A Flexible Tool for Aqua Regia Digestion of Trace Metals

Heavy metals are ubiquitous in the environment and can easily enter the food chain, affecting the endocrine system. According to regulations (DIN, EN, ISO) soil, sludge, water and electronic waste samples have to be digested with aqua regia under reflux, followed by ICP-MS analysis.

With BUCHI’s (Switzerland) SpeedDigester, it is possible to digest up to twelve samples simultaneously under reflux with aqua regia. Loss of volatile metals is prevented using absorption tubes. For very inhomogeneous samples, the SpeedDigester excels compared to other technologies due to its large sample vessels (250 mL). The temperature controlled IR digestion together with an excellent thermal homogeneity ensures fast digestion leading to high reproducibility and reduced foam formation. Emission-free operation is guaranteed with the ultimate four-stage Scrubber. In addition, the SpeedDigester can be easily used for the determination of COD, TKN and phosphate levels.