EcoAnalytix

About EcoAnalytix

The EcoAnalytix initiative initially focuses on three primary areas that are integral to global health and well-being:

1. Biofuels Development

2. Environmental

3. Food Quality, Regulatory Compliance and Safety

Biofuels Development

PerkinElmer innovations are helping the biofuels industry by ensuring the quality of biofuels from the field in multiple ways - through processing and fermentation to the final product in the tank -in order to ensure that this renewable fuel is clean burning. A dedicated team of PerkinElmer experts are focused on turnkey, packaged solutions and applications support that enable labs across the globe to explore and test conventional feedstock and alternatives such as cellulose- and jatropha oil-based fuels. As part of its EcoAnalytix launch, PerkinElmer is introducing a series of analyzers and support material focused on water, soil and wastewater analysis.

The biofuels industry has grown for several reasons, including the following:

• Less pollution: biofuels require less energy to produce and create fewer emissions during production
• More predictable feedstock (raw materials used to make fuel): free from the variable price and decreasing supply of petroleum-based feedstock
• Increased global directives and government subsidies encourage the use of biofuels

EcoAnalytix Biodiesel Analysis Products

• ASTM D 6751 Biodiesel Platform - adhering to ASTM method D 6751
• Clarus 500 GC with FID for analysis of free and total glycerin
• Optima 2100 DV ICP-OES for Group I (Na & K), Group II (Ca & Mg) and Phosphorous
• LABWORKS^TM Green for managing information and delivering certificates of analysis.

• EN 14214 Biodiesel Platform - adhering to EN method 14214.
• Dual oven Clarus 500/600 GC with FID for analysis of free and total glycerin and ester, methyl linolenate, and methanol (unique PKI offering)
• Optima 2100 DV ICP-OES for Group I (Na & K), Group II (Ca & Mg) and Phosphorous
• SpectrumTM 100 FT-IR system for determining Content of FAME (fatty acid methyl esters)
• LABWORKS Green for managing information and delivering certificates of analysis.

Environmental

PerkinElmer is the world leader in inorganic analysis-its solutions are critical to monitoring water and air pollution and soil contamination and other effects of the environment on human health. PerkinElmer solutions are at work tackling environmental issues - from the routine to the emerging or unanticipated - including:

• Drinking water shortages and expansion of desalination and wastewater treatment programs
• Drinking water contamination from lead, arsenic, radioactivity and other contaminants
• The effects of soil quality on the food supply
• Ground-level monitoring of ozone and other pollutants
• Groundwater contamination and soil remediation
• Industrial hygiene
• "E-waste" from computers and other electronics and, landfill leakage
• Impact of infrastructure growth on the environment in developing countries

EcoAnalytix Water Analyzers

PerkinElmer is the world leader in inorganic analysis-its solutions are critical to monitoring water and air pollution and soil contamination and other effects of the environment on human health. PerkinElmer solutions are at work tackling environmental issues - from the routine to the emerging or unanticipated - including:

• ELAN ®9000 Method 200.8 Analyzer - for drinking, wastewater and soil analysis. Based on our leading ELAN 9000 ICP-MS technology, this analyzer includes methodology, applications and SOPs to facilitate compliance.
• ELAN 9000 FAST Water Analyzer - for drinking, wastewater and soil analysis. Based on our leading ELAN 9000 ICP-MS technology and combined with the ESI FAST autosampler to deliver improved productivity and lower the cost of ownership, this analyzer includes methodology, applications and SOPs to facilitate compliance.
• PAH Analyzer - for PAH (Poly-Aromatic-Hydrocarbons) in water, soil, food. Based on robust, reliable Series 200 PDA HPLC. Provides all required for a quick set-up and analysis (application guidebook, columns, standards, methods). Meets all EPA criteria.
• Water Analysis Applications CD - contains methods and applications demonstrating broad PKI offering.

Food Quality, Regulatory Compliance and Safety

PerkinElmer instrumentation is used in food quality and food safety research and testing. PerkinElmer can help test the safety of the food supply, from the source of ingredients to the final product (from the farm to fork), with a high level of sensitivity and reliability.

Food Quality:

Food quality refers to a number of different aspects of food, including the freshness, taste, nutritional content, and physical properties, such as the texture and crispness. It might be evaluated in the raw food before further processing or during the development of new processed food products or during food processing. The packaging material might also be evaluated during development to determine its ability to adequately preserve the food for stability and freshness. Examples of the types of analyses and instrumental methods used are as follows:

• Evaluation of the crispness of a potato chip with varying levels of humidity with a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA).
• Evaluation of packaging material with a headspace-gas chromatograph (HS-GC) to determine the outgassing of potential organic contaminants.
• Evaluation of fats and sugars with GC.
• Evaluation of vitamins with Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES).

Regulatory Compliance:

Regulatory compliance occurs at a number of points along the food chain, including compliance with labeling requirements. Mandatory and voluntary nutrients must be measured to ensure packaging is labeled correctly. The need for indicating compliance with other regulations such as genetically-modified organism (GMO) or possible allergen content will also require analysis.

Counterfeit foods are also an issue only resolved through testing. Is orange juice labeled as being from Florida really from that source? Testing is the only way to be sure. Profiles of authentic juices from different regions have been profiled for their trace metal content and can be compared to unknown juices to determine their source.

Instrumentation used in regulatory compliance includes:

• ICP-OES for evaluation of mandatory nutrients iron, calcium, sodium, and potassium and toxic elements.
• ICP-MS for authentication profiles.
• GC for measurement of fats and sugars.
• DRCT ICP-MS coupled with HPLC to determine speciated elements in bottled water, such as bromate.

Food Safety:

Food safety measurements occur throughout the entire food value chain. Critical to ensuring healthy foods, these analyses are performed on raw foods and in the best scenario, at several points in processing, right through distribution. As we have seen from recent news stories, raw foods are not immune to contamination and the water and soil with which the plants/animals/fish are nourished can contribute to undesirable contaminants and pathogens in the final product. In addition pesticide residues from application throughout the growing season may remain at unacceptable levels (or from pesticides banned in the importing country) in the harvested product. Residual antibiotics and metals picked up from the soil may provide undesirable contaminants that can only be detected through measurement in the raw food.

PerkinElmer's analytical instrumentation used in food safety includes:

• GC//MS for the determination of the type of pesticide and residue amount on raw foods.
• ICP-OES for the measurement of metal contamination in raw foods, such as lead (Pb).
• GC/MS analysis of finished products for melamine and related adulterants.
• HPLC for the analysis of alflatoxins in nuts, wine and seeds.

EcoAnalytix Food Safety Analysis Products:

• PAH Analyzer - for PAH (Poly-Aromatic-Hydrocarbons) in water, soil, food. Based on robust, reliable Series 200 PDA HPLC. Provides all required for a quick set-up and analysis (application guidebook, columns, standards, methods). Meets all EPA criteria.
• Melamine Analyzer - for analysis of melamine, a polymer contaminant spiked into food to falsely elevate protein interpretation. Based on the Clarus ® 600 GC/MS. First dedicated system in the market. Capability to exceed quality control criteria of the U.S. FDA.
• Food Safety Applications CD - contains methods and applications demonstrating broad PKI offering.