ICP-MS Metallomics Panel | Metal & Mineral Quantification

Q: Can I compare these results with data from other studies?

Yes. Results are reported as absolute concentrations (µg/L or µg/g), enabling cross-study comparison when sample matrices and units are aligned. Accuracy is monitored using external reference materials to ensure consistency.

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Why ICP-MS Metallomics Matters

Metals and minerals are not merely markers of exposure. Beyond the well-documented toxicity concerns associated with certain elements, many metal ions perform essential biochemical functions—serving as enzyme cofactors, stabilizing protein structures, and modulating cellular pathways. These biological roles are increasingly recognized as integral components of physiological and pathological processes.

Due to their close integration with the proteome and metabolome, metal ions constitute a foundational biochemical layer that informs developmental biology, metabolic regulation, and disease mechanisms. Failure to assess metal content may obscure mechanistic drivers and introduce unrecognized confounding variables in experimental and translational studies.

Our ICP-MS–based metallomics panel enables research teams to address high-value scientific questions, such as:

Are observed metabolic changes attributable to shifts in ionic homeostasis (e.g., Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), or to downstream pathway alterations?
Do sample cohorts exhibit trace metal profiles that support or challenge proposed toxicity or mechanistic hypotheses?
Which elemental concentrations are suitable for use as quantitative biomarkers in validation, stratification, or longitudinal analysis?

ICP-MS Quantification Approach

Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is our primary platform for multi-element quantification in metallomics studies. It enables absolute concentration reporting across macro-level minerals and trace-level metals within one workflow.

Interference control: collision/reaction cell modes to minimize polyatomic interferences (method-dependent).
Quantitation: multi-point calibration with internal-standard correction for robust comparability across cohorts.
Clean execution: trace-metal contamination control and matrix-appropriate preparation to support low-abundance interpretation.

Agilent 7900 ICP-MS

Optional (project-dependent): hyphenated ICP-MS (LC/SEC-ICP-MS) for protein-bound metals/speciation; spatial imaging workflows (e.g., LA-ICP-MS/MSI) for tissue localization.

Metals and Elements We Quantify

Our ICP-MS-based metallomics assay provides comprehensive elemental coverage across macronutrient metals, micronutrient trace elements, toxic heavy metals, and specialty metals relevant to biological, environmental, and pharmacological research. The panel includes a well-defined core panel suitable for most preclinical and clinical studies, and an extended panel that expands detection to rare earths, precious metals, and industrially relevant elements.

Core Panel (Standard Coverage – 28 Elements)

This panel is designed for broad biological relevance and analytical consistency across commonly studied matrices such as plasma, serum, and urine.

Category	Elements Included
Electrolytes / Macrominerals	Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Phosphorus (P)
Essential Trace Elements	Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Selenium (Se), Manganese (Mn), Cobalt (Co), Molybdenum (Mo), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Vanadium (V)
Toxic / Exposure-Linked Metals	Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Thallium (Tl), Antimony (Sb), Aluminum (Al)
Environmental / Background Elements	Barium (Ba), Strontium (Sr), Silver (Ag)
Other Alkali/Alkaline Earth Ions	Boron (B), Lithium (Li), Rubidium (Rb), Cesium (Cs)

Extended Panel (Optional Add-Ons – 15+ Elements)

These elements are available as optional add-ons for studies requiring broader metallomic profiling, including metal-based drug research, rare earth monitoring, or advanced environmental/metabolic models.

Add-On Group	Elements Included
Precious Metals	Platinum (Pt), Palladium (Pd)
Rare Earth / Lanthanides	Cerium (Ce), Lanthanum (La), Neodymium (Nd), Yttrium (Y)
Refractory / High-Melting Metals	Titanium (Ti), Tungsten (W), Zirconium (Zr), Hafnium (Hf), Niobium (Nb)
Additional Specialty Elements	Gallium (Ga), Germanium (Ge), Tin (Sn), Tellurium (Te)

Note: Availability of extended elements may depend on matrix compatibility and expected concentration ranges. Performance metrics such as LLOQ can be confirmed during project setup.

Summary Table (Full Element List)

Total Elements (Core + Extended)

Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Co, Mo, Cr, Ni, V, As, Cd, Pb, Tl, Sb, Al, Ba, Sr, Ag, B, Li, Rb, Cs, Pt, Pd, Ce, La, Nd, Y, Ti, W, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ga, Ge, Sn, Te

This full menu ensures high coverage across electrolyte homeostasis, oxidative stress, metal toxicity, drug delivery, and metabolic trace metal pathways.

