Waste reduction in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using flow injection and a direct injection nebulizer

Liquid waste was reduced by 52% when flow injection-direct injection nebulization (FI-DIN) was used in place of continuous pneumatic nebulization (CPN) for the analysis of hazardous and/or radioactive solutions by ICP-MS. The FI-DIN analyses were also 33% faster. Instrumental limits of detection obtained with FI-DIN and CPN were comparable for Cd, Pb, and U. Some statistically significant differences between FI-DIN and CPN determinations were observed, but only in the case of Ni were these differences attributed to the choice of nebulizer.