Energy and Applied Chemical – Agilent Technologies Blog

Agilent Aids Infant Nutrition

Russell Lee — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 14:30:01 +0000

Undernutrition contributes to almost half of all deaths in children under the age of five. (WHO) Agilent is helping to counteract this in a highly innovative way.

The World Health Organization recommends to exclusively breastfeed babies from birth to six months of age. (WHO). This would provide young infants with all the nutrients they need, as well as improve their immune systems.

Here’s an interesting question: How can nutrition and health professionals determine whether this is actually happening?

And here’s an ingenious answer: The International Atomic Energy Agency has been supporting its Member States to improve the measurement of breastfeeding practices objectively using deuterium oxide (D₂O).

D₂O (or “heavy water”) is water that contains deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen harmless to humans at the amount needed to assess breastfeeding practices. When a lactating mother drinks a small amount of D₂O, deuterium is passed from mother to child through the breast milk. By measuring the amount of deuterium in the saliva from the mother and the child over a period of 14 days, nutrition and health professionals can determine how much breast milk was consumed by the infant and whether the child has consumed water from other sources. (You can read more about the procedure here.)

“Data from IAEA-supported studies show that mothers sometimes overestimate their breastfeeding rates,” says Victor Owino, nutrition specialist at the IAEA. “This technique can objectively assess the amount of breast milk consumed and whether the infant is exclusively breastfed, and how this is modified through the introduction of solid foods from six months of age.”

That’s where Agilent comes in. Agilent makes portable FTIR spectrometers that are ideal for analyzing liquid and solid samples in non-lab environments. (I’ve blogged about their use by environmental scientists and art historians.) Agilent supplies them to the IAEA and countries to assist in these assessments.

The Agilent FTIR in use at a lab in Tanzania

For example, researchers in Tunisia are using the Agilent portable FTIR and D2O in another innovative way. They are using the deuterium dilution technique to measure total body water and fat-free mass in school children, to determine body composition. They are also assessing physical activity and correlating it with body composition, showing that excess body fat is associated with lower physical activity.

These are terrific ways to bring science to life!

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Thanks to Agilent’s Graham Miller and IAEA’s Dr. Cornelia Loechl for their help with today’s blog post!

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Tracking Populations Through Poop

Russell Lee — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:30:46 +0000

Here’s a unique application of technology. Researchers used human waste (and Agilent) to identify changes in ancient populations.

Our bodies produce organic molecules called fecal stanols when we digest cholesterol. In other words, they show up in our poop. Amazingly, fecal stanols can persist in sediment for hundreds to thousands of years. As a result, the abundance of these molecules in the environment can be directly linked to the relative size of a population in a specific landscape.

U.S. researchers studied sediment samples from Horseshoe Lake, Illinois. This area served as a watershed for the Cahokia Mounds, site of a massive prehistoric civilization.

(Cahokia Mounds was the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. An ancient civilization of 10,000-20,000 inhabitants lived here during 800-1400 CE.)

The researchers used several Agilent technologies in their chemical analysis of core samples, including a gas chromatograph, mass selective detector, autosampler and ChemStation software.

“The trends present in the stanol results are consistent with the population history inferred from demographic reconstructions of Cahokia based on architectural data,” the researchers found.

“The correlation of this study and previous Cahokia population reconstructions provides confirmation that fecal stanols are useful for tracking ancient population change in temperate environments.”

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Happy Birthday, Periodic Table!

Russell Lee — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 15:30:34 +0000

The Periodic Table of the Elements is 150 years old this week!

On March 6, 1869, chemist Dmitri Mendeleev made a presentation to the Russian Chemical Society. For the first time, he organized elements into chemical families based on their atomic weight and valence (ability to bond with other elements).

(Coincidentally, German chemist Julius Lothar Meyer independently published an almost identical table just a few months later.)

Mendeleev’s table was also remarkable because he accurately predicted the qualities of elements that had not yet been discovered, including gallium, germanium and scandium.

There were 60 elements in Mendeleev’s original table. Today, more than 110 elements are known to science.

Agilent has been a world leader in chemical analysis for more than 50 years. We invented fused-silica capillary columns, which catapulted gas chromatography into mainstream laboratories. Our 5890 GC remains the best-selling gas chromatography instrument of all time. And currently, our Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC System and Agilent Ultivo Triple Quadrupole LC/MS instruments have revolutionized gas chromatography, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

And Agilent has a robust Atomic Spectroscopy portfolio for quantitating the elements in the periodic table. From our atomic absorption and microwave plasma… to our ICP-OES and ICP-MS instruments… we enable measurements from percentages down to parts-per-quintillion.

