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A 2018 analytical method showed how one liquid sample could be calibrated for as many as 71 inorganic elements in a single ICP-MS measurement. The approach used an instrument arrangement that focuses ions and spreads ions of different masses across a flat plane, allowing many elemental signals to be captured together instead of measuring each element in sequence.
The demonstration covered 15 liquids, including waters from different parts of the world, beer, wine, milk, saliva and blood. The reported element range extended from lithium to uranium, with analysis times described as seconds to several minutes. That is a result reported for the tested method and samples—not a promise that every liquid, laboratory or modern ICP-MS system routinely checks 71 elements at that speed.
What “71 elements” means in this headline
The number refers to the maximum number of inorganic elements that the 2018 calibration method was designed to quantify from one liquid sample at once. It does not mean that every liquid test automatically contains 71 measurable elements, nor that all ICP-MS instruments have a 71-element mode.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe work was led by Timothy Bromage’s team at New York University College of Dentistry and reported in RSC Advances 8 (2018), page 37008. The accessible account appeared in Chemistry World on 21 December 2018. The underlying paper is identified as M. Bäuchle et al., DOI 10.1039/c8ra07070a.
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“Up to” is important. A method can be configured to look for a broad panel while the useful list for a particular sample is smaller. The actual result depends on which elements are present, how much of each is present, how the liquid behaves in the instrument and whether interfering signals can be separated well enough for reliable calibration.
How ICP-MS measures elements
The sample becomes ions
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, usually abbreviated ICP-MS, introduces a prepared liquid into an extremely hot plasma. The plasma breaks the sample into atoms and creates charged particles called ions. Those ions carry information about the elements in the original liquid.
The instrument then measures ions according to their mass-to-charge ratios. Because different elements produce ions at different masses, the resulting mass spectrum can be used to identify elements and estimate their amounts.
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Calibration converts signal into amount
ICP-MS does not read a bottle and display a concentration without preparation. Analysts first establish how instrument response corresponds to known amounts of target elements. A calibration approach supplies that relationship, so an unknown sample’s signal can be translated into an estimated concentration.
For a multi-element method, calibration must cover the selected element panel and account for the operating conditions used for the sample. The headline therefore describes a calibration and measurement strategy, not merely a new detector capable of seeing an arbitrary number of substances.
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What changed compared with sequential ICP-MS
Sequential measurement
Conventional ICP-MS workflows commonly examine elements one after another. The instrument selects or records one mass region, then moves to another. A long list of elements requires more measurement events, more instrument time and continued use of the prepared sample.
Simultaneous measurement
The reported arrangement focuses ions and distributes ions of different masses along a flat plane. Instead of waiting for a single mass position to be scanned before moving on, the system can register many mass positions together. The calibration method is intended to turn those simultaneous signals into quantitative results for as many as 71 inorganic elements.
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Which liquids were included in the demonstration?
Chemistry World reported that the team tested 15 liquid samples. The set was deliberately varied rather than restricted to a single purified water standard.
| Sample category reported | What it shows | Specific count or composition |
|---|---|---|
| Waters from around the world | Testing across different water matrices and origins | Individual water types were reported; the account does not give a full breakdown |
| Beer | Measurement in a fermented beverage matrix | Present in the 15-sample set |
| Wine | Measurement in another beverage with a different composition | Present in the 15-sample set |
| Milk | Testing in a nutrient-rich, more complex liquid | Present in the 15-sample set |
| Saliva | Testing in a biological fluid | Present in the 15-sample set |
| Blood | Testing in a biological fluid with substantial matrix complexity | Present in the 15-sample set |
The reported elemental span ran from lithium through uranium. That phrase describes the ends of the range discussed in the report; it does not establish that every element between those endpoints was equally easy to quantify in every one of the 15 liquids.
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Simultaneous and sequential approaches compared
The available report supports a qualitative comparison rather than a complete performance benchmark. It specifically contrasts measuring many elements together with checking them sequentially.
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|---|---|---|
| Elements handled per sample | Up to 71 inorganic elements in the described method | Elements are examined one after another |
| Analysis time | Reported as seconds to several minutes for the demonstrated analyses | More instrument time as additional elements are measured; no numerical total is supplied in the report |
| Sample consumption | The approach is intended to reduce repeated use of the same prepared sample | Sequential checks continue to draw on the sample as the element list grows |
| Tested matrices | 15 reported liquids, including water, beer, wine, milk, saliva and blood | The report does not provide a matched, quantitative matrix-by-matrix comparison |
| Quantitative head-to-head figures | Not stated in the accessible account | Not stated in the accessible account |
Consequently, the strongest supported conclusion is about measurement strategy: collecting and calibrating many mass signals together can reduce the need for a separate sequential measurement for each element. The source does not provide enough data to claim a particular percentage reduction in time, sample volume or cost.
How long did an analysis take?
