ABSTRACT
This entry will describe the fundamentals and selected applications of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using electrothermal vaporization (ETV) as a sample introduction device for the quantitative analysis of trace elements. ETV is a sample introduction technique that is generally based on the resistive heating of graphite furnaces or metallic filaments on which the sample is deposited, either as a liquid, slurry, or as a solid. The analyte-containing vapors derived from heating of the electrothermal device are carried to the ICP-MS, which is responsible for the ionization and detection of the individual trace elements. ETV is a versatile and robust sample introduction technique, which is regarded as an efficient alternative to the analysis of complex samples and as a means to eliminate spectral and non-spectral interferences.
