[Link The Worlds]

Hello all,

I'm taking a bioanalytical chemistry class in college, and as part of
the class we are required to come up with some sort of experiment to
test for an analyte in samples using either LC/GCMS, UV-vis, NMR, or
IR.

I really have no idea what sort of samples I could analyze and for
what analyte. Does anyone have any ideas for a good research project/
experiment?

Cheers,

Ben

[marquis]

Can you give any idea of what you are interested in analyzing?  Based on that, a method or instrument might jump out.

[Link The Worlds]

Can you give any idea of what you are interested in analyzing?  Based on that, a method or instrument might jump out.

Possibly mineral supplements (such as coral calcium), which contain excessive
heavy metals such as lead.

[marquis]

The coral calcium should show up by IR.  Lead, especially in the metallic form, won't show up in the IR.

There are some UV/VIS methods for lead.  Usually, you have to react them with a chelating agent and measure the absorbance at a specfic wavelength.

AA, ICP, or EDXRF would be better instruments for lead analysis. 

The instruments you mentioned are better suited for analyzing organics.  Maybe you would want to measure other organic compounds present in coral calcium?

[Link The Worlds]

The instruments you mentioned are better suited for analyzing organics.  Maybe you would want to measure other organic compounds present in coral calcium?
[/quote]

Yeah, you're right. The thing is, I need to find a problem in a product or naturally occuring substance that would affect people and then find the extent of that problem

[marquis]

This may be an overused project.  The analysis of BPA in plastics sounds like it would be a good fit.  It matches the instruments pretty well.  And BPA has gotten a lot of attention lately.

DOP (or DEHP) in PVC is another project.  It would show up by IR and some HPLC/GC methods.  Many vendors have switched to citrate or adipate plasticizers.  Others have stayed with phthalates, but are using non standard varieties ( for example, dinonyl phthalate).

And then there is vinyl chloride monomer in PVC.  That could be a good GC project.

Good luck.