Instrumental Analysis Expert Working Group

Aims and Intentions

The Instrumental Analysis Expert Working Group is the successor to the earlier AMC Sub-Committees on Instrumental Criteria (IASC) and Mass Spectrometry (MSSC). The objectives of the IASC were to tabulate features of analytical instruments that should be considered when comparing various systems prior to making a purchase. The extensive series of IASC reports, which are also widely used as teaching aids, has continued with the present group.

The MSSC prepared detailed training guides aimed at improving the quality of measurements by mass spectrometry. The activities of the earlier groups are now augmented with more general guidance for a range of analytical instruments and applications together with a series of technical briefs aimed at a wider audience. 

The overall aim of the Group is to assist analytical scientists in the purchase and use of instrumentation and to promote a wider understanding of both the benefits and limitations of modern analytical instrumentation. The tasks undertaken are in response to specific needs that have been identified by the Group members or to requests from the analytical science community. The reports listed below were prepared by all three AMC Groups mentioned above.

Membership

Members are recruited for their expertise in their speciality, usually to undertake a specific task. The Group welcomes longer participation by members in order to maintain a wide range of expertise for its policy of extensively discussing and reviewing each work item in committee. This helps to maintain the accuracy of the reports and other publications as well as ensuring that they are written for a wide scientific audience.

As of 1 July 2023, the committee members are as follows.

• Dr Mike Sargent - Chair
• Dr Ruth Godfrey - Secretary (Swansea University)
• Dr Mark Barrow - University of Warwick
• Ms Amanda Bole - Biosearch Ltd
• Dr Robert Channon - MIP Discovery
• Mr Jonathan Dunscombe - Element
• Dr Jamie Harrower - Syngenta Ltd
• Mr Mike Healy - Environment Agency
• Prof Steve J Hill - University of Plymouth
• Dr Ian Pengelly - Health and Safety Laboratory
• Dr Mansoor Saeed - Syngenta Ltd

Technical Briefs

A ‘Periodic Table’ of mass spectrometry instrumentation and acronyms

No. 81 – August 2017

Chemical metrology

No. 76 – October 2016

Portable X-ray fluorescence analysis

No. 41, June 2009

High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)

No 34, November 2008

CHNS Elemental Analysers

No 29 April 2008

Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF)

No. 21, September 2005

Mass Spectrometry Guides

Guide to achieving reliable quantitative LC-MS measurements

November 2013

Best Practice Guide for Generating Mass Spectra.

December 2006

Methodology for Accurate Mass Measurement of small molecules

Best practice guide

Reports on Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation

Part XXVII (2018): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

A guide to good practice in the purchase of analytical instrumentation

Part XXVI (2015): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Voltammetry

Part XXV (2015): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Part XXIV (2010): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Part XXIII (2008): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Part XXII (2007): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Part XX (2006): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Part XIX (2006): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

CHNS Elemental Analysers

Part XVIII (2005): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Differential Scanning Calorimetry.

Part XVII (2005): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometers

Part XVI (2006): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Evaluation of General User NMR Spectrometers

Part XV (2001): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Gas Chromatography-Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometry

Part XIV (2000): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry

Part XIII (2000): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for UV-VIS-NIR Spectrometry

Part XII (2000): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Capillary Electrophoresis

Part XI (1998): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Molecular Fluorescence Spectrometry

Part X (1997): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spec¬trometry

Part IX (1997): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for High-performance Liquid Chromatography

Part VIII (1993): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Instrumentation for Gas-Liquid Chromatography

Part VII (1991): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Simultaneous Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectrometers

Part VI (1990): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectrometers.

Part V (1987): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Inductively Coupled Plasma Sources for use in Emission Spectrometry

Part IV (1987): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Monochromators for use in Emission Spectrometry with ICP Sources

Part III (1986): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Polychromators for use in Emission Spectrometry with ICP Sources

Part II (1985 Revised 1998): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Atomic absorption Spectrophotometers, Primarily for use with Electrothermal Atomisers

Part I (1984 Revised 1998): Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation:

Atomic absorption Spectrophotometers, Primarily for use with Flames