Using Spectroscopy, MC&S identified the unknown material as a vitamin supplement. This is not an uncommon problem. While taking vitamins or medication the material can get back flushed into the beverage container.

As strange as this sounds we have had many of these types of samples.

Contaminants on solid objects can be studied by removing them from their substrates and measuring transmission, or they can be studied on the substrate (in situ) by reflectance. Contaminant particles in air or liquids can be trapped on suitable filter media and studied by either method.

One of the advantages of the infrared analysis technique is the ability to record the spectra of unknown samples with little or no sample preparation thus providing a nondestructive procedure which preserves the sample for additional types of analysis if required.