Eliminating ½ Mass Corrections for REE2+ Interferences in Methods 200.8 and 6020 Using Multi-Quad ICP-MS

Introduction

Recent concerns over false positive results for As and Se in some environmental samples due to the formation of double-charged species of rare-earth elements (REEs) such as Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, and Er have led to the development of using ½ mass corrections to correct for these potential interferences. This is of particular concern for instruments employing He collision cells. Like any stoichiometric correction, the use of ½ mass corrections can result in the under- or over-correction of the interference. This talk will discuss the use of a multi-quadrupole ICP-MS to potentially eliminate the need for ½ mass corrections entirely. In addition, the ability to provide a semi-quantitative analysis to screen for the presence of REEs during the quantitative data acquisition cycle will be demonstrated as a useful tool to provide further confirmation that As and Se results are accurate.

Presented by: Ruth E. Wolf, Ph.D., Principal Field Application Scientist, PerkinElmer Inc