ABSTRACT
When sample homogeneity, sample preparation, and dilution factors are taken into consideration, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is probably going to be the most suitable technique for carrying out the determination of elemental contaminants in cannabis and cannabis products because of its extremely low detection capability. However, understanding how these basic principles affect the performance of an instrument is a real benefit when evaluating the analytical capabilities of the technique. This chapter presents a set of evaluation guidelines to help decide the most important analytical figures of merit for application. It looks at the most common ones that are used in the selection process. They typically include: analytical performance, usability aspects, reliability issues, and financial considerations. Of all the applications involving transient peak measurements, single-particle ICP-MS is probably the most demanding, because the transient event only lasts a few milliseconds.
