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Title: Suppression of analyte signal by various concomitant salts in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Journal Article · · Anal. Chem.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00292a008· OSTI ID:6445460

The interference on the ionization of cobalt by five salts, NaCl, MgCl/sub 2/, NH/sub 4/I, NH/sub 4/Br, and NH/sub 4/Cl, in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is first looked at theoretically, and subsequently the theoretical trends are established experimentally by mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The interference trends are found to be in the order of the most easily ionized element in the matrix salt, i.e., Na > Mg > I > Br > Cl. Quantitatively the theoretical values for the amount of salt needed to produce a particular interference are 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than the experimentally determined values. The results reported here indicate that ICP-MS is somewhat more susceptible to ionization suppression effects than ICP atomic emission spectrometry. It is also found that the most easily ionized element in the salt dominates the matrix ion spectrum observed from the ICP in the order mentioned above. Total ion current measurements by ICP-MC at solute levels above 1% are complicated by orifice plugging and transport loss of the salt and analyte in the desolvation system for the ultrasonic nebulizer used. 27 references, 7 figures, 3 tables.

Research Organization:
Iowa State Univ., Ames
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
6445460
Journal Information:
Anal. Chem.; (United States), Vol. 58:1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English