Diane Beauchemin

Diane Beauchemin

  • B.Sc., 1980, Ph.D., 1984, Université de Montréal;
  • Research Associate, 1984-88, National Research Council of Canada;
  • Alan Date Memorial Award in ICP-MS, 1988;
  • Maccoll Prize in Mass Spectrometry, 1991.
  • Distinguished Service Award, Spectroscopy Society of Canada, 2001.

 

Diane Beauchemin

Contact Information

Chernoff Hall, Room CHE 308 (office), CHE 106/338 (lab)
Department of Chemistry,
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
Tel:  613-533-2619 (office)
Lab CHE 106 Tel: 613-533-6000  ext. 77740
Lab CHE 338 Tel: 613-533-6000  ext. 78256
Fax: 613-533-6669
e-mail: diane.beauchemin

Research Interests

The research program aims at improving the analytical performance of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Demonstration of the applicability is made using selected environmental trace element analysis and speciation.

Fundamental studies of the plasma under various operating conditions are carried out to gain a better understanding of the ICP and of the sources of the important matrix effects which are typically observed in ICP-MS. These studies include mixed-gas plasmas since, according to our previous work, they are more robust ionization sources than the argon ICP.

Alternative means of sample introduction, such as chemical vaporization and flow injection (FI) techniques, are also being investigated to reduce sample waste (typically 98% of the sample) and/or improve the capabilities of ICP-MS. These include a thorough characterization of the beneficial effect of pre-evaporating the solvent prior to its entry into the plasma. As well, new and/or improved interfaces for coupling liquid and gas chromatographies to ICP-MS are considered.

Finally, FI methods are being developed for on-line matrix removal. For instance (see set-up below), a sample is injected into a carrier and adjusted to a suitable pH with a buffer before passing through a column of silica-immobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline (I-8-HOQ) where transition metals are selectively retained but the alkalis and alkaline earths continue to waste. An eluent is injected to recover the metals in a salt-free matrix which is then nebulized. If the volume of eluent is smaller than that of the sample, a preconcentration is achieved.

Dr Beauchemin research

Recent Publications

Axelle Leufroy, Laurent Noël, Diane Beauchemin and Thierry Guérin, "Use of a continuous leaching method to assess the oral bioaccessibility of trace elements in seafood", Food Chem., in press (accepted March 12, 2012).
 
Axelle Leufroy, Laurent Noël, Diane Beauchemin and Thierry Guérin, “Bioaccessibility of total arsenic and arsenic species in seafood as determined by a continuous online leaching method”, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. in press (DOI 10.1007/s00216-012-5774-4).
 
Nolan S. Horner and Diane Beauchemin, “A simple method using on-line continuous leaching and ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic in rice”, Anal. Chim. Acta 717 (2012) 1-6. Featured article on the cover of the issue.
 
Alemayehu Asfaw and Diane Beauchemin, “Combination of a multimode sample introduction system with a pre-evaporation tube to improve multi-element analysis by ICP-OES”, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 27 (2012) 80-91.
 
Liyan Xing and Diane Beauchemin, "Kinetics study of the reduction of Cr(VI) in natural water with ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ", J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 26 (2011) 2006-2011.
 
Christian Agatemor and Diane Beauchemin, “Towards the Reduction of Matrix Effects in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: the Use of Argon-nitrogen Mixed-gas Plasma”, Spectrochim. Acta Part B 66 (2011) 1-11.

Christian Agatemor and Diane Beauchemin, “Matrix Effects in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: a Review”, Anal. Chim. Acta, 706 (2011) 66-83.

Axelle Leufroy, Laurent Noël, Vincent Dufailly, Diane Beauchemin and Thierry Guérin, "Determination of seven arsenic species in seafood by ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry following microwave assisted extraction: Method validation and occurrence data”, Talanta 83 (2011) 770-779.
 
Liyan Xing and Diane Beauchemin, "Chromium speciation at trace level using hyphenated ion exchange chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with collision/reaction interface", J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 25 (2010) 1046-1055.
 
