detection limits. Please contact us if you have any questions about these changes or if we can help your projects go smoothly during this transition.
Congratulations to ARA President Sue Sylvester,
2016 NHBR Outstanding Women in Business Award Winner
Staff Updates
We are delighted to announce that we have brought Mark Winters on board as a Federal Project Manager. Some of you may know Mark, as he comes from an extensive environmental consulting background, and brings more than 25 years of experience to this position at ARA. In related news, Cathy DeWees has been promoted to Assistant Project Manager in the Federal Projects Division, using her expertise and organizational skills to help keep things running smoothly.
And you all will be very happy to hear that Jane Stratton has been named Office Manager at ARA. Jane has been with ARA for nearly 10 years and has worn many hats, filling in wherever needed, from login to customer service to marketing, accounting and project manager. No matter what her position, Jane has a knack for making sure our customers are taken care of from initial phone call to final report and everything in between. Congratulations Mark, Cathy and Jane! Full steam ahead!
Let ARA Make Life Easier
Did you know that many of our clients opt to receive Pre-printed CoCs for monthly, quarterly or annual sampling events? (ARA keeps track of the sampling schedule). And bottles get dropped off by our courier in advance of the sampling date. Super easy right? No more driving back and forth for forms and bottles, we've got you covered! Give us a call today if you’d like to discuss this convenient option for your business. We're here to help!
We would like to wish good luck and Godspeed to ARA's Kevin North, our environmental specialist in West Point, as he leaves for Army Officer Candidate School! See you in a few months Kev! We'll hold down the fort for ya!
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Metals Clients, FYI:
ARA is transitioning from
EPA Methods 200.7 and SW846 6010C
to EPA Methods 200.8 and SW846 6020A.
ICP-MS technology has many advantages over other elemental analysis techniques such as atomic absorption (AA) and ICP Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), including:
- Excellent detection limits, some down to part per trillion!
- Higher sample throughput than ICP-AES, detecting most elements in less than one minute
- Superior ability to minimize matrix interferences
Perkin Elmer NexION350X ICP-MS
Sylvesters & ARA Staff 2016
Mark WInters, Federal Project Manager
Cathy DeWees, Assistant Project Manager
Jane Stratton, Office Manager
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