 The (Inductively Coupled

Plasma – Mass Spectrometer

(ICP-MS) is an instrument
which measures most of the
elements in the periodic
table.

 The first papers on ICP-MS

were published in the 1980s.

 Since that time, many

improvements and
refinements have been made
to each generation of ICP-MS
instrumentation.
An ICP-MS consists of the following components :
☻Sample Introduction System – consists of the peristaltic pump,
nebulizer, and spray chamber and provides the means of
getting samples into the instrument.
☻ICP Torch – generates the plasma which serves as the ion
source of the ICP-MS, converting the analyte atoms to ions.
☻Interface – links the atmospheric pressure ICP ion source and
the high vacuum mass spectrometer.
☻Vacuum System – provides high vacuum for ion optics,
quadrupole, and detector.
☻Lens – focuses ions into a beam for transmission into the
quadrupole.
☻Quadrupole – acts as a mass filter to sort ions by their massto-
charge ratio (m/z).
☻Detector – counts individual ions passing through the
quadrupole.
☻Data Handling and System Controller – controls all aspects of
instrument control and data handling to obtain final
concentration results.
 Sample introduced into nebulizer Nebulizer converts samples into small droplets

Droplets carried through spray chamber into the plasma

Plasma ionizes the elements present in the droplet

Ions pass through the interface and are focussed onto the len

Ions are separated by the MS on the basis of their m/z ratio

Measured by the detector

Data system converts signal intensities into concentration

ICP-MS offers many benefits to laboratories
performing trace metal determinations:

♣ ICP-MS offers detection limits equal to or

better than those attainable using Graphite
Furnace Atomic Absorption (GFAA) with much
higher productivity.

♣ ICP-MS can easily handle both simple and

complex sample matrixes.

♣ ICP-MS has detection limit capabilities that are

superior to those obtained in Inductively
Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry
(ICP-OES).
♫ Many geochemically important elements including the Rare
Earth Elements (REE), are associated chemically with minerals that
require alkali fusion for their decomposition.

♫ As a result, the total salt content of the solution for analysis can
exceed 2% (w/v).

♫ Even after a 10-fold dilution of these solutions the sampler cone

of the ICP-MS can become blocked over a period of time, resulting
in a gradual loss of sensitivity.

♫ This loss in sensitivity over time is known as drift and to get

accurate estimates of trace elements present in samples we need
to correct the ICP-MS outputs for this drift.

♫ Drift correction is achieved with the help of an in-house MS-DOS

based program called Turbo-Pascal.
Run L abe l Tim eS tamp 75A s 82 Se 115 In Run L abe l Tim eS tamp 75A s 82 Se 115 In
0 85 91 14 6 0 85 91 14 6
1 b lan k ######## 24 .406 4.892 -62 6.12 5 1 b lan k ### ### ## 24 .406 4.8 92 -62 6.12 5
2 b lan k ######## -10 .739 -2.6 69 9 7.31 8 2 b lan k ### ### ## -10 .739 -2.6 69 9 7.31 8
3 b lan k ######## -1 0.04 -2.2 23 52 8.80 7 3 b lan k ### ### ## -1 0.04 -2.2 23 52 8.80 7
M ean of b lan########
k 1 .209 0 0 M ean of b lan###
k ### ## 1 .209 0 0

CSV (MS-DOS) File

S D of bla nk 20 .092 4.242 58 3.58 4 S D of bla nk 20 .092 4.2 42 58 3.58 4
%R SD o f bl ank 1662 .256 0 0 %R SD o f blank 1662 .256 0 0

1 2 .5pp b ######## 1098 .738 -1 .89 -740 08.9 6 1 2 .5pp b ### ### ## 1098 .738 -1 .89 -740 08.9 6
2 2 .5pp b ######## 1020 .949 -9.0 03 -732 47.2 8 2 2 .5pp b ### ### ## 1020 .949 -9.0 03 -732 47.2 8
3 2 .5pp b ### ### ## 1036 .614 -3.8 85 -731 08.8 7
MS-Excel File

3 2 .5pp b ######## 1036 .614 -3.8 85 -731 08.8 7

M ean of 2 .5pp
########
b 10 52.1 -4.926 -734 55.0 3 M ean of 2 .5pp
###b### ## 10 52.1 -4.9 26 -734 55.0 3
S D of 2.5p pb 41 .142 3.6 69 48 4.67 8 S D of 2.5p pb 41 .142 3.6 69 48 4.67 8
%R SD o f 2.5 ppb 3.91 74.476 0.66 %R SD o f 2.5 ppb 3.91 74.4 76 0.6 6

