8th International Sector Field ICP-MS Conference

Sector Field (SF) ICP-MS instruments have certainly come a long way over the past 20 years. Initially only available in the early 1990's to a few select “pioneers” typically working in government or industry (organisations with access to necessary funding, technical support and specialist application needs), the technique started to gain broader acceptance when a wave of early “embracers” commissioned these instruments in the mid 1990's. I was one of those novices, thrown in at the deep-end when I took up a position in a university-based high-end analytical laboratory with the encouragement of my manager to “make it work”. There were many of us around the globe in similar shoes, all possessing plenty of enthusiasm and determination, but lacking any real depth of experience with the quirks of the device. Some readers will recall how these early instruments were real brutes to run and to control. We almost always seemed to be struggling with a host of issues as these first generation instruments seemed to undergo on-the-job modification and development. But to give credit where credit is due, both the manufacturers and end users persevered. Things got better, and it was soon obvious that later models incorporated many new features and improvements identified or suggested by those troubled early few. These advances eventually ushered in the second generation of SF instruments around the turn of this century. In general SF instruments are now greatly improved, with better sensitivity, increased resolution, and are much easier and more reliable to operate. My own personal view is that some instruments can now be considered “mature”, with a new generation of analysts embracing the possibilities offered by the SF approach. Despite this maturity, refinements and improvements are still occurring, with one leading manufacturer announcing in recent years even further sensitivity enhancement, unprecedented dynamic range capability, and modified entrance slits enabling flat-topped peaks to be recorded at a higher resolution setting.

A stream of publications and conference proceedings typically follows the release of any new analytical equipment. Burgeoning publication output using SF-ICP-MS has been highlighted recently (C.B. Douthitt, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2008, 23, 685–689). Similarly, a niche conference series broadly focusing on SF instrumentation commenced in the US in 2000 (Norfolk, Virginia) following on from the success of previous Thermo specific user forums. Subsequent meetings have been convened either in Europe or the US, still with a strong Thermo flavour. One of these conferences, the 2003 Venice meeting, was previously highlighted in JAAS (J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2004, 19(7)).

The latest and 8th International Sector Field ICP-MS Conference took place in Ghent, Belgium from 14th-16th September 2009 with Professor Frank Vanhaecke as conference Chairman. The conference venue was a very impressive and inspiring former Dominican monastery “Het Pand” on the banks of the Lys River, dating back to 1201 (the author continually had to remind himself that Europeans through Cook only “discovered” Australia 240 years ago, with the monastery over three times older). Running over three days, the conference was short and highly focused. There were 30 plenary and lecture presentations made as part of the symposium with over 100 delegates from 17 countries attending. There was also a lively poster session with prizes kindly sponsored by JAAS, ABC and the ICP Information Newsletter. Most delegates took the opportunity to attend a number of the specialist short courses on offer (contamination control, metrology, bio(medical) applications and isotopic analysis using MC-ICP-MS), while one instrument vendor also provided an intensive in-depth software training course for a further two days at the conclusion of the conference. All conference sponsors are to be thanked for their willing support, thorough funding, displays and knowledge exchange. Without this, few conferences would ever succeed, let alone get off the ground.

This was my first International Sector Field Conference. The tyranny of distance and associated costs had always prevented me from attending previous meetings (it's a very long way north from Tasmania). Considering the overall feel and scope of the conference, I was struck by two things. Firstly, the camaraderie and genuine friendship amongst the delegates was readily apparent. There were many honest and open exchanges, with a willingness amongst attendees to share knowledge and experiences with others. This is one of the real benefits when hosting a conference on a smaller scale. Secondly, I was surprised (even slightly shocked) to see the generational change that has occurred in the SF community in recent years since my last sojourn to a European ICP themed conference. This is a great sign for the ongoing future of this branch of the scientific community, but for some of us it was an unintended reminder that perhaps we are not as young as we used to be (or we think we are!).

This issue of JAAS showcases a number of articles presented at the conference, as well as other contributions from SF users wishing to be part of this dedicated themed issue. The topics covered are as diverse as the application areas in which SF-ICP-MS instruments (both single and multi-collector) are now used, including isotope ratios (B, Li, Sr, Hg, Pb), laser ablation, sample preparation, environmental assessment, multi-collector studies, biomolecular assays, as well as chromatographic sample pretreatment. A valuable perspective contribution focusing on isotope reference material by Vogl and Pritzkow is also presented. This edition is timely as it is many years since JAAS showcased the technique in a themed issue (J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2000, 15(4)). I believe this and earlier issues will prove important historical records of the evolution and application of SF instrumentation over time.

As well as the science, a key part of any good conference is the social side and this was well and truly catered for by the conference organising committee. There were many highlights: a warm welcome was extended to all visitors by the City of Ghent at City Hall, there was a generous and regular supply of Belgian chocolates, a formal opportunity for tasting authentic Belgian beer was organised, the conference dinner was held in an historic former convent (where Frank took the pulpit, and where all delegates celebrated Martin Resano's birthday), as well as long lunches with new and old friends on the promenade beside the Lys River. Frank and his team of colleagues and students are to be congratulated for organising such a successful conference. The hospitality was sincere, the science stimulating and the sun was warm (yes, sun, even in Belgium).

Finally, what of the future for SF-ICP-MS? It did not take long following the release of the first generation of instruments for the user community to realise that improved spectral resolution with greater sensitivity would be advantageous. Greater instrument control coupled with easier and more robust software was also needed. All issues have been addressed over time, and in the author’s opinion, are now sufficient for everything but the most extreme applications. Instrument sensitivity is typically not a limiting factor for low-level detection in comparison to sampling, blank and laboratory cleanliness issues, while the majority of normally encountered interferences can be resolved with a maximum spectral resolution of m/△m ≈ 10,000. So why be greedy and ask for more when perhaps it is not really widely necessary? That said, it has been mentioned more than once in user-group discussions that the addition of collision/reaction cell type interference filters to high resolution instruments would be extremely powerful, allowing the analyst to selectively choose the mode of interference removal best suited to the analytical requirements (i.e., the possibility of improved sensitivity for the determination of the few elements requiring very high resolution (e.g., Se), or those isotopes that cannot be resolved even at m/△m ≈ 10,000). But would the benefit be commensurate with the cost? Improved tolerance to organic matrices and higher levels of total dissolved solids would also be useful to some users. There was even a flurry of comment recently concerning the possibility for a negative ion mode of operation. We don't really know how the instrumentation will evolve, but it is clear that SF-ICP-MS instrumentation has made its mark and is here to stay.

I commend this issue to you, the reader. It will serve the dual purpose of recording some of what transpired in Ghent, while also reflecting and showcasing the current status of SF-ICP-MS.

The author is grateful for the generous financial support provided by Thermo-Fisher (Bremen and Australia) to allow his attendance at this conference.

Ashley Townsend

University of Tasmania, JAAS Advisory Board

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