Alemayehu Asfaw and Diane Beauchemin, "Improvement of the Capabilities of Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry by Replacing the Desolvation System of an Ultrasonic Nebulization System with a Pre-evaporation Tube", Spectrochim. Acta Part B 65 (2010) 376-384.
 
Diane Beauchemin, "Environmental Analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry", Mass Spectrom. Rev., 29 (2010) 560-592.

Diane Beauchemin, "Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry", Anal. Chem., 82 (2010) 4786-4810.

Alemayehu Asfaw and Diane Beauchemin, "Sample Introduction: Gas Chromatography" in Chapter 1 on "Plasma Ionization: ICP" of Volume 5 of the "Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry, Eds. M. L. Gross and R. M. Caprioli, Elsevier, London, 2010, 58-73.
 
Liyan Xing and Diane Beauchemin, "Sample Introduction: Liquid Chromatography" in Chapter 1 on "Plasma Ionization: ICP" of Volume 5 of the "Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry, Eds. M. L. Gross and R. M. Caprioli, Elsevier, London, 2010, 73-81.
 
Diane Beauchemin, "Interferences: Non-spectroscopic Interferences" in Chapter 1 on "Plasma Ionization: ICP" of Volume 5 of the "Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry, Eds. M. L. Gross and R. M. Caprioli, Elsevier, London, 2010, 150-158.
 
Diane Beauchemin, " Application of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry to Environmental Analysis" in Chapter 1 on "Plasma Ionization: ICP" of Volume 5 of the "Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry, Eds. M. L. Gross and R. M. Caprioli, Elsevier, London, 2010, 158-172.

Matheson M. Fraser and Diane Beauchemin, "Evidence supporting the occurrence of Coulomb fission during conventional sample introduction in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ", J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 24 (2009) 469-475.
 
Liyan Xing and Diane Beauchemin, "Determination of stability constants of metal complexes with IC-ICP-MS", J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 24 (2009) 336-339.
 
Vincent Dufailly, Thierry Guérin, Laurent Noël, Jean-Marc Frémy and Diane Beauchemin, "A simple method for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic in seafood using on-line continuous leaching and ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry", J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 23 (2008) 1263-1268.
 
A. J. Fitzpatrick, T. K. Kyser, D. Chipley, and D. Beauchemin, Fabrication of solid calibration standards by a sol-gel process and use in laser ablation ICPMS, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 23 (2008) 244–248.
 
Diane Beauchemin, "Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry", Anal. Chem., 80 (2008), 4455–4486.

Vincent Dufailly, Laurent Noël, Jean-Marc Frémy, Diane Beauchemin and Thierry Guérin, "Optimisation by experimental design of an HPLC/ICP-MS speciation method for arsenic in fish products following microwave assisted extraction", J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 22 (2007) 1168-1173.
 
Milithza Silva, Kurt Kyser and Diane Beauchemin, "Microwave-assisted continuous leaching on-line with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for exploration and environmental geochemistry", Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 94 (2007) 30-42.

 

Collaborations

In addition to being co-director of QFIR (Queen's Facility for Isotope Research) with Kurt Kyser (Geological Sciences, Queen's U.), I am co-PI with Kurt Kyser on NSERC Collaborative Research and Development Grants sponsored by Anglo American plc aiming at the development of soil characterization techniques based on ICP-OES and ICP-MS to help prospecting mining companies identify new mining sites.
 
I am co-PI with Gregory Jerkiewicz (Chemistry, Queen's U.), Gallart Secanell (Mechanical Engineering, U. of Alberta) and Byron Gates (Simon Fraser University) on an NSERC Strategic grant whose leader is Michael Eikerling (Simon Fraser University/National Research Council of Canada) on the Design and Integration of Nanostructured Catalyst Layers for PEM Fuel Cells.
 
I collaborate with Gregory Jerkiewicz (Chemistry, Queen's U.) on a project funded by Nissan, where ICP-MS is providing results heretofore unavailable.
 
I collaborate with Thierry Guérin and Laurent Noël (ANSES - Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail, France) on the development of methods for risk assessment of toxic inorganic and organo-metallic species in food.