Standard in the rinse.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Instrumental Analysis

Background:

• Traditional calibration methods require preparing multiple standard solutions of known concentrations.
• Matrix effects in samples can interfere with accurate analyte quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel calibration method called Standard in the Rinse (SIR).
• To demonstrate the applicability of SIR for accurate and efficient chemical analysis.

Main Methods:

• SIR involves rinsing the instrument with a standard solution containing all analytes after sample introduction.
• Two timestamp internal standards are used for precise ratio determination.
• ICP-OES was used for proof-of-concept, with potential for other liquid stream techniques.

Main Results:

• Analyte recoveries ranged from 88% to 120% across complex matrices and certified reference materials.
• Relative standard deviations were consistently low, on the order of a few percent.
• The method achieved limits of detection in the low μg L⁻¹ range and quantified analytes over four orders of magnitude.

Conclusions:

• SIR effectively bypasses the need for traditional multi-point calibration curves.
• The method corrects for matrix effects without requiring matrix-matched standards.
• SIR offers a simplified, accurate, and robust calibration strategy for various analytical techniques.