ICP-MS Applications

FIGURE 19.1 Global breakdown of major market segments addressed by ICP-MS. 

In addition to drinking water. Method 200.8 can also be used for trace elanents in wastewater under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). It has had general approval since 1995, but full acceptance varies on a regional basis, which means that each laboratory must apply for an Alternate Test Procedure (ATP) to their local EPA Quality Assurance Officer. In addition, since January 2000, 

Comparison of ICP-MS Detection Limits with NPDWR Maximum Contaminant Levels for the 12 Primary Trace Metal Contaminants in Drinking Water 

Method 200.8 can also be used under NPDES rules for the analysis of wastewater from industrial incinerators.  

Other EPA Office of Water methodology related to the use of ICP-MS includes  

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Horn I, Rudnick RL, McDonongh WF (2000) Precise elemental and isotope ratio determination by simultaneous solution nebnlization and laser ablation-ICP-MS Application to U-Pb geochronology. ChemGeol 164 281-301... 

Raptis K, Mayer K, Hendrickx F, De Bievre P (1998) Preparation and certification of new thorium isotopic reference materials. Fresenius J Anal Chem 361 400-403 Rehkamper M, Halliday AN (1999) The precise measurement of T1 isotopic compositions by MC-ICP-MS Application to the analysis of geological materials and meteorites. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 63 935-944... 

It has been generally accepted for several years that the determination of total element concentrations in environmental samples does not give an accurate estimation of their potential environmental and biological impact. About 1/3 of all ICP-MS applications in environmental analytical chemistry... 

C. C. Chery, D. Gunther, R. Comelis, F. Vanhaecke, L. Moens, Detection of metals in proteins by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and laser ablation-ICP-MS Application to selenium, Electrophoresis, 24 (2003), 3305D3313. 

In principle, the applications of ICP-MS resemble those listed for OES. This technique however is required for samples containing sub-part per billion concentrations of elements. Quantitative information of nonmetals such as P, S, I, B, Br can be obtained. Since atomic mass spectra are much simpler and easier to interpret compared to optical emission spectra, ICP-MS affords superior resolution in the determination of rare earth elements. It is widely used for the control of high-purity materials in semiconductor and electronics industries. The applications also cover the analysis of clinical samples, the use of stable isotopes for metabolic studies, and the determination of radioactive and transuranic elements. In addition to outstanding analytical features for one or a few elements, this technique provides quantitative information on more than 70 elements present from low part-per-trillion to part-per-million concentration range in a single run and within less than 3 min (after sample preparation and calibration). Comprehensive reviews on ICP-MS applications in total element determinations are available. " ... 

Eield M. P. and Sherrell R. M. (2003) Direct determination of ultra-trace levels of metals in fresh water using desolvating micronebulization and HR-ICP-MS application to L,ake Superior waters. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 18, 254-259. 

Instrumentation Light Isotope Mass Spectrometer, ICP-MS Application Environment Place Caribbean... 

Instrumentation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) Application Provenience Where did the pottery come from ... 

Barats, a., Pecheyran, C., Amouroux, D., Dubascoux, S., Chauvaud, L. Donard, O. F. X. 2007. Matrix-matched quantitative analysis of trace-elements in calcium carbonate shells by laser-ablation ICP-MS Application to the determination of daily scale profiles in scallop shell (Pecten maximus). Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 387, 1131-1140. 

Le Cornec, F. Correge, T. A new internal standard isotope dilution method for the determination of U/Ca and SrjCa ratios in fossil corals by ICP-MS. Varian ICP-MS Applications Note ICP-MS-18, September 1998 (www.varianinc.com). 

Detection limits are most often reported as concentration detection limits because most ICP/MS applications are not limited by sample amount. Absolute mass detection limits are more relevant when the amount of analyte available is highly limited. The lowest mass detection limit for ICP/MS is 105 atoms, or 0.1 femtogram for actinide elements. 

Thomas R (2007) Practical guide to ICP-MS A tutoriai for beginners. In Method ICP-MS application environmental, 2nd edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 115-135, 204—208... 

Ridd, M. Determination of Trace Levels of Rare Earth Elements in Basalt by ICP-MS. Varian ICP-MS Applications Note ICP-MS-2, April 1994. (Varian is now Agilent Technologies and the Varian Application Notes are no longer available). 

While the ionization filament in a TIMS may be heated to a maximum temperature of 2,500°C, inductively coupled plasma reach temperatures of 15,000-20,000°C and have much higher ionization efficiency. A pneumatic nebulizer serves to inject sample solutions directly into the plasma. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers (ICP-MS) have thus become powerful tools in trace and ultra-trace analyses with detection limits down to 1 ppq or less. O Section 63.4.5.8 refers to ICP-MS applications in measuring alternative nuclear materials, Am, Np, and Cm, and Sects. 63.5.2 and 63.5.5.4 dwell upon their use in environmental analyses for safeguards. 

Characterization of a sample usually starts after a pre-ablation pass, which removes surface contamination, and following a short period to allow the sample to reach the ICP torch. Signal intensities for the analytes of interest are monitored, as in normal ICP-MS applications, and the resulting data saved to a file on the ICP-MS computer. Because calibration, discussed further below, requires ablation of a series of solid, multielement reference standards, it is generally impossible to have the ICP-MS software calculate standard curves and elemental concentrations. Thus, raw signal intensities are usually downloaded and processed off-line. 

Chen, D., Jing, M., and Wang, X. (2005) Determination of methyl mercury in water and soil by HPLC-ICP-MS. Application Note 5989-3572EN, Agilent Technologies. 

Use of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled with a laser ablation sanqrle introduction system (LA-ICP-MS), as a minimally destructive mediod for characterization of archaeological materials, has steadily increased during the past five years. Although method development still is in its early stages, LA-ICP-MS has demonstrated to be a productive avenue of research for chemical characterization of obsidian, chert, pottery, and painted and glazed surfaces. LA-ICP-MS applications and conqjarisons with other analytic techniques are described. 

The simultaneous nature of sampling ions in TOP offers distinct advantages over traditional scanning (sequential) quadrupole technology for ICP-MS applications in which large amounts of data need to be captured in a short span of time. To understand the benefits of this mass separation device, let us first take a look at its fundamental principles. All TOP mass spectrometers are based on the same principle the kinetic energy (KE) of an ion is directly proportional to its mass (m) and velocity (VO. This can be represented by the following equation ... 

K. E. Lokits, D. D. Richardson, and J. A. Carnso, Handbook of Hyphenated ICP-MS Applications, Agilent Technologies, Angnst, 2007, http //www.chem.agilenLeoin/temp/ rad5F0C7/00001681.PDF. 

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