Biotage Horizon 5000 Automated Extraction System

Significance of the topic

Solid phase extraction (SPE) is widely adopted for sample preparation across environmental, industrial and regulatory laboratories. It offers a safer, more efficient and automatable alternative to traditional liquid-liquid extraction methods, with applicability in drinking water, wastewater, and field sampling under global standards such as US EPA, ISO and EN.

Objectives and study overview

This document presents the Biotage Horizon 5000® Automated Extraction System, evaluating its design, functionality and analytical performance in routine SPE workflows. The aim is to demonstrate its flexibility in processing various aqueous matrices, solvent handling capabilities, and reproducibility of analyte recoveries according to regulatory method requirements.

Methodology and instrumentation

The Horizon 5000 system employs programmable modules to condition SPE disks, load samples, air-dry sorbent material, and elute target analytes with minimal manual intervention. Key components of the workflow include:

• Biotage Horizon 5000 automated extractor
• Atlantic C18 SPE disks
• DryVap® In-line drying and concentration system
• Biotage SolventRecovery SVOC for solvent recycling

The system accommodates 40–2000 mL sample volumes directly from original containers, handles up to seven solvents positioned HPLC-style, and separates organic and aqueous wastes for proper disposal.

Main results and discussion

Recovery studies were conducted on spiked drinking water and wastewater samples:

• For semivolatile organic compounds in drinking water at 5 μg/L spikes, recoveries ranged from 90.9 % to 111 % with relative standard deviations (RSD) below 5 %.
• For pesticide residues in wastewater at 5 μg/L spikes, recoveries ranged from 89.5 % to 99.7 % with RSD under 2.5 %.

These results confirm the system’s high precision, reproducibility and compliance with method performance criteria. Features such as particulate prefiltration, method pausing on alerts, and modular capacity (1–12 samples) enhance robustness when processing complex matrices.

Benefits and practical application

The automated SPE workflow reduces solvent consumption and waste, minimizes operator exposure and risk of emulsions, and supports consistent sample handling across technicians. Software integration offers barcode sample tracking, customizable methods, LIMS-compatible reporting, and optional access control. The compact design fits benchtop or hood installations, improving laboratory throughput and cost-efficiency.

Future trends and opportunities

Continued development in SPE automation is expected to focus on increased integration with online chromatographic systems, expanded disk chemistries for emerging contaminants (e.g., dioxins, BPA, 1,4-dioxane), and advanced software analytics for predictive maintenance. The adoption of green chemistry principles will drive further reductions in solvent use and encourage closed-loop recovery solutions.

Conclusion

The Biotage Horizon 5000 Automated Extraction System delivers a mature, versatile SPE platform suitable for routine environmental and industrial applications. Its precise solvent management, modular scalability, and user-friendly software ensure high recovery rates and reproducible results, aligning with global regulatory standards.

References

• Application Note AN114-HOR: Automated SPE with Atlantic C18 Disks for Semivolatile Compounds in Drinking Water.
• Application Note AN115-HOR: SPE and GC-ECD Analysis of Pesticides in Wastewater.
• Biotage Horizon 5000 System Brochure, Literature Number PPS542, Biotage 2019.