In 2012, we introduced our ICP-QQQ with MS/MS capabilities and revolutionized the atomic market. Our current second-generation 8900 ICP-QQQ demonstrates that Agilent is still at the cutting edge of innovation.

Thanks to Agilent’s Victoria Wadsworth-Hansen for suggesting today’s blog topic. Thanks to Agilent’s Amir Liba, Ph.D., for his help with the atomic spectroscopy portfolio.

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Researchers Have Found a Weed Killer Chemical in Popular Wine and Beer

Russell Lee — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 15:30:41 +0000

U.S. scientists have found a chemical normally found in weed killer in store-bought samples of popular beer and wine. Their analysis used a protocol developed with Agilent equipment.

Scientists with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group examined five wines and 15 beers, all popular brands bought in stores. They found glyphosate in 19 of the 20 samples, including 3 out of 4 organic brands. Glyphosate is the main ingredient in the weed killer Roundup.

The amounts detected were below tolerance levels indicated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Nevertheless, in 2015 the World Health Organization found that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen. (As a result of WHO’s announcement, California also listed glyphosate as a probable carcinogen, Germany severely limited its use, and France banned it completely.)

Despite this, glyphosate remains legal in the U.S., and the use of Roundup on cultivated land is currently increasing at a rapid pace.

“Our findings suggest that glyphosate contamination is common in beers and wine sold in the U.S.,” the researchers write. “Due to glyphosate’s many health risks and its ubiquitous nature in our food, water, and alcohol, the use of glyphosate in the U.S. should be banned unless and until it can be proven safe.”

UPDATE: While this study has received much attention in the media, a closer reading shows that it should be taken with a grain of salt. The sponsoring organization is a non-scientific, non-impartial charity with an agenda to “protect consumers and promote good government.”

Thanks to Agilent’s Dave Steinberg for his insights.

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An Update on Microplastics in the Environment

Russell Lee — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 15:30:32 +0000

Chemical & Engineering News has published a “State of the Union” update on microplastics in the environment.

I’ve blogged about microplastics before. These are not little bits of plastic that may flake off of your water bottle, that you could isolate with a filter. These are microscopic, nano-sized molecules that can be as small as 6.5 microns (the size of a human red blood cell). They can literally pass right through the walls of your digestive system and into your organs.

“About 8 million metric tons of waste plastic enters the oceans every year,” says C&EN. “These particles are being consumed not only by birds and fish but by humans, too.

“Regulators and industry are now funding studies to determine the risks that microplastics pose to the food chain and, ultimately, human health.”

Agilent is at the forefront of this research, with several of its efforts highlighted in C&EN’s article.

Agilent is part of a coalition of organizations working to develop standard operating protocols for quantifying and characterizing microplastics. This coalition also includes the European Commission’s joint Research Centre.

Researchers at Aalborg University have developed a program using an Agilent FTIR that can present color-coded images based on chemical identification.

You can view an application note here and a four-minute video here.

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How Chemical Phthalates are Endangering Women and Infants

Russell Lee — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 15:00:12 +0000

Chemical phthalates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are showing up in extremely frightening places: diapers and sanitary pads.

I’ve blogged about phthalates before. These chemicals are found in many consumer products, including cosmetics and packaging. But these chemicals can interfere with hormone production, causing genital birth defects and behavioral problems. Pregnant women and young children are especially at risk.

That last point is key.

An international team of scientists has just determined that sanitary pads and diapers contain higher phthalate contents than those in common commercial plastic products.

“Sanitary pads and diapers are made of synthetic plastic materials that can potentially be released while being used,” the researchers write. “As sanitary pads and diapers are in direct contact with external genitalia for an extended period, there is a probability that a considerable amount of VOCs or phthalates could be absorbed into the reproductive system.”

VOC contents were measured using an Agilent GC/MS system and MassHunter software. Phthalates were analyzed and measured using an Agilent HPLC system with a degasser, autosampler and binary pump.

The safety of sanitary pads or diapers is becoming a worldwide public health concern, with growing suspicions that some substances in those products may adversely influence the health of women and children.

But because diapers are not considered “medical devices,” they are not subject to medical or safety testing by regulatory agencies.

I don’t even know what advice to offer here. Most women of reproductive age use sanitary pads during their menstrual periods for an average of 1,800 days in their lifetime. Similarly, the diaper is a hygiene product that is in direct contact with the external genitalia of infants and toddlers for several months to years.

Be careful, everyone.

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Agilent Spectroscopy Product is Named a “Top Innovation”

Russell Lee — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 15:00:01 +0000

It must be awards season! Industry journal The Analytical Scientist has named an Agilent spectroscopy product as one of the year’s top innovations.

