ICP-OES vs ICP-MS for elemental impurities analysis
How do you choose the right instrument for your lab? 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. Find resources to help you make the right choice for your analysis.