An inductively coupled plasma spectrometer is a tool for trace detection of metals in solution, in which a liquid sample is injected into argon gas plasma contained by a strong magnetic field. The elements in the sample become excited and the electrons emit energy at a characteristic wavelength as they return to ground state. The emitted light is then measured by optical spectrometry. This method, known as inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) or inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), is a very sensitive technique for identification and quantification of elements in a sample.
ICP Spectrometers can be used for the analysis of environmental samples, contaminants in food or water, metalloproteins in biological samples, and similar studies. Most ICP-AES instruments are designed to detect a single wavelength at a time (monochromator). Since an element can emit at multiple wavelengths, it is sometimes desirable to detect more than one wavelength at a time. This can be done by sequential scanning or by using a spectrometer that is designed to capture emissions of several wavelengths simultaneously (polychromator). Detection limits typically range from parts per million (ppm) to parts per billion (ppb), although depending on the element and instrument, can sometimes achieve less than ppb detection.
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