ICP-MS Configuration and Optimization for Successful Routine Analysis of Undiluted Seawater

Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a technique increasingly being used in commercial laboratories and industries that analyze samples with complex matrices, such as seawater, wastewater, saline groundwater, and other high salt samples. These laboratories often choose ICP-MS for its fast, multielement capability and high sample throughput, but time and cost pressures mean that laboratories have little time for sample preparation and method development. The time and cost pressures can lead to performance and operational issues because an ICP-MS instrument optimized for the highest sensitivity may not have the sufficient matrix tolerance to analyze high salt samples. In this article, we describe a method to optimize plasma robustness and interference control that enables a modern ICP-MS to perform simple, accurate, and routine analysis of critical trace elements in undiluted seawater.