Limiting effects on transport efficiency by matrix load in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry with electrothermal vaporization sample introduction

The combination of an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) based on echelle optics and a segmented charge coupled device detector and electrothermal vaporization sample introduction has been evaluated for survey analysis. The proposed survey analysis method requires a previous selection of a set of elements and the addition of a fixed amount of multielemental standard (5 μl) including all the elements of interest. The linearity of the analyte signal vs. the sample mass vaporized must be checked in order to select the right sample mass or volume for the analysis. Several certified samples in liquid form have been tested. Results are directly related with changes in the transport efficiency due to matrix effects and changes in the plasma excitation conditions.