Throughout my career in the industry, I have met so many folks mix and match the terms mass spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. This can, at times, be misleading other scientists or even to someone who does not have a technical background and wants to venture into the world of life sciences.
So I want to explain a very fundamental and easy difference between the terms to help you learn more about our lingo:
Spectroscopy is a study of the absorption and emission of light and other radiation by matter.
If I wanted to rapidly monitor the brewing process of a beer I’m crafting, I would use a UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. This will allow me to obtain a colorimetric (SRM) quickly and bitterness (IBU) result based on accredited methodologies. And more importantly, gives me the opportunity to brag or perhaps hide from the shame of my product quality. The main advantage of this approach is that I can quickly dilute the sample and not “destroy it.”
On the other hand...
Spectrometry measures interactions between light and matter, and the reactions as well as measurements of radiation intensity and wavelength.
Mass spectrometry (aka MS) is an example of a type of spectrometry, which measures masses within a chemical sample through their mass-to-charge ratio.
So, if I were to go back to my brewery and I’d wanted to put a “Certified Organic” label on, I would use a mass spectrometer to measure pesticide concentrations. Typically at nanogram levels, which comes from the hops and ensure they don’t surpass a maximum residual level (MRL) established by a regulating agency (e.g., USDA).
And there you have it: It’s Mass Spectrometry and NOT Mass Spectroscopy.
I hope you find this educational!
Until the next one,
OGC
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