ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the most common interferences found in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the methods that are used to compensate for them. Although interferences are reasonably well understood in ICP-MS, it can often be difficult and time-consuming to compensate for them, particularly in complex sample matrices. Associated with oxide-based spectral overlaps are doubly charged spectral interferences. Similar to the formation of oxides, the level of doubly charged species is related to the ionization conditions in the plasma and can usually be minimized by careful optimization of the nebulizer gas flow, radio frequency power, and sampling position within the plasma. The chapter looks at the different approaches used to compensate for spectral interferences. The classic way to compensate for a physical interference is to use internal standardization.
