Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is one of the most widely used analytical techniques for determining trace chemical elements. ICP-MS is characterised by greater instrumental sensitivity than ICP-AES. ICP-MS allows measurements in the order of ng/L to be obtained. The difference between this instrument and ICP-AES lies in the detector. While ICP-AES measures the radiation emitted by excited atoms in the form of plasma, ICP-MS directly measures the mass of atoms passing through the detector. By integrating the two techniques, chemical analyses can be performed on both major and trace elements.
