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U.S. Newsletter - Winter 2014-2015

NEW Discrete Analyzer- the AQ400

AQ400 latest discrete analyzer Your environmental analytical chemistry has just become easier with the release of SEAL's AQ400 Discrete Analyzer. This compact, bench-top analyzer has been designed by chemists to address the needs of environmental laboratories requiring high levels of automation, a wide range of chemistries, and limits of detection that ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and integration with LIMS systems. Like the other Discrete Analyzers in the SEAL range, the AQ400 will give you the best analysis and performance while eliminating problems inherent in analyzers designed for clinical use.

Why Select the AQ400 Discrete Analyzer for Your Environmental Analytical Chemistry?

  • Higher capacity – more samples and more reagents equals longer walk-away time 
  • Lower detection limits - without sacrificing automation
  • Standard optical glass cuvette 10mm path length – longer path length optional 
  • Designed with ease of maintenance as a priority 
  • The ability to use as a stand-alone spectrophotometer - ideal for COD 
  • EPA recommended optically pure and inert glass cuvette
  • Ultra low reagent consumption – low μL dispenses
  • Completely unattended operation ideal for overnight-programed runs 
  • Advanced robotics for faster standard and sample preparation/hour 
  • No carry-over or cross contamination
  • Add samples after a run has started
  • Auto blanking feature for colored samples
  • USEPA, ISO, UKAS methods for both wastewater and drinking water 

 

DISCRETE ANALYZER METHODS

We have a broad range of methods for the SEAL AQ400 Discrete Analyzer including analytes important for environmental laboratories analyzing water, wastewater, soils etc. For a full list of tests available or for additional information on the AQ400, please contact sales@seal-us.com .

FSEA Fall Meeting

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UWM School of Freshwater Sciences

 

The world needs water. Sitting along the shores and bluffs of Lake Michigan, and the Menomonee, the Kinnickinnic and the Milwaukee Rivers, Milwaukee has lots of it. This makes Milwaukee the perfect city to become a center for Water innovation, and a hub for fresh water research and technology.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee recently finished construction on a new $ 53 million home for its School of Freshwater Sciences. The UWM School of Freshwater Sciences is the only graduate program in the country that specializes in freshwater. The stunning, glass-paneled building nestles up against the Kinnickinnic River just before the river spills into the Milwaukee Bay in Lake Michigan. Inside and out, the building mimics the curves and colors of water. This location provides both a beautiful view of the harbor and a convenient docking place for research vessels. With more than half of the nearly 100,000 square foot building dedicated to laboratory space, Milwaukee's water research potential just got a major upgrade!

One of the UWM research groups specializing in the research and development of Urban Aquaculture uses a SEAL AA3 HR. This is a unique program at the cutting edge of fresh water research. This new field aims to tackle an ongoing challenge in society: the demand for local and freshly grown food. Traditionally farmed fish often live in large, relatively stagnant pools, and live on a constant diet of chemicals and antibiotics. Urban Aquaculture will address the challenges of raising fish in the urban setting while improving the environment the fish are raised in. Not only does this help to provide locally grown, clean and sustainable food but it also allows for repurposing old urban building and brings jobs back to the area.

A challenge in Urban Aquaculture is maintaining a healthy aquatic environment. Since a major byproduct of fish is ammonia, it is necessary for the pools to be continuously filtered before the ammonia reaches toxic levels. To do this the water is constantly circled through a filtration system and reintroduced to the pool. To ensure that the filters are performing as they should, the research team uses their SEAL AA3 HR to test for ammonia levels in the water of the fish holding tanks. Having reliable, reproducible ammonia results is vital to the health of the fish.

SEAL Analytical is also based in Milwaukee and proud to be part of a hub for water innovation and research.

For more information on the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences visit — http://uwm.edu/freshwater
For more information on The Water Council and Milwaukee water research visit — http://www.thewatercouncil.com

 

Cadmium Coil & Tech Tips

 

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Automated Tn and TP

Automated TN and TP by Online UV Digestion

Featured on both MT-17 and MT-23 Manifolds, the UV Digestion Coil allows for online Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus analysis through a UV-Persulfate Digestion. Each sample and standard is pulled into a 50-turn quartz coil that has a UV-C Lamp running the entire length through the center.

