Introduction
Chemical testing services are essential in pharmaceutical development, environmental safety, manufacturing compliance, and quality assurance. Whether you’re verifying raw materials, detecting unwanted substances, or characterizing compounds, selecting the right chemical testing method is essential. At ResolveMass Laboratories Inc., we specialize in delivering high-quality, regulatory-compliant chemical testing services tailored to your specific industry needs. This guide explains the major types of testing services, when to use them, and how our scientific approach delivers reliable results for your important projects.
Why Chemical Testing Services Matter
Inaccurate or incomplete chemical testing can result in failed product batches, costly recalls, or non-compliance with regulatory authorities such as Health Canada, the FDA, or ICH. These issues not only delay product approvals but can also damage a company’s reputation and lead to legal consequences. That’s why companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech, food, and chemical industries turn to trusted third-party laboratories like ResolveMass. We ensure that testing is conducted with precision, efficiency, and full alignment with global regulatory standards—helping you minimize risk and stay compliant at every stage.
Types of Chemical Testing Services
1. Residual Solvent Testing
Residual solvents are organic volatile chemicals used in the manufacturing of APIs and drug products. If not properly removed, they pose serious toxicological risks.
Use When:
You need to comply with ICH Q3C or USP <467> regulations, especially during the release of drug substances or excipients. These guidelines set strict limits on residual solvents to ensure product safety and quality. Following them is essential for regulatory approval, market access, and patient protection.
ResolveMass Expertise:
Our Residual Solvent Testing services use validated GC-MS and HS-GC-FID methods with LOQs as low as <1 ppm.
✅ Use this service for final release testing of pharmaceutical APIs.
✅ Ideal for monitoring solvents like methanol, dichloromethane, or toluene.
✅ Complies fully with Health Canada and FDA regulations.
2. NMR Testing Services
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides detailed information about a compound’s molecular structure, composition, and purity. It allows scientists to determine how atoms are connected within a molecule and identify even minor impurities. Because of its high precision and non-destructive nature, NMR is widely used in pharmaceutical research, quality control, and regulatory submissions to ensure the identity and consistency of drug substances.
Use When:
You require accurate structural elucidation, impurity profiling, or identity confirmation of complex compounds to ensure product quality and regulatory compliance. These analyses are essential during drug development and manufacturing to confirm that the compound’s structure matches the desired design, detect any unwanted impurities, and verify the compound’s identity with high precision. Techniques like NMR, MS, and chromatography are commonly used to achieve these objectives.
ResolveMass Solution:
Our NMR Testing Service for Pharmaceuticals and NMR-Based Analytical Services support small and large molecules alike, with turnaround times as fast as 48 hours.
✅ Excellent for R&D characterization or validating polymorphs.
✅ Supports both 1D and 2D techniques (1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC, etc.).
✅ Ideal for confirming synthesis endpoints or unknown contaminants.
3. HPLC Analysis
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is considered a gold standard technique for analyzing the purity of pharmaceutical compounds, detecting degradation products, and performing assay measurements. Its high sensitivity and accuracy make it ideal for quality control and regulatory testing across all stages of drug development. HPLC is widely accepted by global health authorities for ensuring that pharmaceutical products meet safety and efficacy standards.
Use When:
You need quantification of active ingredients, related substances, or stability-indicating methods to ensure the drug product maintains its quality, potency, and safety over time. These tests are crucial for detecting any degradation, verifying correct dosage, and confirming that impurities remain within acceptable limits. Accurate quantification also supports regulatory submissions and ongoing quality assurance.
ResolveMass Advantage:
Our HPLC Analysis services include both UV-Vis and PDA detection, offering a versatile platform for a wide range of chemical matrices.
✅ Applicable to raw materials, excipients, finished formulations.
✅ Ideal for forced degradation studies and dissolution profiling.
✅ Validated per ICH Q2 (R1) with full system suitability data.
4. GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry)
GC-MS is used for separating and identifying volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in complex mixtures. It combines the separation power of gas chromatography with the detection and structural identification capabilities of mass spectrometry. This makes it a reliable technique for detecting trace levels of residual solvents, impurities, and contaminants in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and environmental samples.
