Inductively coupled plasma mass interferences

Gold is a useflil caUbration standard for this method (see Radioactive tracers). Whereas similar sensitivities can be achieved by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (qv), the latter requires more extensive sample preparation to overcome interference by other metals such as copper (64). 

Bjorn E, Freeh W, Hoffmann E, Liidke C (1998) Investigation and quantification of spectroscopic interferences from polyatomic species in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using electrothermal vaporization or pneumatic nebulization for sample introduction. Spectrochim Acta 53B 1766... 

At present, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry provides a unique, powerful alternative for the determination of rare earths in natural samples [638,639]. Nevertheless, its application to the determination of rare earths at ultratrace concentration level in seawater is limited, because highly saline samples can cause both spectral interferences and matrix effects [640]. Therefore, a separation of the matrix components and preconcentration of the analytes are prerequisites. To achieve this goal, many preconcentration techniques have been used, including coprecipitation with... 

Dulski, P. (1994). Interferences of oxide, hydroxide and chloride analyte species in the determination of rare earth elements in geological samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry 350 194-203. 

The major anions and cations in seawater have a significant influence on most analytical protocols used to determine trace metals at low concentrations, so production of reference materials in seawater is absolutely essential. The major ions interfere strongly with metal analysis using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and must be eliminated. Consequently, preconcentration techniques used to lower detection limits must also exclude these elements. Techniques based on solvent extraction of hydrophobic chelates and column preconcentration using Chelex 100 achieve these objectives and have been widely used with GFAAS. 

Gillson GR, Douglas DJ, Fulford JE, Halligan KW, Tanner SD (1988) Nonspectroscopic interelement interferences in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 60 1472-1474 Gonfiantini R, Valkiers S, Taylor PDP, De Bievre P (1997) Adsorption in gas mass spectrometry. II Effects on the measurement of isotope amount ratios. Int J Mass Spectrom Ion Proc 171 231-242 Habfast K (1997) Advanced isotope ratio mass spectrometry. I magnetic isotope ratio mass spectrometers. In Modem Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry. Chemical Analysis Vol. 145. Platzner IT (ed). John Wiley and Sons, Chichester UK, p 11-82... 

Jackson SE, Gunther D (2003) The nature and sources of laser induced isotopic fractionation in laser ablation-multicollector-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. J Anal At Spectrom 18 205-212 Jiang S-J, Houk RS, Stevens MA (1988) Alleviation of overlap interferences for determination of potassium isotope ratios by Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 60 1217-1220 Lam JWH, Horlick G (1990) A comparison of argon and mixed gas plasmas for inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Spectrochim Acta Part B 45 1313-1325 Langmuir I, Kingdon KH(1925) Thermionic effects caused by vapours of alkali metals. Phil Trans R Soc A107 61-79... 

M. Rupprecht and T. Probst, Development of a method for the systematic use of bilinear multivariate calibration methods for the correction of interferences in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Anal. Chim. Acta, 358, 1998, 205-225. 

In inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, isobaric interference occurs between species with the same mass and charge. Interference can be eliminated if the mass spectral resolution is sufficiently great or by dissociating an interfering polyatomic species with a collision cell. When laser ablation is used to sample a solid, matrix-matched standards are often necessary for quantitative analysis. 

Crain, J. S. and Alvarado, J., Hydride interference on the determination of minor actinide isotopes by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry,. /. Anal. At. Spectrom., 9, 1223-1227, 1994. 

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry has been used for the analysis of uranium. However, the technique suffers from spectral interferences and it has relatively poor detection limits. 

The determination of 129I in low-level radioactive waste was accomplished by radioactive instrumental neutron activation analysis [3]. A different group reported the determination of both 129I and 127I by neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [4]. The method was very rapid - a sample could be analysed in three minutes. However, interference from 129Xe resulted in limited sensitivity for 129I detection. 

Mass Resolution Required to Resolve Common Spectral Interferences Encountered in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry... 

MASS RESOLUTION REQUIRED TO RESOLVE COMMON SPECTRAL INTERFERENCES ENCOUNTERED IN INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY... 

The table below lists some common spectral interferences that are encountered in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), as well as the resolution that is necessary to analyze them.1 The resolution is presented as a dimensionless ratio. As an example, the relative molecular mass (RMM) of the polyatomic ion 15N160+would be 15.000108 + 15.994915 = 30.995023. This would interfere with 31P at a mass of 30.973762. The required resolution would be RMM/8RMM, or 30.973762/0.021261 = 1457. One should bear in mind that as resolution increases, the sensitivity decreases with subsequent effects on the price of the instrument. Note that small differences exist in the published exact masses of isotopes, but for the calculation of the required resolution, these differences are trivial. Moreover, recent instrumentation has provided rapid, high-resolution mass spectra with an uncertainty of less than 0.01%. 

Marshall, J., and Franks, J. (1990) Multielement analysis and reduction of spectral interferences using electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Atomic Spectroscopy 11, 177-186. 

Ross, B.S., and Hieftje, G.M. (1991) Alteration of the ion-optic lens configuration to eliminate mass-dependent matrix interference effects in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry Spectrochim. Acta 46B, 1263-1273. 

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry ICP-MS has been accepted as a powerful technique for elemental and isotopic analysis [21D25]. It is characterized by a linear dynamic range of Eve to six orders of magnitude, rapid multielemental analysis, comparative freedom from spectral interferences, and LoDs in the range of 10D100 pg mL-1 for most elements. This makes it ideal for the multielemental analysis of food samples on a routine basis. 

Other elements were measured by a Perkin-Elmer SCIEX ELAN 6100 DRCII Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument equipped with a cyclonic spray chamber, a concentric nebulizer and a dynamic reaction cell (DRC). In the vented (standard) mode, no reaction gas is present in the cell and the instrument shows the typical characteristics of a quadrupole-based ICP-MS apparatus. When the gas is introduced into the cell an ion-molecule reaction takes place that can be tailored so as to eliminate spectroscopic interferences. Experimental conditions are summarized in Table 10.2. 

S. Lustig, S. Zang, B. Michalke, P. Schramel, W. Beck, Platinum determination in nutrient plants by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with special respect to the hafnium oxide interference, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., 357 (1997), 1157D1163. 

L. Ebdon, A. S. Fisher, P. J. Worsfold, H. Crews, M. Baxter, On-line removal of interferences in the analysis of biological materials by Bow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, J. Anal. Atom. Chem., 8 (1993), 691D695. 

L. A. Simpson, M. Thomsen, B. J. Alloway, A. Parker, A dynamic reaction cell (DRC) solution to oxide based interferences in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of the noble metals, J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 16 (2001), 1375D1380. 

G. R. Gillson, D. J. Douglas, J. E. Fulford, R. W. Halligan, S. D. Tanner, Non-spectroscopic interelement interferences in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Anal. Chem., 60 (1988), 1472-1474. 

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