Goldschmidt 2026

Congrats to the SIGMA lab members that are presenting at the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference 2026 this year.  

Contaminant concentrations in biological materials

Toxic metals, such as As and Cd, can be found in low concentrations in biological tissue. One of the challenges faced while determining toxic metals concentrations is pairing reliable digestion methods to liquefy solid tissue with low instrument detection limits. Using the Agilent 8900 QQQ with O2 as a reaction gas we can simultaneously accurately… Read more Contaminant concentrations in biological materials

Laser ablation concentration determinations in silicates

Laser ablation characterization of trace elements in mineral separates.

Nanoparticle size distribution analysis

The Agilent 8900 is capable of determining the size distribution of nanoparticles in solution.

Transition metal concentrations in small biological samples

Samples prepared in the metal-free clean lab and analyzed on the triple quadrupole ICP-MS can lead to the detection of <1 ng of transition metal in 5 mg of sample.

Laser elemental concentration mapping in carbonates

In-situ composition determinations of trace elements in naturally occurring carbonates

Turmeric's unexpected link to lead poisoning in Bangladesh

Stanford Medicine Magazine highlights the work of Dr. Jenna Forsyth and Dr. Steve Luby.  Their work identified lead-contaminated spices in Bangledesh with the help of measurements made in the SIGMA Facility.

Fingerprinting Lead in Bangladesh Turmeric

Some spice processors in Bangladesh use an industrial lead chromate pigment to imbue turmeric with a bright yellow color prized for curries and other traditional dishes, elevating blood lead levels in Bangladeshis. Read more in the Stanford Report.

Turmeric adulteration by lead chromate

The Washington Post highlights Jenna Forsyth’s work on Pb adulteration in turmeric. Lead isotopic measurements were made in the Stanford SIGMA facility and the findings were published in ES&T.