Innsbrucker Forscher und PTR-MS waren Teil der NASA Mission DISCOVER-AQ
PTR-MS hilft dabei neue Erkenntnisse über die Schadstoffverteilung in der Atmosphäre zu gewinnen.
Armin Wisthaler und Tomas Mikoviny von der Universität Innsbruck sind das einzige ausländische Forscher-Team, das auf Einladung der NASA an 14 Messflügen mit ihrem PTR-MS Instrument teilgenommen hat.
Detaillierte Kenntnisse über die Verteilung und den Transport von Luftschadstoffen in der Atmosphäre können zuverlässig nur durch Messungen aus Luft gewonnen werden, weshalb die beiden Forscher im NASA Messflugzeug P-3B über dem Großraum Washington-Baltimore unterwegs waren. Mit ihrem Protonentausch-Reaktions Massenspektrometer (PTR-MS) wurden die Konzentration von verschiedenen Kohlenwasserstoffen ermittelt, die an der Bildung von Ozon und Feinstaub beteiligt sind. „Wir haben bereits vor drei Jahren mit dem PTR-MS an einer NASA-Kampagne sehr erfolgreich teilgenommen, weshalb man uns auch zu DISCOVER-AQ wieder eingeladen hat“, erzählt Wisthaler. „Da das Flugzeug etwa 100 Meter pro Sekunde zurücklegt, sind schnelle Messungen, wie sie das PTR-MS durchführen kann, unabdingbar“, ergänzt er. Während des Fluges wird über einen Einlass Luft eingesaugt und das PTR-MS ermittelt in Sekundenschnelle die Konzentration von Kohlenwasserstoffen.
First results of CERN’s CLOUD experiment now published in NATURE journal
PTR-MS technology made in Austria contributes to important results of the CLOUD experiments at CERN.
The CLOUD experiment has been designed to study the effect of cosmic rays on the formation of atmospheric aerosols – tiny liquid or solid particles suspended in the atmosphere – under controlled laboratory conditions. Atmospheric aerosols are thought to be responsible for a large fraction of the seeds that form cloud droplets.
The CLOUD results show that trace vapors assumed until now to account for aerosol formation in the lower atmosphere can explain only a tiny fraction of the observed atmospheric aerosol production. The results also show that ionization from cosmic rays significantly enhances aerosol formation. Precise measurements such as these are important in achieving a quantitative understanding of cloud formation, an important contribution to climate models.
The prestigious NATURE journal has now published first results from the CLOUD experiment, where two PTR-MS instruments from the Institute for Ion Physics and Applied Physics of the University of Innsbruck contributed to this cutting edge project. A quadrupole based PTR-MS was used to monitor trace concentrations of Ammonia and a PTR-TOF-MS system (based on time of flight technology) continuously scanned organic vapor concentrations in the CLOUD chamber.
IONICON presents N.A.S.E. – Nosespace Air Sampling Extension to PTR-MS
IONICON N.A.S.E. is a heated device for the collection of nosespace air and direct introduction into the inlet of a PTR-MS system.
We listened to the feedback from our customers and developed a device for further improving our response time optimized heated PEEK inlet system, especially for PTR-MS users in food, flavor & fragrance science.
Substances of interest such as e.g. Vanillin are often very “sticky” and condensate on cold spots of an inlet system. Therefore we have engineered a solution overcome this issue.
Watch the video below to see how you can benefit from IONICON N.A.S.E.!
IONICON at 6th Future Security, Security Research Conference
IONICON science manager, Dr. Philipp Sulzer will co-chair the session A3 Detection of hazardous Material and give a lecture.
Terrorism, organized crime and sabotage, but also natural disasters and technological accidents can cause serious damage and disruption with long-lasting consequences for economies and the quality of life.
The 6th Future Security, Security Research Conference will take place 5. -7. September 2011 in Berlin, Germany and has the aim to bring together the decision makers in politics, industry and finance with scientists working on leading edge and innovative concepts, sensors or systems for civil security.
Philipp Sulzer will chair the session Detection of Hazardous Material on Tuesday September 6 from 9:00 to 10:20 and give a lecture with the title: Detection and Identification of illicit and Hazardous Substances with Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS).
Continue to read the abstract:
PTR-MS compared to SIFT-MS, APCI and MS-e-noses
A new review article in Trends in Analytical Chemistry discusses direct-injection mass spectrometry for VOC analysis.
F. Biasioli, C. Yeretzian, T. D. Märk, J. Dewulf and H. Van Langenhove wrote an interesting review with the title “Direct-injection mass spectrometry adds the time dimension to (B)VOC analysis” that was recently published in Trends in Analytical Chemistry 30 (7) (2011).
We at IONICON are often asked what actually the differences and in our case, the benefits of the PTR-MS technology compared to other, similar methods are. Not only a technical comparison is of interest but also feedback from studies in the field covering various applications is in high demand by people contacting us.
For me the advantages of PTR-MS are obvious and I also know which position our technology and products have in the market, but of course it is more credible if an article in a peer-reviewed journal has such a comparison as topic and gives the reader a chance to follow a well grounded debate.
The synopsis of this article with regards to PTR-MS and my conclusion, I would summarize as follows only mentioning the most intriguing arguments:
IONICON announces new distribution partner for INDIA
IONICON is teaming up with MARS Bioanalytical Pvt Ltd., a leading company in the field of Analytical, Biotech and Environmental instruments in India.
The common goal of this new cooperation is to offer the range of unique IONICON PTR-MS products to Indian customers and provide excellent local service and support handled by MARS with its head office in New Delhi and branch offices in Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai. MARS has a total strength of over 25 professionals to provide sales and service to its customers across India.
IONICON recently sold and delivered a High-Sensitivity PTR-MS system to the prestigious Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) Mohali in Chandigarh.
We would like to give more scientists in India the possibility to conduct research with IONICON instruments in the near future and to achieve this, a local partner is essential.
Overview Article on Biotech and Medical Applications
After several years of intense research in close collaboration international partners from both, medical research and biopharmaceutical companies, Ionimed Analytik has released an overview articel, summarizing this work.
This technical article Applications of PTR-MS in Medicine and Biotechnology has been published in American Laboratory (Tuesday, June 14, 2011) and is available online via this link.
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