Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

This chapter highlights the use of the inductively plasma for mass spectrometry, with the fundamentals of mass spectrometry. A range of mass spectrometers have been coupled to an inductively coupled plasma. However, the first to be exploited commercially was the quadrupole mass spectrometer. This was closely followed by the high-resolution mass spectrometer to overcome some of the deficiencies of a quadrupole mass spectrometer, that is, its inability to overcome interferences due to its low resolution; a quadrupole mass spectrometer being limited to unit-mass resolution. More recently, other mass spectrometers have been exploited, namely the triple quadrupole, ion-trap, time-of-flight and multiple collector mass spectrometers. As any mass spectrometer is capable of measuring isotope ratios (ratios of the different isotopes of a single element), isotope dilution analysis uses this approach to provide a unique method of calibration.