ABSTRACT
As discussed in Chapter 7, a quadrupole-based ICP-MS system typically offers a resolution of 0.7-1.0 amu. This is quite adequate for most routine applications, but has proved to be inadequate for many elements that are prone to argon-, solvent-, and/or sample-based spectral interferences. These limitations in quadrupoles drove researchers in the direction of traditional high-resolution, magnetic sector technology to improve quantitation by resolving the analyte mass away from the spectral interference (1). These ICP-MS instruments, which were first commercialized in the late 1980s, offered resolving power of up 10,000, compared to a quadrupole, which was on the order of ~300. This dramatic improvement in resolving power allowed difficult elements such as Fe, K, As, V, and Cr to be determined with relative ease, even in complex sample matrices.
