Feasibility of using beryllium as internal reference to reduce non-spectroscopic carbon species matrix effect in the inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) determination of boron in biological samples

Abstract

The mechanism by which carbon matrix species cause non-spectroscopic matrix interference on boron (B) and beryllium (Be) during the determination of B in biological samples is investigated. The study indicates that, unlike other matrix species such as Ca and Na that cause non-spectroscopic matrix interference only through space charge effect, carbon species manifest non-spectroscopic interference by two mechanisms. The minor non-spectroscopic interference of carbon is through space charge effect. However, the major non-spectroscopic effect of carbon is by a charge transfer mechanism from C +-species to B and Be atoms in the central channel of the plasma discharge. The large difference in the magnitude of the carbon charge transfer non-spectroscopic matrix interference between Be and B makes Be unsuitable as an internal reference for B in solutions containing more than 1500 μg/ml dissolved organic carbon (DOC). This DOC content is approximately half the DOC usually present in the final sample solution for B determination in biological samples. However, Be still acts as a perfect internal reference to B in solution containing matrix elements that exert their non-spectroscopic interference effect through space charge mechanism (such as Na, K, Ca, etc.).