The Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry (LINC) specializes in measuring many toxic metals/metalloids in environmental and clinical matrices, often at trace (10 to 104 µg/L or 0.01 to 100 µg/g) or even ultra trace (<10 µg/L or <0.01 µg/g ) levels. Some trace elements are important for human health because they are essential micronutrients (copper, zinc and selenium), yet others are non-essential and highly toxic: lead, cadmium, and mercury. Monitoring trace elements in the water we drink and the food we eat is important for assessing external exposure. However, to assess internal exposure, trace elements are measured in blood, urine and human tissues.

As the EPA-designated primacy laboratory for NY State, the environmental trace elements section is accredited as NELAP – lab E37911, NYS ELAP – lab 10762, and EPA – lab NY00005, while the clinical trace elements section is accredited under CLIA certificate of compliance # 33D0654341 and NYS DOH Clinical Laboratory Permit PFI# 1067.

Analysis / Tests Routinely Performed

  • Trace Elements in potable and non-potable water, food and solid waste using quadrupole-based Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).
  • X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry: rapid screening of solid samples (supplements, toys, foods, cosmetics and spices) for toxic elements (Pb, Cd, As, and Hg).
  • Trace Elements in blood, urine and serum, and human tissues (placenta, bone, etc.) using quadrupole and High Resolution Sector Field ICP-MS (ICP-QMS, and HR-SF-ICP-MS).
     

Proficiency Testing

The laboratory operates a subscription-based proficiency testing (PT) program for trace elements in whole blood, serum and urine matrices that is designed to support human biomonitoring methods. Potential participants may contact the scheme organizers at trel@health.ny.gov for more details. An example of a recent PT report illustrates the scope of elements measured in biological fluids. Other interlaboratory studies for trace elements (bone, keratin, liver etc.) may be offered on an ad hoc basis. Contact the scheme organizer for further details on upcoming studies, and information on past studies.

Academic Programs

Senior laboratory scientists hold academic appointments in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences of the University at Albany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences. The laboratory hosts both doctoral (Ph.D.) and masters (M.S., M.P.H.) students working toward degrees awarded by the University at Albany in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS). Staff members co-teach several graduate courses (core and electives) that are required for completion of the degree. They include EHS 525 Environmental Chemical Analysis, EHS 530 Principles of Environmental Chemistry, and EHS 621 Chromatographic Methods. Opportunities for high school students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, chemist aides, and laboratory technicians may be available, along with access to state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation.

Examples of Ph.D. theses completed in this laboratory include:

  • A Study of Mercury Speciation Analysis of Blood Using Liquid Chromatography Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Human Biomonitoring and Clinical Applications. Emily Pacer, Ph.D., 2024
  • Elemental Composition and Arsenic Speciation Analysis of Processed Seafood Products using Atomic Spectrometric Techniques. Austin Roberts, Ph.D., 2020
  • An Investigation of Alkaline Earth and Rare Earth Elements in Human Bone Following Long-Term Parenteral Nutrition. Aubrey Galusha, Ph.D., 2015
  • Development and Assessment of Analytical Methods for Monitoring Current and Historical Exposures to Manganese: Blood, Urine and Teeth. Meredith Praamsma, Ph.D., 2013
     

Research and Development

Instrumentation

The laboratory has a long history of conducting research into trace elements and human health, and exploring new ways to use modern analytical atomic spectrometry to solve problems in environmental health. With more than twelve ICP-MS instruments available, including Thermo Element 2 Sector Field ICP-MS, and five Agilent 8800/8900 ICP-MS (a tandem MS instrument, i.e., ICP-MS/MS), the lab is well equipped to tackle a broad range of analytical problems. LINC has also High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) systems coupled to three Agilent ICP-MS/MS instruments to conduct speciation analysis. The lab is also equipped with XRF instrumentation, including two XOS High Definition XRF instruments (i.e., monochromatic µ-XRF), a Niton XL5 Plus XRF, and a Niton XL3t GOLLD XRF. Recent additions to LINC’s broad range of modern tools for trace element determination include Microwave-Induced Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (MIP-OES), and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) instruments (Agilent 4210 MP-AES, and Agilent 5800 ICP-OES, respectively). 


