New ICP-MS instrumentation at the FiLTER facility

Thanks to funding made available through the Office of VP Research at UBCO we have been able to make a significant investment in new instrumentation in the form of  a triple quadrupole ICP-MS (Agilent 8900). This new instrument replaces our ageing and somewhat beleaguered single quadrupole ICP-MS and offers some exciting new research possibilities through utilization of tandem mass spec (ms/ms)  capabilities. 

Dr Mathieu Soret expresses his excitement as the QQQ-ICP-MS is unboxed (left) and the Agilent 8900 set up in the ICP-MS lab.

This new 2nd generation 8900 ICP-QQQ offers a range of configurations to cover applications from routine analysis to advanced research and high performance materials analysis. Some advantages of the QQQ system include:

• Controlled reaction chemistry for consistent, reliable results
• Resolution of isobaric overlaps, beyond capability of high-resolution ICP-MS
• Lowest detection limits, even for previously difficult elements such as S, Si, P
• 4-channel cell gas control
• Unique precursor/product ion scan modes clarify reaction processes
• Monitor lower levels of ultra-trace contaminants in bulk chemicals and wafer processing baths
• Characterize nanoparticles in complex environmental, food and biological samples, even at the sub-50 nanometer scale
• Measure selenium, arsenic and arsenic speciation with better accuracy at lower levels