Advantages of Our Metal Analysis Service

Absolute quantitation – ICP-MS delivers concentration values (not just relative changes) to support biomarker validation, cohort comparisons, and longitudinal study design.
Macro-to-trace dynamic range – One quantitative workflow captures macro-level electrolytes (ppm range) and trace metals (ppb range) within a single panel framework.
Core + extended element menu – A standardized core panel covers high-frequency biological and exposure needs, with optional add-ons (e.g., rare earths and precious metals) for hypothesis-driven expansion.
Biofluid-ready workflows – Designed for common biological matrices (e.g., plasma/serum/urine) with clear minimum input expectations to simplify study planning.
End-to-end service – From sample intake through data delivery, the workflow is built to reduce operational handoffs and accelerate time-to-insight.

Quantitation Limits and QC

Our ICP-MS metallomics analysis supports absolute quantitation for research use, with quality controls designed to ensure consistency and reproducibility across biological and environmental matrices.

Analytical Quality Control

QC Area	What Is Applied	Purpose
Calibration & verification	External controls and calibration curves	Monitor accuracy and recovery
Drift & matrix correction	Internal-standard normalization	Improve batch-to-batch comparability
Interference management	Instrument methods to reduce polyatomic interferences	Ensure true elemental signals in complex matrices

Quantitative Data Reporting

Reporting Item	Description
Concentration units	Absolute values reported as µg/L (biofluids) or µg/g (solids)
LLOQ handling	Element-specific LLOQ established
Low-abundance results	Values below LLOQ reported as "<LLOQ" (not zero)

This approach enables appropriate statistical treatment of low-level signals in downstream analysis.

Typical LLOQ (Biofluids)

Published LLOQs for plasma/serum/urine from a widely used ICP-MS metal panel, provided for study planning only. LLOQ may vary by matrix and study design.

Tier	Elements (examples)	Typical LLOQ (µg/L)
Macro minerals	Na, K, Ca, Mg	1,000–160,000
Nutrient metals	Fe, Cu, Zn	40
Low-ppb essentials	Se, Cr, Sr	4.00–6.25
Trace/toxic	As, V, Ni, Ba	1.25–2.00
Ultra-trace/toxic	Tl, Pb, Mn	0.400–0.500
Ultra-trace	Cd, Sb, Co, Ag, Mo	0.250

Matrix-specific LLOQ summaries can be confirmed during project setup or upon request.

ICP-MS Metallomics Workflow

Study setup

Define study goals, select Core vs Add-Ons, and confirm sample matrices and required input.

Sample intake

Accession samples, verify identifiers and metadata, and align the final element list to your manifest.

ICP-MS quantification

Run multi-element measurement by ICP-MS to generate absolute concentrations across macro minerals and trace metals.

Quality review

Apply quantitative checks to support reliable interpretation, especially for low-abundance elements.

Data delivery

Provide an analysis-ready concentration table with clear element naming and Core/Add-On labeling to support cohort comparisons and biomarker workflows.

ICP-MS Quantification vs. MSI Imaging in Metals Research

Different metallomics research questions require different strategies. If your priority is how much of a metal is present in biological samples, ICP-MS is the optimal approach. If your question is where the metal is located within tissues or cells, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) may be more appropriate.

Criteria	ICP-MS Quantification	Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI)
Primary Output	Absolute concentration (µg/L)	Spatial distribution in tissue
Best For	Cohort studies, systemic exposure, biomarker quantitation	Localization of metal-based drugs, tissue uptake, microenvironment
Sample Types	Biofluids (e.g., plasma, serum, urine)	Tissue sections (FFPE or fresh frozen)
Quantitation	Highly accurate and reproducible	May require calibration; relative or semi-quantitative
Throughput	High (multiple samples/cohorts)	Lower (sample preparation-intensive)
Data Use	Statistical comparison, validation, profiling	Imaging, localization, mechanistic interpretation

Strategic Recommendation:

If your study focuses on exposure, biomarker discovery, or system-wide metal profiling, use ICP-MS quantification to obtain robust, cohort-ready data.

For studies involving metal-based therapeutics, tissue-specific uptake, or distribution in tumor vs. healthy regions, MSI imaging can be used to complement ICP-MS—not replace it—by adding spatial insight.

Many drug development programs benefit from both: ICP-MS for dose/exposure relationships, MSI for localization and retention patterns in tissues.