Use When:
You need to identify trace contaminants, residual solvents, or organic impurities at very low levels to ensure product safety and meet strict regulatory requirements. Techniques like GC-MS or LC-MS are ideal for this purpose, offering high sensitivity and accuracy to detect even parts-per-million (ppm) or parts-per-billion (ppb) concentrations. This level of analysis is critical for compliance with guidelines like ICH Q3C and USP <467>.
✅ Excellent for unknown impurity identification and forensic testing.
✅ Combine with headspace injection for maximum accuracy.
✅ Fully compliant with regulatory submissions.
5. Elemental Impurity Testing
Based on ICH Q3D guidelines, this testing checks that harmful metals like arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury stay within safe limits. Even tiny amounts of these metals can be dangerous, so it’s important to monitor them closely. This testing helps manufacturers follow global safety rules and makes sure their products are safe and high quality before they reach the market.
Use When:
You are submitting drug products for approval in the US, Canada, or EU, so your impurity testing must fully follow rules like ICH Q3A–Q3D, USP <467>, and regional requirements from the FDA, Health Canada, or EMA. Meeting these standards is key for getting approved, as regulators expect clear proof of all possible impurities, including residual solvents, harmful metals, and DNA-damaging substances. Proper testing helps prevent delays, rejections, or problems after approval.
✅ Achieve compliance with USP <232> and <233>.
✅ Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-MS) based analysis ensures high sensitivity.
✅ Required during process validation and final batch release.
Real-Time Case Study: NMR Testing for Process Optimization
Client: Mid-sized Canadian pharma company
Problem: During routine HPLC testing, unidentified peaks were discovered in a key intermediate compound used in cardiovascular therapy.
Solution: The company approached ResolveMass for fast-track NMR testing services.
✅ 1H NMR and COSY analysis confirmed the presence of a side-product formed due to incomplete methylation.
✅ Our scientists proposed a reaction time adjustment that eliminated the impurity.
✅ The re-synthesized batch passed all QC checks and was submitted to Health Canada with full data.
✅ Result: Client saved over $18,000 in rework and prevented a potential regulatory delay.
This showcases our real-world scientific problem-solving experience—not just performing tests, but providing clear solutions to tough challenges. We team up with clients to understand results, fix issues, and apply strategies that boost product quality, meet regulations, and speed up development
How to Choose the Right Chemical Testing Service
| Test Type | Use Case | Sample Types | Detection Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| NMR | Structural analysis | APIs, Intermediates | ppm to ppt |
| HPLC | Purity/Assay | Drug products, Excipients | 0.1% or lower |
| GC-MS | Residual solvents, volatiles | APIs, Excipients | <1 ppm |
| ICP-MS | Elemental impurities | Any solid/liquid sample | ppb |
| Headspace GC-FID | Volatile impurities | Formulations | 0.01% |
Why Choose ResolveMass for Chemical Testing Services?
- ✅ Experienced PhD chemists with 10+ years of industry expertise
- ✅ Validated methods aligned with USP, ICH, Health Canada, and FDA
- ✅ Fast turnaround times without compromising data integrity
- ✅ Transparent reporting with full chromatograms, spectra, and system suitability data
- ✅ Personalized consultation and regulatory guidance
Conclusion
Whether you’re in drug discovery, process development, or quality control, choosing the right chemical testing services can make a significant difference. It can help you save time, lower overall costs, and ensure full regulatory compliance. At ResolveMass Laboratories Inc., our testing processes are backed by experience and driven by science to meet top industry standards. We deliver accurate, dependable, and on-time results, every time so you can move ahead with confidence at every stage.
Explore our specialized services like Residual Solvent Testing, NMR-Based Analytical Services, or HPLC Analysis to find the best fit for your project.
Have questions or need a quote? Contact us here or speak to our experts directly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The choice depends on the sample type, purpose (e.g., purity vs. structure), regulatory requirements, and detection limits. Reach out to us for personalized guidance.
Yes, if the API was synthesized using organic solvents, residual solvent testing is mandatory under ICH Q3C and USP <467>.
Standard turnaround is 5–7 business days. We also offer expedited services (48–72 hours) for critical projects.
Yes, ResolveMass operates under rigorous quality systems and follows GMP and ISO protocols.
We serve pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, agrochemicals, environmental testing, and specialty chemicals.
Our GC-MS systems can detect residual solvents and volatiles down to sub-ppm levels, validated against pharmacopeial standards.
Simply Contact Us, share your sample and testing goals, and we’ll handle the rest — from method selection to final reporting.
