Heavy metals screening
The four elemental impurities that every specification names, measured by ICP-MS to parts per billion against USP <232>/<233> limits, with the limit printed alongside each result rather than a bare pass.
- Pricing
- Add-on $169
- Turnaround
- 5–7 business days
- Family
- Analyte panel
The four-element metals add-on costs $169 for eligible sample orders. The total includes the sample's base assay. Contact us for expanded-panel pricing.
- Agilent 7850 ICP-MS
- Agilent 7850 with LC front end
Purchased new through authorised channels, performance-qualified by certified engineers, and the instrument ID prints on every certificate. View the bench.
What the panel measures
| Test | Method | Instrument | Reports as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | MethodICP-MS, He collision cell, closed-vessel digestion | InstrumentAgilent 7850 ICP-MS | Reports asppb, limit printed alongside |
| Arsenic | MethodICP-MS, He collision cell | InstrumentAgilent 7850 ICP-MS | Reports asppb, limit printed alongside |
| Cadmium | MethodICP-MS, He collision cell | InstrumentAgilent 7850 ICP-MS | Reports asppb, limit printed alongside |
| Mercury | MethodICP-MS, cold vapour compatible | InstrumentAgilent 7850 ICP-MS | Reports asppb, limit printed alongside |
| Expanded panel | MethodICP-MS, 12 elements | InstrumentAgilent 7850 ICP-MS | Reports asppb: Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, V, Sb, Ba, Se |
| Speciated arsenic | MethodLC-ICP-MS, on request | InstrumentAgilent 7850 with LC front end | Reports asInorganic and organic reported apart |
| Limit basis | MethodUSP <232>/<233>, Prop 65 or your spec | InstrumentDerived from the assay | Reports asNamed on the certificate |
Sample requirements and shipping
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Powder or botanical | Requirement5 g sealed |
| Capsules or tablets | Requirement20 units in the retail bottle |
| Liquid or beverage | Requirement30 mL sealed |
| Condition | RequirementRoom temperature. The assay is destructive, so send a unit you can spare. |
Order first, then ship. A prepaid label is emailed when payment lands, and the carrier scan on that label opens your chain of custody. We accept no walk-in drop-off, and we hold no DEA registration, so no Schedule I to V material.
Why the method matters
Closed-vessel microwave digestion matters. Open hotplate digestion loses mercury and understates arsenic, which is why two laboratories can differ by more than the analytical uncertainty on the same jar.
A helium collision cell removes the polyatomic interferences that otherwise inflate arsenic and chromium. Without it, a clean sample can read hot and a batch gets destroyed for nothing.
What comes back
A public certificate
Every result, the method, the instrument ID, the LOD and LOQ and the signature, verifiable by accession number with no login.
The filmed route
Your package opened on camera, a photograph of each container, and the footage retained for three years. Released to you on request.
A retained sample
Held 90 days, so any result can be rechecked by us or by an accredited laboratory of your choosing.
Questions about heavy metals screening
Which limits do you report against?
USP <232>/<233> by default, since most specifications reference it. Tell us if California Proposition 65, a state cannabis limit or a customer specification applies and we report against that, named on the certificate.
Do you speciate arsenic?
On request, by LC-ICP-MS. It matters for seaweed, rice and some botanicals where most of the arsenic is the far less toxic organic form and a total figure looks alarming for no reason.
How low can you detect?
Sub-ppb for all four primary elements. The LOQ prints beside every result so you can see the margin to the limit.
Is the sample destroyed?
Yes. Digestion consumes the aliquot. Send enough that we can retain material for the 90-day retest window.
Submit a sample
Order in the builder, pay, and a prepaid label is emailed to you. The certificate publishes to the database the moment it is signed.