Sample Types and Minimum Input for Metallomics Assay

Sample Matrix	Minimum Input	Recommended Input	Collection & Storage Notes
Plasma / Serum	100 µL	250 µL	Use trace-element free tubes (e.g., Royal Blue top). Avoid hemolysis. Separate plasma/serum within 2 hours.
Whole Blood	100 µL	300 µL	Use trace-element free tubes (EDTA or Heparin). Freeze at -80°C.
Urine	500 µL	2 mL	Collect mid-stream. No preservatives required if frozen immediately.
Tissue (Soft)	20 mg	50–100 mg	Rinse tissue with trace-metal grade saline/PBS to remove residual blood. Snap freeze.
Cells (Pellet)	2×106 cells	5×106 cells	Wash 2-3 times with PBS to remove media. Remove supernatant completely before freezing.
Hair / Nails	20 mg	50 mg	Cut close to the scalp/root. Store in clean, dry paper envelopes or PE bags at room temp.
Water / Media	2 mL	10 mL	Collect in acid-washed HDPE/PP bottles. Acidification (HNO₃) can be performed upon receipt.

What You Receive: Deliverables from ICP-MS Metallomics Analysis

Results table (CSV/XLSX): Sample × element matrix with absolute concentrations (µg/L) for all requested Core and Add-On elements.
Units & metadata map: Data dictionary defining units, element symbols/names, and a sample ID ↔ group/timepoint mapping for analysis-ready import.
QC summary: Run-level and sample-level QC notes, including below-quantitation flags (e.g., <LLOQ) and any re-run/exception annotations.
Element coverage manifest: Final confirmed analyte list showing Core vs Add-Ons and reporting status per element.
Demo-format preview (optional): A representative output example so your team can validate structure before full delivery.

Calibration curve panels showing six metal ions with standard concentration points, regression lines, error bars, and R² values.

Representative calibration curves for six metal ions (Na, Fe, Zn, As, Pb, Mo) across the ICP-MS linear dynamic range, showing strong linearity (R² > 0.995) and replicate consistency. Weighted regression (1/x) applied to correct for low-concentration variance.

Line graph showing QC results across multiple batches with mean, ±1SD, and ±2SD thresholds marked, used to monitor reproducibility over time.

Levey–Jennings control chart illustrating within-run and between-run reproducibility for QC replicates across multiple analytical batches. Results remain within ±2 SD thresholds, demonstrating system stability for trace metal analysis.

Applications for Metallomics Analysis

Biomonitoring & Large-Scale Epidemiology

High-throughput quantification of trace metals in biofluids (blood, urine, serum) to support large-cohort biobank studies and biomarker discovery while effectively managing matrix effects.

Metallodrug Pharmacokinetics (PK)

Support preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetics studies for metal-containing therapeutics (e.g., platinum drugs) using validated ICP-MS bioanalysis to determine concentration and clearance profiles.

Tissue Distribution & Imaging (MSI)

Map the spatial uptake and distribution of metals and metallodrugs in tumors versus healthy organs using advanced Mass Spectrometry Imaging (LA-ICP-MS, MALDI-MSI).

Exposome & Environmental Toxicology

Characterize multi-element exposure signatures to assess the link between environmental metal exposure (low-level toxicity) and systemic disease risks in toxicology cohorts.

Disease Mechanism Research (Cardiorenal)

Investigate associations between metal profiles and pathological outcomes in cardiovascular and renal models, linking metallomic changes to specific biological mechanisms.

Metalloproteomics & Speciation

Profile protein-bound metals and characterize metallobiomolecules using hyphenated techniques (e.g., SEC-ICP-MS) to understand metal-protein interactions and speciation.

Do I need to perform acid digestion before shipping samples?

No. Please ship raw biological samples (e.g., plasma, serum, urine, tissue). Sample digestion is performed in-house using standardized, closed-vessel acid digestion to minimize contamination risk.

What if my sample volume is below the minimum requirement?

Low-volume samples (e.g., mouse plasma or micro-dissected tissue) can often be accommodated by adjusting dilution. Note that higher dilution may increase the LLOQ for ultra-trace elements. Please contact our technical team before shipment to confirm feasibility.

Which blood collection tubes should I use to avoid metal contamination?

Use trace element–free tubes (e.g., Royal Blue top) with EDTA or Heparin. Avoid serum separator tubes (SST) with gel, as gel components may adsorb or release metals.

Does the assay distinguish between different chemical forms of metals (e.g., arsenic species)?

The standard ICP-MS assay reports total elemental concentrations. For chemical speciation (e.g., inorganic vs. organic arsenic), LC–ICP-MS–based speciation analysis is available upon request.

How are interferences handled in high-salt matrices like urine or plasma?

We apply collision/reaction cell strategies (e.g., helium KED mode) to reduce common polyatomic interferences, improving data quality in complex biological matrices.

How are low-abundance or non-detect results reported?

Values below the reliable quantitation threshold are reported as "<LLOQ", not as zero. The numeric LLOQ is provided to support appropriate downstream statistical handling.

Can I compare these results with data from other studies?