1 5 ppb ######## 2286 .099 -0.777 -453 19.2 3 1 5 ppb ### ### ## 2286 .099 -0.7 77 -453 19.2 3
2 5 ppb ######## 2283 .366 -1.3 34 -452 73.4 3 2 5 ppb ### ### ## 2283 .366 -1.3 34 -452 73.4 3
3 5 ppb ######## 2310 .966 -2.1 11 -464 02.0 4 3 5 ppb ### ### ## 2310 .966 -2.1 11 -464 02.0 4
M ean of 5 ppb
######## 2293 .477 -1.4 07 -45 664 .9 M ean of 5 ppb
### ### ## 2293 .477 -1.4 07 -45 664 .9
S D of 5pp b 15 .208 0 .67 63 8.79 1 S D of 5pp b 15 .208 0 .67 63 8.79 1
%R SD o f 5p pb 0 .663 47.6 11 1.39 9 %R SD o f 5p pb 0 .663 47.6 11 1.39 9

1 1 0pp b ######## 4275 .288 -3.7 75 384 9.19 3 1 1 0pp b ### ### ## 4275 .288 -3.7 75 384 9.19 3
2 1 0pp b ######## 3982 .383 -2.9 97 9 21.2 4 2 1 0pp b ### ### ## 3982 .383 -2.9 97 9 21.2 4
3 1 0pp b ######## 3937 .159 -7 .78 -20 7.86 3 3 1 0pp b ### ### ## 3937 .159 -7 .78 -20 7.86 3
M ean of 1 0ppb
######## 4064 .943 -4.851 152 0.85 7 M ean of 1 0ppb
### ### ## 4064 .943 -4.8 51 152 0.85 7
S D of 10p pb 183 .562 2.5 66 209 3.93 9 S D of 10p pb 183 .562 2.5 66 209 3.93 9
%R SD o f 10 ppb 4 .516 52.9 06 13 7.68 2 %R SD o f 10 ppb 4 .516 52.9 06 13 7.68 2

1 5 0pp b ######## 1943 8.93 -7 .11 362 272 .6 1 5 0pp b ### ### ## 1943 8.93 -7 .11 362 272 .6
2 5 0pp b ######## 1915 2.46 -1.6 64 394 345 .8 2 5 0pp b ### ### ## 1915 2.46 -1.6 64 394 345 .8
3 5 0pp b ######## 20407.24 -2.5 54 414 391 .1 3 5 0pp b ### ### ## 2040 7.24 -2.5 54 414 391 .1
M ean of 5 0ppb
######## 1966 6.21 -3.7 76 390 336 .5 M ean of 5 0ppb
### ### ## 1966 6.21 -3.7 76 390 336 .5
S D of 50p pb 657 .542 2.9 21 262 89.5 4 S D of 50p pb 657 .542 2.9 21 262 89.5 4
%R SD o f 50 ppb 3 .344 77.3 63 6.73 5 %R SD o f 50 ppb 3 .344 77.3 63 6.73 5

1 p ro c bla nk ######## 138 .794 5.3 65 -105 052 .5 1 p ro c bla nk ### ### ## 138 .794 5.3 65 -105 052 .5
2 p ro c bla nk ######## 122 .143 4.474 -10 506 2 2 p ro c bla nk ### ### ## 122 .143 4.4 74 -10 506 2
3 p ro c bla nk ######## 108 .156 2.0 28 -105 053 .1 3 p ro c bla nk ### ### ## 108 .156 2.0 28 -105 053 .1
M ean of p ro########
c b la nk 123 .031 3.9 56 -105 055 .9 M ean of p ro###
c b la
###
nk ## 123 .031 3.9 56 -105 055 .9
S D of proc bl ank 15 .338 1.7 28 5 .3 S D of proc bl ank 15 .338 1.7 28 5 .3
%R SD o f proc bl an k 12 .467 43.6 81 0.005 %R SD o f proc blan k 12 .467 43.6 81 0.00 5
We will look at how we do drift
correction with DBSCORR, in Dr.
Polya’s Lab.

So, lets proceed folks!!!!!