Basic Training 4th Annual ICP Conference

Stability Issues

Not all stability issues are readily visible/apparent, not all are immediate • Solutions containing high amounts of Hydrofluoric Acid with Ca or the Rare Earth elements will produce obvious precipitates. • Mercury in Nitric Acid will stick to the walls of plastic containers, no visible evidence. • Higher amounts of Silicon and Potassium can produce a gel, may be visible using light source.

Instrument Operation

Issues with standards or working solutions can affect operations in the ICP/ICP-MS

• Low/no counts during tuning • Plasma getting extinguished • Clogging in the introduction system

Bottom line: if you see issues during normal procedures, add verification of the standards to your troubleshooting checklist.