What is ICP Mass Spectrometry?
As its name implies, ICP Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is the synergistic combination of an inductively coupled plasma with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. ICP-MS uses the ability of the argon ICP to efficiently generate singly charged ions from the elemental species within a sample. These ions are then directed into a quadrupole mass spectrometer.
The function of the mass spectrometer is similar to that of the monochromator in an AA or ICP emission system. However, rather than separating light according to its wavelength, the mass spectrometer separates the ions introduced from the ICP according to their mass-to-charge ratio. Ions of the selected mass/charge are directed to a detector which quantitates the number of ions present. Due to the similarity of the sample introduction and data handling techniques, using an ICP-MS is very much like using an ICP emission spectrometer.