Recent advances in quantitative LA-ICP-MS analysis: challenges and solutions in the life sciences and environmental chemistry

Abstract

Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is a widely accepted method for direct sampling of solid materials for trace elemental analysis. The number of reported applications is high and the application range is broad; besides geochemistry, LA-ICP-MS is mostly used in environmental chemistry and the life sciences. This review focuses on the application of LA-ICP-MS for quantification of trace elements in environmental, biological, and medical samples. The fundamental problems of LA-ICP-MS, such as sample-dependent ablation behavior and elemental fractionation, can be even more pronounced in environmental and life science applications as a result of the large variety of sample types and conditions. Besides variations in composition, the range of available sample states is highly diverse, including powders (e.g., soil samples, fly ash), hard tissues (e.g., bones, teeth), soft tissues (e.g., plants, tissue thin-cuts), or liquid samples (e.g., whole blood). Within this article, quantification approaches that have been proposed in the past are critically discussed and compared regarding the results obtained in the applications described. Although a large variety of sample types is discussed within this article, the quantification approaches used are similar for many analytical questions and have only been adapted to the specific questions. Nevertheless, none of them has proven to be a universally applicable method.

Quantitative Analysis of Trace Elements in Silicate Glass Sample by LA-ICP-QMS/QMS with an ORC: Silicon as the Matrix of Calibrating Solutions and the Internal Standard for Measurement

“…Various calibration strategies for LA-ICP-MS have been reported and applied to the analysis of geological, environmental, biological, and medicine samples. [1][2][3][4][5][6] However, there is not a single calibration strategy covering all kinds of samples. Therefore, improvement of calibration strategies for LA-ICP-MS is still required for quantitative analysis.…”

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

“…Laser-ablation (LA) sample introduction is an effective tool to elucidate elemental compositions in solid materials with ICP-MS. 1 Nakazawa et al reported on "Acceleration of Vaporization, Atomization, and Ionization Efficiencies in Inductively Coupled Plasma by Merging LaserAblated Particles with Hydrochloric Acid Gas". They improved vaporization, atomization, and ionization efficiencies of elements in a glass material by merging ablated particles with HCl gas.…”

A dried droplet calibration approach for the analysis of solid samples through laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

“…[1][2][3] However, its main analytical problem lies in the calibration step. 4 In fact, standards used for external calibration should be closely matrix matched to the sample. In some instances, the elemental fractionation caused during aerosol formation, its transport to the ICP and the analyte vaporization and ionization in the ICP plasma leads to inaccurate results.…”

“…In any case, the preparation of matrix matched standards can be time consuming, expensive. [4][5][6][7] and it may degrade the spatial integrity of the sample.…”

“…[4][5][6] Unfortunately, matrix-matched solid standards are often not available and they can be prepared as fused beads, pelletized solids 4,5,7,8 or by sol-gel formation. 9,10 O'Reilly et al 11 developed a method in which matrix matched standards were prepared by immersion in a methanol containing standard.…”