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Measuring a Lot of Elements at Medium-to-High Concentrations in a Large Number of Samples?

Inductively coupled plasma metals analysis

Labs with heavy workloads – needing to measure many elements in many samples will need a fast inductively coupled plasma metals analysis technique like ICP-OES or ICP-MS.

When comparing the two techniques it’s important to realize that there is an overlap of the concentration ranges that ICP-OES and ICP-MS can measure. If all elements are consistently at concentrations above 10 ppb then ICP-OES is the best option. If you need to measure lower concentrations of some elements or you need to measure C, F, Cl, Br, or I then elemental analysis by ICP-MS is recommended. Even with ICP-MS, detection limits for C are poor, and F requires a specialized ICP-QQQ approach.  The eBook “How to choose the right atomic spectroscopy technique” (linked at the bottom of this page) provides the details on which elements each technique can measure.

While ICP-OES metals analysis cannot measure concentrations of metals down to the parts-per-trillion levels that ICP-MS can, ICP-OES is often used for measurements that might previously have been done using flame AA.

Highly specialized applications that need to measure the radioactive elements Np, Pu, Am, or Ra or other very rare actinides elements (Ac, Bk, Cf, Cm, Pa, Po) will also require elemental analysis by ICP-MS.


ICP OES metals analysis

ICP-OES metals analysis is ideal when you:

  • Have large numbers of samples (more than 1200 samples per day). In these situations, you’ll need the speed of ICP-OES, which takes less than one minute to measure the concentration of up to 74 elements in a sample
  • Need to measure samples that contain very high, percent levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) or suspended solids. ICP-MS can measure these samples, but it’s easier to run them routinely on ICP-OES 
  • Are measuring samples that will always contain more than 10 ppb of each element

ICP MS metals analysis

Elemental analysis by ICP-MS is a better option if you need:

  • Analysis at levels below 10 ppb for some elements or you are likely to need this performance in the future (because of a regulatory change for example)
  • The ability to measure elemental isotope ratios 
  • To combine elemental analysis with other techniques such as liquid or gas chromatography for chromatographic separations, or laser ablation (LA) for direct solid sampling


Side-by-side comparison ICP-OES vs ICP-MS

The following table shows how the two techniques compare, relative to each other.

ICP-OES
View product
ICP-MS
View product
Relative Price $$$ $$$$
Relative Cost per sample $$ $$$
Relative Sensitivity
Reviews SelectScience SelectScience
Maximum samples per day1 2000-2500
(50+ elements)
1200
(50+ elements)
Dynamic range of measurement 10 ppb – 10,000ppm   <1 ppt – 1000ppm
Relative sample volume required
Relative tolerance of solids in sample
Element measurement Simultaneous Simultaneous
How many elements can be measured? 74 86
Relative routine maintenance requirements
Relative operator skill required 2
Can be left unattended yes yes
Part 11/Annex 11 GMP compliance yes (with optional software) yes (with optional software)
Specifications
Relative operational power use
Dimensions (mm – width x depth x height) 625 x 740 x 887 730 x 600 x 595
Weight 90 kg 100 kg
Gas requirements 99.95% pure Argon Optional: Nitrogen, Oxygen, exhaust with 2.5 m3/min flow 99.99% Argon4
Warranty3 12 months 12 months
Accessories
Autosampler Optional Optional
Water cooling system Required, not included Required, not included  

  1. The instruments must be fitted with a switching valve to achieve these sample numbers
  2. A simplified interface (ICPGo) and pre set methods are available for routine analysis, which would significantly reduce the operator skill level required
  3. Agilent has various extended warranty and support options
  4. For applications where contamination must be controlled i.e. measuring impurities in semiconductor chemicals, argon purity of at least 99.999% may be required

Want to Know More?

Download the eBook

Download our eBook “How to Choose the Right Atomic Spectroscopy Technique” for a detailed analysis of which elemental analysis techniques suit which situations and how to choose both the right technique and the right instrument for your lab – for both now and in the future.

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The value of knowing - talk to an expert

The information above is provided as a guide only. Agilent atomic spectroscopy experts can determine the best technique to suit your requirements. Please contact Agilent if you would like to discuss your needs.

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