DETERMINATION OF CADMIUM BY ICP-MS

1 Solutions with cadmium compounds are nebulised into an argon plasma, where all components are vaporised. The ions produced are entrained in the plasma gas and introduced into a mass spectrometer, sorted according to their mass-to-charge ratios, and quantified with a channel electron multiplier. Cadmium is determined at mass 114 amu. 

1 This procedure yields a standard curve that is linear up to at least 50 pg/L Cd. 

2 The detection limit is approximately 0.003 pg/L in the digest. The determination limit is approximately 0.010 pg/L (1-3 pg/kg in the dried plant material). 

1 Since the isotope Sn has the same mass as Cd a correction factor should be used if the soiution contains Sn. 

1 The reproducibiiity of determinations by this procedure shouid give, at reasonabie controi and thorough sampie preparation, a coefficient of variation within 10%. 

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