ICP-MS

Inductively Coupled Plasma, or ICP, is a high-temperature excitation source that desolvates, vaporizes, and atomizes samples in aerosol form, and then ionizes the resulting atoms. The excited or ground state analyte ions and atoms are determined using a mass detector (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, or ICP-MS). The ICP-MS is capable of analyzing most elements, either as single elements or in multi-element analysis, with high precision and sensitivity. The analyses can be semi-quantitative or quantitative. We are currently using the Perkin Elmer Elan DRC II system that we use to detect trace metals.