The Parsons Laboratory blends applied research with public health practice, integrating analytical atomic spectrometry with clinical laboratory medicine and interdisciplinary studies focused on environmental health leading to unique research areas and projects.

Atomic Spectrometry is the principle underlying many of the modern methods used to determine the elemental composition of a sample. The lab has access to a range of methods based on analytical atomic spectrometry to conduct interdisciplinary studies:

• Inorganic Mass Spectrometry
  • Inductively Coupled Plasma Tandem Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS)
  • Liquid Chromatography coupled to ICP-MS (Example: Arsenic Speciation in Blood_[1])
  • Laser Ablation ICP-MS (Example: Manganese Content of Teeth and Bone Samples_[2])
  • Sector Field – ICP-MS (Example: Uranium Isotope Ratios in Urine_[3]).
• X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectrometry
  • ¹⁰⁹Cd K-Shell XRF (Example: In vivo Bone Pb Measurement_[4]).
  • Monochromatic High Definition XRF (Example: Field-Based Studies of Consumer Products, Traditional Medications, and Cultural Food Products_[5])
• Other spectrometric methods
  • Zeeman Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (Example: Blood Lead Testing_[6])
  • Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (Example: Mercury in Blood_[7])
  • Hydride Generation Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (Example: Arsenic in urine_[8])
• Ancillary studies
  • Microwave assisted digestion systems (Example: Lab Safety Issues_[9])

Harmonization/Traceability is focused on efforts to ensure the reliability and confidence of analytical measurements, including trueness (accuracy) and precision between different laboratories and methods.

• Proficiency Testing (Example: NYS Biomonitoring PT Program for Trace Elements_[10])
• Occupational and Environmental Laboratory Network (OELM_[11])
• National Biomonitoring Network
• Reference Material (RM) Production (Example: NYS Bone Lead Certified RMs_[12]; NIST SRM 955c_[13])
• Quality Control Materials (Examples: C/HHEAR Reference Materials_[14]; Caprine Liver RMs_[15]; Keratin RMs_[16]).

Human Biomonitoring – inorganic is the determination of environmental contaminants (or their metabolites) in the human body. The lab focuses on measuring trace elements and their metabolites in human fluids and tissues.

• Childhood Lead Poisoning (Example: Capillary Blood Lead Test_[17])
• Essential and non-essential trace elements (Example: Cobalt and Cadmium_[18])
• Conventional and non-traditional matrices (Example: Blood_[19] and Placenta_[20])
• Rare earth elements (example: Rare Earth Elements in Human Bone_[21])

A full list of publications can be found here_[22].