Author(s)

C. Michael B. Henderson^1,2, Paul R. Lythgoe¹, Karen J. Theis¹

¹School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES), University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
²ASTec, Sci-Tech Daresbury Laboratory, Science and Technology Funding Council, Warrington, UK.

Operating an Agilent 7700X ICP-MS spectrometer under robust plasma conditions (1550 W) with a He-filled octopole collision cell and analysing solutions (<2000 μg·g⁻¹ total dissolved solids) still suffered analyte peak suppression due to matrix effects. International reference rocks BCR-1, BHVO-1, AGV-1, G-2 and BCR-2 all showed count rate reductions for 36 elements (mass range ⁷Li to ²³⁸U) averaging ~10% but with no dependence on isotope mass. Use of an internal standard (¹⁰³Rh) and/or using a ten-fold dilution of sample solutions reduced these effects but problems with reduced count rates combined with larger errors for some elements introduced other problems. The best approach was to normalise the count rates for each element in the other samples against those for BCR-1 as an external standard; thus the count suppression due to the matrix effect is corrected for each individual element. This approach provides standardization “traceability” in line with the ERM ISO/IEC requirement. Experiments are also reported on quantifying the proportions of Ba and selected REE oxide/hydroxide components versus parent isotopes (XO/X and XOH/X). This information is essential for correcting peak interferences on higher mass number REE for the rock samples, and equations are developed to use measured CeO/Ce and CeOH/Ce ratios to predict such values for any other member of the REE suite. Concentrations obtained show excellent agreement with recommended values for the international reference materials especially for the REE. Robust data are also provided for two other standard rocks: nepheline syenite STM-1 and quartz syenite CAAS-1; the latter shows exceptional enrichments of Zr, REE, Th, and U.

ICP-MS, Dilution Minimises Matrix Effects, BCR-1 as an External Standard, New Analyses for STM-1 and CAAS-1, Calibration of X-O/OH Interferences on REE Elements

Henderson, C. , Lythgoe, P. and Theis, K. (2019) A Pragmatic Approach to Coping with Matrix Effects during ICP-MS Analysis of Trace Elements in Silicate Rocks and Calibration of REE Interferences. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 7, 82-125. doi: 10.4236/gep.2019.73005.