The food and agricultural industry is extremely delicate. Apart from being one of the sources of income for several countries across the world, it is a primary ingredient for the survival of human beings. Every piece of food item or beverage has a role to play and it is vital to protect them from any form of pollution or contamination. It is no surprise that fields of vegetables often get poisoned due to some form of chemical that might have been dissolved into the water being used.
Therefore, it is vital to look for chemical compounds and other substances that might be present in a given piece of food sample. In order to do this, the technique that can be used is based on the icp oes principle. It is an idea that focuses on using the principles of quantum mechanics to perform the process as mentioned earlier. In the following few sections, a brief study will be done concerning various food items and how they are analyzed using the concept presented earlier.
#1 Beer Analysis
The key method to brew the above-mentioned beverage is through water, malted barley, and hop. Apart from that yeast is also used as a basic ingredient at times along with rice, wheat, and corn. The way in which the above-mentioned process is undertaken plays a great role in elevating the taste of the final product. However, if there is any form of metal contamination that might have occurred on account of the raw material presented, then that can have adverse effects. Beer analysis through ICP OES involves the removal of around 4% to 6% of varying alcohol, total dissolved solids, and carbon dioxide.
The final element mentioned can often lead to discrepancies in the results and therefore separating all of them is vital. The sample under consideration is made to pass through an argon stream for around 60 minutes. Apart from that sonication is also performed for around 20 minutes. This helps to use sound energy that disturbs the various metallic solids inside the solution. Thereby, characteristic lines are obtained for the varying substances present and thus the presence of external materials is detected.
#2 Sunflower Oil Analysis
Sunflower oil forms the basis of daily cooking for several people across the world. It is something that is obtained from seeds of sunflowers and is considered extremely healthy as it is said to prevent heart-based problems. Since vegetable oils are primary ingredients for consumption, there are strict regulations for the protection of the product under consideration. The presence of elements like lead, mercury, and arsenic are lethal to the body. However, this product is extremely vicious in nature. Therefore, it leads to issues such as matrix complexity and potential crystallinity at the time of analysis.
In ICP OES, a dilution process is conducted first before the study is undertaken. It is mixed with kerosene, which helps to provide sub-ppb limits of detection. A given sample of the product is homogenized in an ultrasonic bath for around 10 minutes. Various standards are set depending on the exact element that is being searched for. This in turn helps to prevent any form of interference in case multiple impurities are present. Each one of them can be studied and detected individually with ease.
End Note
Ensuring the quality of the food we eat is vital to the survival of the species. However, studying and analyzing samples manually can be a tedious task due to the time and money that it takes at times. Through the icp oes principle, this process can be made trivial and it is a primary reason for extensive use within the current industry.