Inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) had a humble beginning in the mid-1970s. Loops of twisted wire were important structural components, at least in the instrument built in Ames, and a barricade of human bodies between the ICP and the recording electronics was found to be an effective way to shield RF noise. For humanitarian reasons, the latter method was used only when necessary to produce data to show at a conference, usually the day before departure! The thrill of generating such last-minute results remains in ICP-MS research to this day.
From these dubious origins, ICP-MS has become a highly developed analytical technique for elemental and isotopic analysis. Over 4000 such instruments have been produced, and they are widely used in many important scientific applications. For example, the laptop computer used to write this Foreword would not have anything like its present performance without ICP-MS to determine trace metal impurities in the purity of the reagents and chips used. The success of ICP-MS in this application also illustrates the value of plain old good luck in science. Four elements for which performance is improved greatly by use of the cool ICP are Na, K, Ca and Fe. By great good fortune, these just happen to be key impurity elements in semiconductor production!
It is this widespread application base, the enabling of new types of multielement measurements at concentration levels previously inaccessible, that represents the scientific value of ICP-MS. Indeed, the detection limits are now restricted more by the cleanliness of the blank than by the sensitivity of the ICP-MS instrument, at least for most samples and elements.
ICP-MS has improved substantially since the earlier Handbook by Jarvis, Gray and Houk, published in 1991; the use of low-flow nebulizers, magnetic sectors and collision cells was just beginning back then. Some instruments now fit onto a benchtop; most have something like the Nike Swoosh emblazoned somewhere on the cover. Decorations aside, the present book provides detailed descriptions of current instrumentation and capabilities, analytical considerations like interferences, and key applications of ICP-MS. The information herein is very valuable to scientists using ICP-MS, as well as those seeking further improvements in performance. The method is not quite plug-and-play, and background knowledge of the instrumentation, its strengths and limitations is important in the production of valid results. This book fills that need, and I congratulate the editor and the authors for this very valuable contribution.
R. S. Houk Professor of Chemistry Ames Laboratory U. S. Department of Energy
Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011 USA
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