The report gives a broad range of seconds to several minutes. That range should be read as a description of the analyses reported by the study, not as a guaranteed turnaround time for an arbitrary sample.
Real timing can include steps that occur before the instrument records ions, such as deciding which elements to target, preparing or diluting a liquid, checking calibration, running quality controls and reviewing results. A complex matrix may require additional handling even if the ion measurement itself is quick.
The report does not provide a separate time for each of the 15 samples. It therefore cannot support a claim that blood, milk, wine or any other named matrix always falls at a particular point in the seconds-to-minutes range.
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Why a broad multi-element panel is useful
When a laboratory does not yet know which elements matter, a broad screen can provide an initial chemical profile. Measuring a panel in one prepared sample may help identify unexpected elements, compare samples or decide which analytes deserve a more focused follow-up test.
Using one sample can also matter when the available liquid is limited. Biological fluids and specialized specimens may not be easy to collect again. A method that obtains many elemental results from one aliquot has a practical advantage over repeatedly consuming that aliquot for separate runs.
These benefits are conditional. A broad panel is useful only when the calibration is appropriate for the sample and the resulting signals meet the laboratory’s quality requirements. More reported elements do not automatically mean better accuracy for every individual element.
What the 2018 result does and does not establish
Supported by the report
- A calibration method for ICP-MS was described for measuring up to 71 inorganic elements from one liquid sample at once.
- The instrument arrangement was described as focusing ions and distributing different masses along a flat plane.
- The demonstration included 15 liquid samples.
- The sample set included worldwide waters, beer, wine, milk, saliva and blood.
- The reported elemental range extended from lithium to uranium.
- The reported analysis times ranged from seconds to several minutes.
- The method was presented as an alternative to sequential multi-element ICP-MS measurement.
Not established by the available account
- That every liquid can be measured for all 71 elements with equal sensitivity or precision.
- That 71 elements are routinely reported by every commercial ICP-MS instrument.
- That the method is the current state of the art or has become standard laboratory practice.
- That later independent studies have validated the approach or that another method has superseded it.
- A universal detection limit, accuracy percentage, sample-preparation recipe or cost per analysis.
- A guaranteed clinical, environmental, food-safety or regulatory use.
The accessible source is a 2018 news report summarizing the cited paper. It does not establish subsequent adoption or independent validation, so present-day status should not be inferred from the original demonstration alone.
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Water, beer, wine, milk, saliva and blood are all liquids, but they are not chemically interchangeable. Dissolved salts, organic material and other constituents can alter how a sample is introduced into the plasma or how ions are detected. In analytical chemistry, these influences are generally treated as matrix effects.
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A calibration that works well for one matrix may need adjustment for another. That is why the 15-sample demonstration is valuable as evidence that the approach was tried across several kinds of liquids, but it is not evidence that one universal calibration curve will perform identically everywhere.
For a real laboratory request, the matrix should be named alongside the element list. “Check this liquid for 71 elements” is incomplete without information about whether the liquid is drinking water, a beverage, a biological specimen or another material.
How to evaluate a laboratory claim today
If a laboratory says it can perform broad elemental screening, ask for the method details rather than relying on the headline number.
- Ask which elements are actually included. “Up to 71” may describe the method’s maximum panel, while the laboratory’s routine panel could be smaller.
- Identify the sample matrix. Confirm that the method has been validated for the specific liquid you are submitting.
- Request reporting limits. Detection or quantification limits should be given for each relevant element and matrix, not replaced by a single overall number.
- Check preparation requirements. Find out whether dilution, acidification, filtration or another treatment is required and whether it changes the result you need.
- Separate instrument time from total turnaround. A seconds-to-minutes measurement does not necessarily mean the final report is ready in that interval.
- Ask how quality is controlled. A credible result should be tied to calibration checks, blanks, standards and documented handling appropriate to the laboratory’s scope.
- Confirm the purpose of the result. Screening, research, regulatory reporting and clinical interpretation can require different validation and reporting practices.
These questions do not assume that a laboratory uses the 2018 arrangement. They help determine whether a current service has evidence for the particular matrix, elements and decision you care about.
How to read the headline without overinterpreting it
The most accurate reading is: a 2018 ICP-MS calibration study reported simultaneous measurement of as many as 71 inorganic elements in each of 15 tested liquid samples, with reported analyses taking seconds to several minutes. The result demonstrates a way to collect and quantify a large elemental panel from one sample.
It does not mean that a household liquid, blood specimen or environmental sample automatically receives a complete 71-element answer after one push of a button. Sample preparation, matrix behavior, calibration quality and the laboratory’s validated scope remain decisive.
Source and date
The result was reported by Chemistry World on 21 December 2018, based on M. Bäuchle et al., RSC Advances 8 (2018), 37008, DOI 10.1039/c8ra07070a. Because the available account is from 2018 and does not establish later validation, adoption or replacement by newer methods, claims about current routine availability require newer primary or official laboratory documentation.
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