Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Quantification of Heavy Metals and Other Inorganic Contaminants on the Productivity of Microalgae
Published on: July 10, 2015
Isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID ICP-MS) for the certification of lead and cadmium
K E Murphy1, E S Beary, M S Rearick
1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8391, USA.
Abstract:
Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) have been determined in six new environmental standard reference materials (SRMs) using isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID ICP-MS). The SRMs are the following: SRM 1944, New York-New Jersey Waterway Sediment, SRMs 2583 and 2584, Trace Elements in Indoor Dust, Nominal 90 mg/kg and 10,000 mg/kg Lead, respectively, SRMs 2586 and 2587, Trace Elements in Soil Containing Lead from Paint, Nominal 500 mg/kg and 3,000 mg/kg Lead, respectively, and SRM 2782, Industrial Sludge. The capabilities of ID ICP-MS for the certification of Pb and Cd in these materials are assessed. Sample preparation and ratio measurement uncertainties have been evaluated. Reproducibility and accuracy of the established procedures are demonstrated by determination of gravimetrically prepared primary standard solutions and by comparison with isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID TIMS). Material heterogeneity was readily demonstrated to be the dominant source of uncertainty in the certified values.
Related Concept Videos
Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS): Overview
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): Interferences
Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Principle
The ions and electrons produced interact with the fluctuating magnetic field created by a water-cooled...
Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab
Mass Spectrometry: Isotope Effect
