CALIBRATION OF AN INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA-ATOMIC EMISSION SPECTROMETER FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS

The use of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP/AES) for simultaneous multielement determinations offers many advantages for environmental monitoring. To accurately determine major and trace constituents in waters, soils, airborne materials, and biological tissues, a comprehensive calibration system is required. Such a system based on a constant acid background of 3.5% perchloric acid is defined. Methods for controlling and compensating for instrumental instability, variations in acid background, and chemical interactions in the multielement standards are discussed. In addition, interelement effects, resulting from spectral overlap and stray light additions, are quantified for the instrument used. Calibration performance in terms of long term precision and accuracy is assessed. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.