Investigation of Experimental Parameters with a Quadrupole ICP/MS

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Abstract
Preliminary studies have shown that signal behavior in ICP/MS is quite different from that in ICP-OES. This is particularly true for the manner in which ICP operating parameters affect the responses of elements detected, and results from behavior occurring both in the interface and in the mass spectrometer. This paper describes in detail the response of a commercially available instrument (VG PlasmaQuad) to variations in several important operating parameters. The effects of nebulizer flow rate, rf plasma power, and sampling depth on ion populations, on ratios of singly charged to doubly charged ions, and on singly charged ions to oxide and hydroxide ions are described for selected elements. A comparison is also made of the results obtained with the present instrument, with data published from other commercial instrumentation.