Sunnyvale, CA - Picarro, Inc. has partnered with O.I. Corporation, d.b.a. O.I. Analytical, (NASDAQ: OICO) to develop a turnkey analyzer to measure total organic carbon (TOC) as well as the carbon stable isotope ratio (¹³C). The iTOC-CRDS works directly with solids, liquids, sludges and slurries, and will be formally launched at the Pittcon 2009 technical conference and exhibition (March 8-13, Chicago, IL). The iTOC-CRDS is an integrated, small and easy-to-use system that can either perform wet oxidation on the carbon content of aqueous solutions or combustion of solid/semi-solid organic materials to generate CO₂. The Picarro isotopic analyzer then measures the liberated CO2. This proven isotopic CO₂ analyzer is based on wavelength scanned cavity ringdown spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) and the system delivers ¹³C precision as high as 0.2⁰/00 (permil) in seconds or minutes depending on sample specifics. In both cases, the CO₂ is introduced directly into the WS-CRDS unit with no drying or other purification necessary, in stark contrast to legacy isotope analyzers based on isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS).

Applications for this instrument include origin of food (appellation of origin) and adulteration analyses for such products as wine, fruit juice, edible oils, including olive oil, seeds, nuts, fruits, chocolate, and dairy products. In addition, this system serves environmental science applications such as carbon isotope distribution in soils, sediments, and plant materials as well as limnology, hydrobiology, marine and freshwater ecosystem studies.

Michael Woelk, CEO of Picarro, Inc. states, "Our company is committed to providing both the simplest solution and best data for all our target applications. In some instances this means integrating a specialized front-end on to our trace gas or isotope analyzers, to provide a fine-tuned turnkey solution. In the area of TOC, it was a natural to partner with O.I. Corporation since they bring proven TOC technology plus name-brand recognition and instant credibility in several markets that are new to Picarro."

Donald Segers, President and COO of O.I. Corporation adds, "We are very excited to work with Picarro to introduce WS-CRDS analysis to the TOC market space. We have a long history of providing our customers with integrated solutions that provide superior performance by interfacing cutting-edge technology. For stable isotope analysis, we believe WS-CRDS represents a transformational technology in terms of speed, cost and ease of use, and it will greatly expand the use of stable isotope ratios in several TOC applications."