ABSTRACT
This chapter examines one of the most critical areas of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument—the sample introduction system. The majority of ICP-MS applications involve the analysis of liquid samples. Even though the technique has been adapted over the years to handle solids and slurries, it was developed in the early 1980s primarily to analyze solutions. The chapter discusses the basic principles of converting a liquid into a fine-droplet aerosol suitable for ionization in the plasma, and presents an overview of the different types of commercially available nebulizers and spray chambers. The traditional way of introducing a liquid sample into analytical plasma can be considered as two separate events: aerosol generation using a nebulizer and droplet selection using a spray chamber. The main function of the sample introduction system is to generate a fine aerosol of the sample.