Current Research Focus

Trace Elements is integrated into a larger research program that is focused on Biomonitoring and trace element analysis of both clinical and environmental samples. In 2015, the laboratory received NIH funding to support participation in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Children’s Health Environmental Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) and in 2020, funding for its successor, the Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR). The latter received NIH supplemental funding to support the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO). The laboratory has received CDC funding for many years to support human biomonitoring in NY State, including a recent award to support Biomonitoring NY – Neighborhoods
 

Featured Publications

Pacer EJ, Palmer CD, Parsons PJ. A rapid method for the determination of methylmercury and inorganic mercury species in whole blood by liquid chromatography with detection using vapor generation ICP-MS/MS. Anal Methods. 2025; Feb 20;17 (8): 1840-1849. DOI: 10.1039/d4ay02116a
Nóbrega JA, Donati GL. Microwave-assisted sample preparation for spectrochemical analysis. In Meyers RA (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry. 2025; Wiley, Chichester DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470027318.a9185.pub2
Roberts AA, Guimarães D, Tehrani MW, Lin S, Parsons PJ. A field-based evaluation of portable XRF to screen for toxic metals in seafood products. X-Ray Spectrometry. 2023; DOI: 10.1002/xrs.3407
Donati GL. Advanced statistical tools and machine learning applied to elemental analysis associated with medical conditions. In M.A. Zezzi-Arruda and J.R. Jesus (vol. eds.), ICP-MS and Trace Element Analysis as Tools for Better Understanding Medical Conditions (part of D. Barceló, ed., Wilson and Wilson’s Comprehensive Analytical Chemistry). 2022; 97 (Elsevier): Amsterdam. DOI: 10.1016/bs.coac.2022.02.002
Parsons PJ. Atomic Spectrometry in Clinical Chemistry. Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry. 2022; Wiley Online Library: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 1-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470027318.a0546.pub2
Pacer EJ, Palmer CD, Parsons PJ. Determination of lead in blood by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction: Improving a well-established method to support a lower blood lead reference value for children. Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy. 2022; 190 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2021.106324
Galusha AL, Farnsworth AC, Bloom MS, Kruger PC, McGough A, Lenhart N, Wong R, Fujimoto VY, Mok-Lin E, Parsons PJ. Trace element analysis of human seminal plasma: A cautionary tale of preanalytical variation and use of non-traditional matrices in human biomonitoring studies. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2021; May (234): 234:113751. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113751
Galusha AL, Howard LJ, Kruger PC, Marks T, Parsons PJ. Bone Mineral Composition Among Long-Term Parenteral Nutrition Patients: Postmortem Assessment of Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Select Trace Elements. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2021; Jan;45 (1): 175-182. DOI: 10.1002/jpen.1818
Galusha AL, Merrill L, Palmer CD, Amarasiriwardena C, Parsons PJ. Measurement harmonization and traceability for trace element analyses across the Children's Health Exposure Analysis Resource laboratory network. Environmental Research. 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110302
Hou X, Amais RS, Jones BT, Donati GL. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry. 2021; Wiley, Chichester DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470027318.a5110.pub4
Kruger PC, Parsons PJ*, Galusha AL, Morrissette M, Recker RR, Howard LJ. Excessive Aluminum Accumulation in the Bones of Patients on Long-Term Parenteral Nutrition: Postmortem Analysis by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2014; 38 (6): 728-735.
Praamsma ML, Parsons PJ*. Characterization of calcified reference materials for assessing the reliability of manganese determinations in teeth and bone. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. 2014; 29 (7): 1243-1251.