New developments and final frontiers in inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. Plenary lecture

Abstract

A number of areas of study are indicated which are important in furthering the application and capability of the inductively coupled plasma. Featured especially are the importance of overcoming matrix and inter-element interferences, the development of diagnostics to monitor instrument operation, the use of adaptive computer-based feedback control to optimize instruments and the introduction of intelligent sample processing. Examples are taken from the author's laboratory of ways in which new developments in instrumentation and understanding are permitting these frontiers to be conquered.