Do You Know the Environmental Impact of Your HPLC?

Significance of the Topic

Laboratories are resource-intensive environments where reducing energy consumption is key to meeting corporate sustainability targets. The ACT label, administered by My Green Lab, provides an eco-nutrition style rating for lab instruments, including their operational energy footprint, to foster informed, low-impact purchasing decisions.

Objectives and Study Overview

This technical overview quantifies the energy use of four Agilent InfinityLab LC systems—1220 Infinity II isocratic, 1220 Infinity II gradient, 1260 Infinity II, and 1290 Infinity II—in both daily and per-sample terms. By using representative analytical methods and realistic operating schedules, the study aims to inform researchers about the true environmental cost per measurement.

Applied Instrumentation

• Agilent 1220 Infinity II LC System with isocratic pump (G4286B)
• Agilent 1220 Infinity II LC System with gradient pump, autosampler, and column thermostat (G4294B)
• Agilent 1260 Infinity II LC System: quaternary pump (G7111B), vialsampler with column compartment (G7129A/G7130A), variable wavelength detector (G7114A)
• Agilent 1290 Infinity II LC System: high-speed pump (G7120A), multisampler (G7167B), multicolumn thermostat (G7116B), diode array detector (G7117B)
• Power meters: CLM 221 (Christ Electronic) and ALMEMO 2590 data logger (Ahlborn)

Methodology

Energy consumption was recorded for Idle, Ready, and Run states over two hours each. A standard Agilent RRLC Checkout Sample was separated using system-specific chromatographic protocols, reflecting typical run times from 3 to 20 minutes. Daily schedules assumed eight hours of active analysis plus two hours of preparation, with an alternative high-throughput scenario extending to 16 hours of run time. Data were extrapolated to energy per sample and per day.

Main Results and Discussion

Energy per sample decreased with higher throughput despite higher overall system power:

• 1220 Infinity II isocratic (24 samples/day): 267 kJ/sample (0.93 kWh/day)
• 1220 Infinity II gradient (40 samples/day): 190 kJ/sample (2.1 kWh/day)
• 1260 Infinity II (40 samples/day): 380 kJ/sample (4.2 kWh/day)
• 1290 Infinity II (120 samples/day): 160 kJ/sample (5.3 kWh/day)
• 1290 Infinity II HT (240 samples/day): 88 kJ/sample (5.9 kWh/day)

Although more advanced modules—thermostats, cooling, high-pressure pumps—raise absolute energy use, high-throughput operation delivers the lowest consumption per analysis. Instrument choice should reflect sample throughput, sensitivity requirements, and method complexity.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Provides a clear metric (kJ per sample) for comparing LC systems under realistic conditions
• Supports laboratory sustainability targets by optimizing instrument utilization
• Enables procurement decisions aligned with corporate environmental policies
• Encourages workflow designs that maximize throughput to reduce per-sample energy

Future Trends and Possibilities for Use

Next-generation analytical labs may integrate live energy monitoring with method development software to dynamically adjust run parameters for optimum efficiency. Expansion of eco-labels to other instrument families, incorporation of renewable energy sources, and AI-driven scheduling algorithms will further reduce the carbon footprint of routine analyses.

Conclusion

Operational energy metrics per sample are critical for evaluating the environmental impact of liquid chromatography systems. While advanced LC configurations consume more power overall, their high-throughput capabilities yield substantial per-sample savings. Aligning instrument selection and method development with throughput needs allows laboratories to meet sustainability goals without compromising performance.

References

1. Novartis. Environmental sustainability goals. https://www.novartis.com/our-company/corporate-responsibility/environmental-sustainability
2. AstraZeneca. Sustainability and environmental protection. https://www.astrazeneca.com/sustainability/environmental-protection.html
3. My Green Lab. Laboratory sustainability initiative. https://www.mygreenlab.org/
4. My Green Lab. ACT database – manufacturers. https://act.mygreenlab.org/manufacturers.html
5. My Green Lab. ACT database – equipment. https://act.mygreenlab.org/equipment.html