Every year, The Analytical Scientist Innovation Awards recognize the biggest breakthroughs in analytical chemistry. Innovations are nominated by readers, and the winners are chosen by a panel of independent experts along with the publication’s editorial team. Last year, Agilent won two TASIAs.

This year’s winner is the Agilent 8700 Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Chemical Imaging System. A “chemical imaging system” is used by pharmaceutical, biomedical, food and materials science laboratories to analyze tablets, laminates, tissues, polymers and fibers. Agilent’s innovative new approach brings greater clarity and unprecedented speed. Labs can analyze more samples, in greater detail, in minutes versus hours.

The Agilent 8700 LDIR “represents a new approach to chemical imaging and spectral analysis,” The Analytical Scientist writes. “Designed to be used by experts and non-experts alike, the Agilent 8700 LDIR provides a simple, low-maintenance and highly automated approach.

“Indeed, novice operators are able to run experiments from day one.”

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Sustainability through Innovation

Russell Lee — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 15:30:45 +0000

With increasing global climate change and energy consumption, sustainability has become an imperative for businesses, including laboratories. Consider two factoids:

The average laboratory consumes more energy per square foot than a hospital, office or retail complex
Reducing U.S. laboratory energy use by 30 percent would be equivalent to removing 1.3 million cars from our highways

Agilent is committed to delivering trusted answers that improve lives. This means conducting our business in an ethical, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner. It also means continuously innovating to improve sustainability for ourselves, our customers and our planet.

Agilent has established a Sustainability Forum to increase awareness and identify new innovation opportunities. Agilent’s Forum was recently profiled by Technology Networks. Some highlights:

85 percent of laboratories have sustainability goals in place. These include reducing energy and water consumption, as well as waste production.
Agilent focuses on sustainability in three areas: how we run our operations, how we create sustainable products and solutions, and how we enable our customers to be more sustainable.
Agilent product innovations include the Ultivo Triple Quadrupole LC/MS and 4210 MP-AES (both smaller and more energy-efficient than their predecessors), and a revolutionary oil-free scroll pump.

You can read the entire Technology Networks article here.

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Agilent and the Jurassic Sea Monster

Russell Lee — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 15:30:48 +0000

Scientists have found a remarkably well-preserved fossil of an ichthyosaur, a marine animal that lived 180 million years ago. How well-preserved is it? The specimen still has its skin and blubber intact!

The ichthyosaur was an aquatic animal that resembled a porpoise with large teeth. But while porpoises are mammals, ichthyosaurs were reptiles.

The specimen was discovered in a Southwest German quarry, where many other Jurassic-era fossils have been found. An international team of researchers studied the fossil using equipment that included an Agilent Cary FTIR microscope, an Agilent HPLC and a Varian GC/MS.

“Both the body outline and remnants of internal organs are clearly visible,” said researcher Johan Lindgren. “Remarkably, the fossil is so well-preserved that it is possible to observe individual cellular layers within its skin.”

The skin is still flexible and shows evidence of the animal’s camouflage pattern. Even more remarkable, the specimen contains fossilized blubber, the thick layer of fat found under the skin of modern marine mammals. This indicates that the ichthyosaur was a rare warm-blooded reptile.

“This is the first direct, chemical evidence for warm-bloodedness in an ichthyosaur,” said researcher Mary Schweitzer, “because blubber is a feature of warm-blooded animals.”

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The Prevalence of Lead in African-American Children

Russell Lee — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 15:30:10 +0000

Four years ago, contaminated water supplies in Flint, Michigan exposed more than 100,000 residents to dangerous levels of lead. Most were African-American and many were children.

I have blogged about the effects of lead poisoning and its elevated risks for children.

Demographically, African-American children have the highest prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in the U.S. This is attributed to poorer housing conditions (including dust and paint) in many black children’s homes. (AJPH)

Now, a recent study shows that this disparity begins even before birth.

Researchers in Detroit, Michigan, examined pregnant women then followed their offspring after birth The study found that African-American children had 2.2 times higher lead levels while still in the womb (second and third trimesters), and 1.9 times higher lead levels during their first year after birth, compared to white children.

Additionally, the study found that African-American children had lower tooth-manganese levels during the third trimester and postnatally. Manganese is an essential nutrient that modifies the neurotoxic effects of lead.

In other words, “The disproportionate burden of lead exposure is vertically transmitted (i.e., mother-to-child) to African-American children before they are born and persists into early childhood.”

The researchers used an Agilent ICP-MS to measure metals in teeth donated by participants.

“Our results suggest that testing women for lead during pregnancy (or in pre-conception planning), may be needed to identify the risk to their future offspring,” the researchers conclude, “particularly for African-American women.”

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