ICP Testing Services

[reeFnerD#38401]

Do any of the companies offering these services publish their QC program details? Do any participate in an interlaboratory proficiency testing program to improve the quality of their testing results? If so, please let me know so I can begin using their services. I'm really tired of unreliable, non-repeatable test results.

 

[Dan_P]

Do any of the companies offering these services publish their QC program details? Do any participate in an interlaboratory proficiency testing program to improve the quality of their testing results? If so, please let me know so I can begin using their services. I'm really tired of unreliable, non-repeatable test results.

Great questions. I think ICP test results can be quite variable and the only thing to do is rethink how you can use such noisy data. To put this challenge in perspective, if the Hanna Checker gave such noisy results, they would be no more

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do any of the companies offering these services publish their QC program details? Do any participate in an interlaboratory proficiency testing program to improve the quality of their testing results? If so, please let me know so I can begin using their services. I'm really tired of unreliable, non-repeatable test results.

For that QA requirement level, you cannot expect the costs hobby companies typically charge (IMO).

My company frequently uses outside labs for chemical analysis of various sorts, and the cost of a single element in a sample is typically more than the entire cost of a hobby seawater ICP test.

 

[reeFnerD#38401]

For that QA requirement level, you cannot expect the costs hobby companies typically charge (IMO).

My company frequently uses outside labs for chemical analysis of various sorts, and the cost of a single element in a sample is typically more than the entire cost of a hobby seawater ICP test.

Then the results are mostly useless, and you might as well rely upon the hobby level test kits.

 

[Christoph]

ICP-MS measurement of Seawater Certified Reference Material

Dear Reef2Reefers! I have seen a lot of skepticism regarding seawater laboratory analysis in this forum, especially when in comes to reported values for trace elements. I must say, that all skepticism is very well justified, since there is many potential pitfalls in ICP analysis: Sampling...

www.reef2reef.com

Best regards,
Christoph

 

[Pistondog]

Hey welcome reefnerd.
Unfortunately I can't afford 100 different test kits, so every 3 months or so, I get an icp done, and trust the results to a certain extent.
Much more cost effective than owning many test kits, even if they exist(ed).

 

[reefiniteasy]

Then the results are mostly useless, and you might as well rely upon the hobby level test kits.

But people aren’t using icp for the parameters that are available to test through hobby level test kits. So I don’t think it’s useless at all. Plus many people follow dosing regimens that require icp and by most accounts I’ve read the data provided is quite valuable. What is your overall concern/issue?

 

[ekandler]

I have used several ICP companies and recently I sent in water samples with the cheaper US-based option ICP-analysis.com and the more trusted Triton Labs. From what I found, there were a few inconsistencies between the two and for elements I can test, Triton more accurately reflected results I could test for. Also, ICP-Analysis had a few results I couldn’t test for that seemed unreasonable which Triton did not have.

if you’re just looking for a recommendation, I’d say pay the extra and go with Triton.

 

[reefiniteasy]

There is a new company Reef-Labs out of Bradenton, FL. I’m currently waiting for results as we speak.

 

[reeFnerD#38401]

But people aren’t using icp for the parameters that are available to test through hobby level test kits. So I don’t think it’s useless at all. Plus many people follow dosing regimens that require icp and by most accounts I’ve read the data provided is quite valuable. What is your overall concern/issue?

I recently received the results of an ICP test which showed Phosphate concentrations in ppm in the RO/DI water. Being very concerned, I contacted the company and they admitted there was a problem with their testing results. So, I prepared two more samples and sent them in. Both the RO/DI and the tank water supposedly tested zero, yes zero, phosphates and phosphorus in both the tank water and the RO/DI. That is unbelievable and I think the numbers were simply made up. If I can't trust basic results such as this, how could I trust any of their data whether it be for trace elements or other parameters.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Then the results are mostly useless, and you might as well rely upon the hobby level test kits.

Maybe. I don't see how the things you suggest are required for accuracy, but they may be useful to assure you or other users they are accurate.

FWIW, not all ICP companies are equivalently trustworthy, IMO.