ICP-MS Analysis

What Is ICP-MS Analysis?

ICP-MS is an elemental analysis technique in which the sample is ionised in an argon plasma and the resulting ions are separated by mass/charge ratio. The plasma's very high temperature breaks the sample down into its atoms; the mass spectrometer counts each element separately.

Purpose of ICP-MS Analysis

The purpose is to measure the elements in a sample at very low concentrations, simultaneously and element-specifically. Enforcement of heavy metal restrictions is largely carried out with this technique.

Which Products Is ICP-MS Analysis Applied To?

RoHS heavy metals in electrical and electronic products
Lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury in food and drinking water
Trace heavy metals in cosmetic products
Elemental impurities in pharmaceutical products
Soil, wastewater and sediment samples

In Which Sectors Is ICP-MS Analysis Used?

ChemistryPharmaceuticalsFoodCosmeticsEnvironmentElectronicsPublic Sector

Standards Related to ICP-MS Analysis

IEC 62321-5 (determination of Cd, Pb, Cr in electrotechnical products)
USP <233> / ICH Q3D (elemental impurities)
EN 13805 / EN 15763 (determination of trace elements in food)
ISO 17294-2 (water quality — determination of elements by ICP-MS)

ICP-MS Analysis Conditions

Plasma: Argon plasma; power and gas flows are optimized according to the method
Interference elimination: Polyatomic interferences are suppressed by collision/reaction cell
Calibration: Multipoint calibration and internal standard (e.g. indium, yttrium)
sample environment: Usually dilute nitric acid; solubilization method depends on the matrix

Equipment for ICP-MS Analysis

ICP-MS instrument and argon plasma source
Microwave digestion system
Collision/reaction cell
Automatic sample changer
Ultrapure water and acid preparation infrastructure

Sample Requirements for ICP-MS Analysis

Solid samples are digested with acid; this is a destructive process
The sample container must be of a quality that does not cause trace-element contamination
The required quantity is generally a few grams or millilitres
The sample matrix (polymer, metal, food, water) must be stated
Piece-by-piece separation may be needed for non-homogeneous products

Duration of ICP-MS Analysis

The measurement itself takes minutes per sample. Microwave digestion and calibration determine the total duration; routine reporting is a few working days.

ICP-MS Analysis Procedure

1The sample is homogenised and weighed.
2Digested with acid in the microwave system.
3The solution is made up to a defined volume and internal standard is added.
4Calibration solutions and a blank sample are prepared.
5The sample is nebulised into the plasma and ions are counted.
6Interference corrections are applied.
7Concentration is converted to sample units using the dilution factor.

ICP-MS Analysis Acceptance Criteria

Whether an elemental result is acceptable is determined by the limits in RoHS, food contaminant regulation, ICH Q3D, or cosmetic regulation. The method does not set a limit.

Evaluation of Results

Polyatomic interferences are the main source of error in ICP-MS; reliability of the result depends on these interferences having been addressed with a collision/reaction cell or mathematical correction. Recovery and certified reference material results form the basis of the report.

ICP-MS Analysis Report

Sample description, receipt date and laboratory number
Method applied and reference standard, if any
Instrument and measurement conditions
Sample preparation steps
Measurement results and units
Measurement uncertainty (if requested)
A statement that the results relate only to the sample submitted for testing

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

EU 2011/65/EU RoHS
EU 1907/2006 REACH
EU 2023/915 (contaminants in food)
ICH Q3D (elemental impurities)

Pages Where This Method Is Used

Analytical Methods — What Does This Group of Methods Do?

The section below describes the field that the ICP-MS Analysis test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Analytical method pages are pages about a MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE rather than about a test. The difference matters: "salt spray testing" is a test and answers one question; "ICP-MS" is a technique and is used in dozens of different tests. Sometimes the user is looking not for the test but for the technique — because the method name is what appears in their specification.

This distinction becomes decisive in choosing a laboratory. When a customer asks for "heavy metal analysis", the real question is by which technique it will be done: XRF is fast and non-destructive but does not distinguish compounds; AAS is economical for a single element; ICP-OES screens multiple elements; ICP-MS sees trace levels. The same sample gives results with different detection limits and different uncertainties across the four techniques.

Method selection is made against three criteria. DETECTION LIMIT: is the concentration sought within the range the method can see? MATRIX COMPATIBILITY: is the sample matrix (plastic, food, soil, metal) one the method can handle, and is pre-treatment required? SPECIFICATION LINK: does the product standard or legislation mandate a particular method? The third often overrides the first two — the specification binds the method.

Method pages build a CHAIN. A technique is linked to the test pages where it is used, to the standards those tests rest on, to the legislation those standards are tied to and ultimately to market access regimes. The example chain in the source document works like this: XRF → metal analysis → RoHS compliance → heavy metal restriction → coating pages. Whichever link the user enters from, they reach the others.

Sample preparation is the invisible half of the result in this family and is a greater source of error than the technique itself. The digestion method, degree of grinding, extraction solvent and dilution ratio change the result markedly. The same sample on the same instrument gives a different result with different preparation; the definition of the method therefore covers preparation too.

Calibration and verification are the third determining component. An instrument is calibrated with certified reference material, the calibration curve is verified periodically and a control sample is run in each batch. Without these steps, a number produced is not traceable even if the instrument is working correctly.

Method groups in this field

Elemental analysis
ICP-OES, ICP-MS, AAS and XRF. They differ in detection limit, matrix tolerance and multi-element capacity.
Chromatography
GC, GC-MS, HPLC, LC-MS/MS and ion chromatography. It separates a mixture into its components and measures each separately.
Spectroscopy
FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis and optical emission. For material identity, functional group identification and alloy composition.
Thermal analysis
DSC, TGA, DMA and dilatometry. Transition temperatures, composition, decomposition and dimensional behaviour.
Microscopy and imaging
Optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, radiography and tomography. Structure, defects and elemental distribution.
Classical (wet) chemistry
Titration, gravimetry and colorimetry. Used as a reference method and in confirming instrumental results.

Commonly confused in this field

XRF is a screening tool; it sees elements and does not distinguish compounds. A decision on a restricted compound requires confirmation by wet chemistry.
The phrase "not detected" is not proof of absence; it is read together with the detection limit of the method.
The specification binds the method. A technically better method is not accepted if the specification calls for another.
Sample preparation is part of the result; a report that does not state the preparation is not reproducible.
Results obtained by different techniques cannot be compared directly; their detection limits and uncertainties differ.
A method page is not a test page; which method applies to which test comes from the product standard.

Which decisions these results support

Matching the method written in the specification to the laboratory's scope
Method selection according to detection limit and matrix compatibility
Confirming an instrumental result with a reference method
Eliminating deviations arising from sample preparation

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About ICP-MS Analysis

How is a choice made between ICP-MS and ICP-OES?

The sought concentration is decisive. ICP-MS gives a much lower limit of quantification at trace and ultra-trace levels; ICP-OES is more robust at higher concentrations and in high-salt matrices.

Does the analysis consume the sample?

Yes. Digestion is a destructive process; the sample cannot be returned after analysis.