An economic approach to reducing reagent blanks in ICP-OES and ICP-MS analysis

The increasing demand for lower detection limits is a major consideration for any laboratory that is carrying out elemental determinations by ICP-OES and ICP-MS. The analytical instrument is just one component in achieving the lowest limits of detection. The other critical area that puts significant demands on a laboratory’s overall detection capability is to ensure that the sample preparation procedure does not contribute any additional sources of contamination. Several factors must be considered when looking to minimize contamination and reduce blank levels when preparing samples for analysis by plasma spectrochemistry. These include equipment cleanliness, reagent purity, quality of materials, and the digestion procedure itself.

Reagent Purity
 

Currently, many laboratories purchase expensive high-purity acids for trace elemental analysis. There is, however, an alternative approach. Milestone has developed the duoPUR, a sub-boiling distillation system that allows laboratories to make their own high-purity acids at dramatically reduced costs. The advantages of the duoPUR include:

• Up to 90% cost savings by purifying low- cost reagent grade acids
• High productivity of up to 3 liters in eight hours
• Continuous supply of high-purity acids
• On-demand acid purification
• Re-purification of contaminated acids
• Single or double distillation