Abstract
The primary factors limiting accuracy and precision using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in matrix-matched external standardization are machine drift and variation of the instrument response as a function of mass. Because drift is usually non-linear, the degree of drift differs from one mass to the next, and the direction of drift can change frequently when analyzing over large mass ranges. Internal standardization results in minimal improvement of data quality. An analytical procedure and an off-line data reduction algorithm have been developed that correct for these variations and produce a significant improvement in analytical accuracy and precision. In this technique, a “drift correction” standard is analyzed after every four or five samples. A polynomial curve is fitted to each isotope analyzed, and a correction based on this curve is applied to the measured intensity of the respective isotopes in the samples and standards. This data reduction algorithm has been developed into a Microsoft Excel ™ 3.0 Macro that completely automates all calculations. This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), the electronic section of Spectrochimica Acta Part B (SAB). The hard copy text is accompanied by a disk with the Excel macro for the Macintosh computer and sufficient instructions for its use. The main article discusses the scientific aspects of the subject and explains the purpose of the macro.
Published Version
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