U S Department of Health Services Elemental Analysis User Guide
- June 3, 2024
- U S Department of Health Services
Table of Contents
U S Department of Health Services Elemental Analysis
The following is a section of the Elemental Analysis Manual for Food and Related Products. For additional information and to view other sections of the manual, visit the Elemental Analysis Manual for Food and Related Products web page at https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-food/elemental-analysis- manual-eam-food-and-related-products.
GLOSSARY and ACRONYMS
Safe laboratory operations require both institutional and personal
responsibility for the awareness and communication of potential hazards and
the diligent application of appropriate safety procedures and practices. FDA’s
Office of Laboratory Safety, which oversees an agency-wide laboratory safety
program, provides foundational and ongoing training. Analysts are expected to
have received and operate in compliance with this training and follow their
laboratory’s chemical hygiene, laboratory safety, and hazardous waste disposal
plans. EAM 3.1 does not supersede any of these safety requirements and
guidelines but is meant to emphasize several aspects that may be particularly
relevant to EAM methods.
HAZARDS
In addition to general workplace hazards such as slips, trips, and falls, EAM methods may present many hazards of particular significance to elemental analysis laboratories:
Chemical hazards
Exposure to reagents should, in general, be limited but some are of particular
concern. Acids, bases, and solvents can cause tissue damage on contact and be
absorbed. When working with hydrofluoric acid, for example, calcium gluconate
gel should always be close and readily available. Vapors and fumes involve
mucus membranes and lungs. Oxidizer and solvent mixtures can be highly
energetic or even explosive. Sample decomposition products may be hazardous.
Compressed gases and cryogenic liquids/gases present a range of risks
associated with, for example, high pressure, asphyxiation, and frostbite.
Laboratory equipment hazards
Many types of hazards can be associated with laboratory equipment – electrical
shock (any electrically-powered equipment and especially high voltage
subsystems); high heat or hot surface (hot plate, hot block, conventional and
microwave oven, flame and plasma spectrometer), high pressure (microwave
digestion vessels, compressed gas cylinders), harmful light (direct and/or
reflected, plasma ICPs, laser ablation & absorption & ring-down spectrometers,
microwave ovens, x-ray spectrometers), high vacuum (mass spectrometers, x-ray
fluorescence systems).
SAFETY PRACTICES
Laboratory design and engineering controls provide a level of protection, but personal safety inherently depends on the analyst who is (within the context of this manual) assumed to follow practices such as the following:
- Use safety equipment and apparatus, fume hoods, tools, etc.
- Wear personal protective items (eye-ware, gloves, shoes, lab coats, hearing protection, etc.)
- Follow safety guidelines associated with the operation of laboratory equipment and do not disable any safety interlocks.
- Work only when alert (e.g., well-rested and not under the influence of drugs, alcohol, etc.)
- Know the locations of eye wash stations, safety showers, spill kits, first aid kits, and fire extinguishers, and how to use them.
- Keep work areas clear of clutter or other obstructions.
- Incorporate safety practices into all laboratory operations (before performing analyses).
- Know the laboratory’s emergency procedures and locations of contact information.
Laboratories maintain awareness files (available to analysts) with OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U. S. Department of Labor) regulations regarding the safe handling of the chemicals specified in the methods and Safety Data Sheets for chemicals [1].
HISTORY
| Version | Revisions Made | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Contamination Control | June 2008 |
| 2.0 | Renamed to Safety; Contamination Control moved to section 2.4; Safety |
brought into this location (formerly 4.0.3); converted to PDF for web
posting.| September 2014
3.0| Expanded discussion; added History section.| December 2021
References
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “OSHA BRIEF: Hazard Communication Standard:
Safety Data Sheets,” 2012. [Online]. Available:
https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3514.pdf.
[Accessed September 2021].