Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analytical performance

Laser based mass spectrometric methods, such as laser ionization (LIMS) and laser ablation in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are powerful analytical techniques for survey analysis of solid substances. To realize the analytical performances methods for the direct trace analysis of synthetic and natural crystals modification of a traditional analytical technique was necessary and suitable standard reference materials (SRM) were required. Recent developments allowed extending the range of analytical applications of LIMS and LA-ICP-MS will be presented and discussed. For example ... 

In modern times, most analyses are performed on an analytical instrument for, e.g., gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-violet/visible (UV) or infrared (IR) spectrophotometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), mass spectrometry. Each of these instruments has a limitation on the amount of an analyte that they can detect. This limitation can be expressed as the IDL, which may be defined as the smallest amount of an analyte that can be reliably detected or differentiated from the background on an instrument. 

Soil samples were collected along a traverse over the Honerat kimberlite and extended off the kimberlite approximately 75 m SE and 225 m NW from the pipe s centre (Fig. 1). Although it is common practice to collect samples from upper B-horizon soil (Levinson 1980 Bajc 1998 Mann et al. 2005) our samples were collected from C-horizon soil because GAGI samplers were placed at a depth of 60 cm (well below the B horizon). Within 8 hours of sampling, a portion of each soil sample was mixed with Milli-Q water (1 1) to create a slurry. The values of pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) were determined in each slurry. Ammonia acetate leach of the soil samples were performed at Acme Analytical Laboratories, Vancouver, where 20 ml of ammonium acetate was mixed with 1 g soil sample and elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The GAGI samplers installed at Unknown were placed in piezometers and submerged in water at a depth of approximately 1 m below ground surface. 

Branch, S., Ebdon, L., and OneUl, P., Determination of arsenic species in fish by directly coupled high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 9(1), 33-37, 1994. 

Several groups have studied the determination of "technetium in environmental samples including soil. High-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [23,24] was used in these studies. In one study "technetium was eluted from the soil by nitric acid and the analyte was separated by three solvents using 30% trioctylamine, methylethylketone and cyclohexanone [23]. Purification of the "techretium extract was performed by using an anion... 

The most widely used spectrochemical methods are flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS), and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Some work has been performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the unique properties of Hg have allowed the use of cold vapor (CV) A AS. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to describe these well-established and well-accepted spectrochemical techniques. The reader is referred to several excellent texts which describe in detail the basic principles, instrumentation, and method development of these analytical techniques [1-4]. The most toxic elements, such as As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and particularly Hg have been the most widely studied. Other metals, such as Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, V, and Zn, have also been investigated. 

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is one of the most significant analytical advances to occur in the last 20 years as it allows multielement analysis of solutions and solids to be performed at subnanogram concentrations. Instrumental advances have occurred such that Quadrupole (Q) ICP-MS units are now in routine use in many laboratories. In this chapter, the use of Q-ICP-MS and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-ICP-MS is discussed as regards the quantification of total As and As species in seafood. To highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the use of ICP-MS, data are used that were mainly produced in the laboratories of the authors of this chapter. 

S. D. Tanner, V. I. Baranov, U. Volkopf, A dynamic reaction cell for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-DRC-MS). Part III. Optimisation and analytical performance, J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 15 (2000), 1261-1269. 

An analyst needs to determine the limit of detection for an analytical method used to determine the concentration of lead(II) ions in water by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The analyst performs several replicate analyses on independent sample blanks and obtains a mean concentration of 0.01 /xg L and a sample standard deviation of 0.03 /xg L". ... 

Atomic absorption spectrometry with flame (AA-F) or electrothermal atomization furnace (AA-ETA), inductively coupled plasma-emission spectroscopy (ICP-ES), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) are state-of-the-art analytical techniques used to measure metals in biological fluids. They are specific and sensitive and provide the cfinical laboratory with the capability to measure a broad array of metals at clinically significant concentrations. For example, ICP-MS is used to measure several metals simultaneously. Photometric assays are also available but require large volumes of sample and have limited analytical performance. Spot tests are also... 

The ideal scenario in the analysis of liquid samples for trace, minor and major metals is that the analytical technique chosen to perform the analysis requires no sample pre-treatment or perhaps just a simple filtration (0.2 xm) of the sample to remove particulates prior to introduction into the chosen instrument. If this was the case, then no further need for this chapter would exist. However, reality is often very different and even the most sensitive of analytical techniques e.g. inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) (see Chapter 11) may require some additional sample pre-treatment, e.g. separation and/or pre-concentration. It should be remembered that any form of separation and/or pre-concentration can also have the same effect on a potential contaminant as well as on the metal of interest. Great care is required, therefore, in the... 

The improvement in the mass spectrometer will of course lead to better detection limits and capabilities. Again, the low-flow pneumatic nebulizer will probably continue to lead the work performed in building CE-ICP-MS interfaces. Also, the current selection of commercial low-flow nebulizer will aid in the construction and use of interfaces. Finally, two books worthy of further reading are Akbar Montaser s Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (Wiley-VCH, New York, 1998) and Joseph A. Caruso et al. s Elemental Speciation—New Approaches for Trace Elemental Analysis, Comprehensive Analytical Chemistry XXXIII (Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2000). Specific chapters were cited in this entry, but both books comprise other chapters containing a wealth of information about capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. 

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is useful to measure extremely low-abundance nuclides (isotope ratio of 10 to 10 relative to its stable isotope), such as Be, C, A1, C1, " Ca, and I, in natural samples. Small amounts of C and T can be measured by AMS on mg size samples of carbon and iodine extracted from 500-ml seawater samples (Povinec et al. 2000). Neutron activation analysis (NAA), radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are useful for the determination of ultra-trace Th and U in geological and cosmochemical samples, and for determination of the concentration of Pu and Pu. Reference marine-biological samples are necessary to test the performance of the analytical methods employed in surveying and monitoring radioactive materials in the sea. An ocean shellfish composite material containing 0.1% w/w Irish Sea mussel, 12% w/w White Sea mussel, and 87.9% w/w Japan Sea oyster has been prepared as the NIST SRM 4358 (The National Institute of Standards and Technology, SRM) in the natural-matrix, environmental-level radioactive SRM series (Altzitzoglou 2000). This NIST SRM 4358 sample will be useful for the determination of the activity of K, Cs, Pb, Ra, Th, and Am. 

Kroening, K.K., et al. (2009) Screening hydrolysis products of sulfur mustard agents by high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 393,1949-1956. 

---