Seminar abstract
The analysis of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in consumer products and environmental compartments requires different approaches and has to answer fundamentally different questions. While in products it might be required to produce a quantitative particle size distribution of a known ingredient which is present in comparable high concentrations, analysis in the environment requires the identification of an ENP to be of industrial, manufactured origin often at very low concentrations. In products the analysis has to provide data compatible with existing or future definitions or regulations (e.g. number or mass-based particle size distributions) while in the natural environment it is of more interest which types of NPs are present and which of those are manufactured even though the exact type or composition of the ENPs are unknown. Depending on the type of ENPs and the chemistry of the matrix methods could be extremely simple (Au-NPs in drinking water) or relatively complex (TiO2 and Fe3O2 in sunscreen). We have developed methods for cosmetics, food and soils/waters using specifically adapted sample preparation techniques and quantification with classical Field Flow Fractionation-ICPMS, single particle techniques (EM and ICPMS) and for the first time multi-element single particle fingerprinting with ICP-TOFMS. Methods have been optimized for maximum recoveries in all steps of the analysis and qualified against original ENP samples before addition to the marketed products. This presentation will summarize the results from method development and is aiming to critically assess the different advantages and drawbacks of the methodologies for the different tasks in cosmetics, food and environmental sectors. Emphasis is on the new concepts and analytical requirements for fully simultaneous multi-element single particle TOF-ICPMS and the application of this technique to identify ENPs on the background of similar non-manufactured particles.
About Dr. von der Kammer
Dr. Frank von der Kammer completed his PhD in 2005 with highest honour at Hamburg University of Technology, in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology. He is currently senior scientist and lecturer, the Head of Nanogeosciences Division and vice Head of the Department for Environmental Geosciences at the University of Vienna. In the past, Frank has acted as a visiting Professor at the University of Pau and at the University of Aix-Marseille, France.
Frank’s research interests include environmental colloids, their dynamic behaviour and interaction with trace elements, natural nano-scale processes, nanoparticle characterization, engineered nanoparticles in the environment and the application of field flow fractionation to characterize nanoparticles in complex samples. He has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers within both nano research and nanoparticle characterization.