Similar to traditional hot plate or autoclave digestion, samples undergoing Total Nitrogen analysis have inorganic and organic nitrogen compounds oxidized to Nitrate. A cadmium column is then used to reduce the Nitrate to Nitrite, which then reacts with a Sulfanilamide/NEDD reagent. When operating in the lowest range, users can achieve a Detection Limit of 0.7 μg/L!

For Total Phosphorus, organically bound phosphorus is released during the UV digestion. Additionally, polyphosphates are converted to ortho-phosphate by acid hydrolysis at 95°C. The resulting digest then reacts with molybdate and ascorbic acid. With the MT-17 offering ranges up to 45 mg/L and the MT-23 giving a Detection Limit of 1 μg/L for its lowest range, the AA3 offers a solution for many labs through the use of this online UV Digestion Coil.

Please contact us at sales@seal-us.com for more information!

FSEA Spring User's Group

Thank you to everyone who attended our Spring User's Meeting in Clearwater Beach, FL! It was a great success and a good way to start out the FSEA Spring Meeting that followed the next day! The User's meeting included discussions on both Segmented Flow and Discrete Analyzer methods and software revisions. Our guest speaker was Keith Kibbey, who talked about LIMS systems and how to use them to effectively analyze and store data. We then discussed our newest discrete analyzer, the AQ400, and got a hands-on view of the new and improved cover design to allow for easy maintenance.

Upcoming Conferences and Shows

SEAL will be showing the new AQ400 at these conferences. Please stop by and have a look – we want to hear your feedback!

MWAA Winter Expo Kenosha, WI January 30, 2015

Spring User's Group Clearwater Beach, FL May 19, 2015

Pittcon New Orleans, LA March 8 - 12, 2015

FSEA Spring Meeting Clearwater Beach, FL May 20 - 22, 2015

Automate Your Metals Digestion & Preparation with DEENA!

The DEENA gives the option for full automation from creation of standards to addition of reagents, mixing, digestion and reconstitution of sample volume. This increases safety and reproducibility in the dispensing and mixing of hazardous chemicals and strong acids. The DEENA is fully controlled by a PC and the ASD (Automated Sample Digestion) software. The software is fully programmable and the processes are customizable based on your labs required methods. Many methods come preprogrammed for your convenience including common mercury and trace metals methods, which can be customized for your particular samples and digestions.

Contact us sales@seal-us.com for more information.

 

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Flared End Pump Tubing for ICP

It can be difficult to insert the sample tube into the peristaltic pump tubing on your ICP-MS. This is particularly so if the peristaltic pump tubing has a small internal diameter (ID). For example the pump tubing used for the internal standard which usually has an ID of 0.2 to 0.4mm is incompatible with the sample tubing OD of 1.3mm. The flared end of this pump tubing allows the larger sample capillary tubing to be inserted. Any pump tubing type can be supplied with flared ends; this includes both 2-shoulder and 3-shoulder tubing types.

Contact us for a free sample! 262-643-4670 • sales@flaredtubing.com

 

Introducing AQ Software Version 2.0

SEAL Analytical is proud to announce AQ Software Version 2.0! We have completely revamped the timing cycle to save your lab time and increase precision of each read. We have also updated the QC parameters and Reporting to add in more flexibility to the software to fit each labs individual need.

The new version is compatible for AQ1, AQ2 and is fully tested for use with Windows XP, 7, and 8. AQ Software v2.0 has a variety of new features including:

TIMING OPTIMIZATION

• The Instrument will run Faster
• Higher precision on Absorbance reads

IMPROVED QC CONFIGURATION AND SCHEDULING

• Auto and Manual Spiking and New Spike Duplicates Calculation • Built in Cadmium Coil Efficiency checks
• Editable QC Names
• Schedule cups multiple times for duplicates and spike duplicates

IMPROVED REPORTING FOR HIGHER CUSTOMIZATION

• Split screen preview of report before it is generated • % Recovery and % RPD now appear on the report
• Add comments to your Report

For more information or to pre-order a copy please contact sales@seal-us.com or techsupport@seal-us.com !