Drift diagnostics in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Plenary lecture

Abstract

A simple experiment is described to carry out drift diagnostics in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. It is based on the behaviour of the Ba II 455.403, Zn II 206.200 and Ar I 404.442 nm line intensities as a function of the power, the solution uptake rate and the carrier gas flow rate. Additional information on the atomization and ionization conditions is obtained from the Mg II 280.270 nm to Mg I 285.213 nm line intensity ratio. Methods to verify the presence of a drift over a limited period of time are discussed. Several examples illustrate the feasibility of these diagnostics. A conclusion is drawn about the selection of internal standards for drift correction.