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Tech ID: 133
Project Overview
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is
already a highly sensitive and selective method for elemental and
isotopic analysis. This project will investigate the ability of
a microscale nebulizer called a monodis-perse dried microparticulate
injector (MDMI), to improve the sensitivity, speed, accuracy, and
precision of ICP-MS for determination of stable elements and radionuclides.
Essentially, a micropump creates uniform wet droplets that are dried
carefully and then introduced into the plasma for conversion into
atomic ions. There is little or no waste solution; 100% of the sample
reaches the plasma. Exposure to radioactivity and waste cleanup
problems during analysis will also be greatly reduced because the
nebulizer requires only nanoliter to microliter volumes of solution.
Specifically, two related projects are under study: (1) direct analysis
of very small solution volumes, and (2) on-line calibration for
laser ablation ICP-MS, so that solids can be analyzed directly with
better accuracy than is now achiev-able. The analytical capabilities
of MDMI-ICP-MS, such as detection limits and tolerance to concentrated
sample matrices, will be evaluated thoroughly for real samples of
interest in waste remediation. This sample introduction technology
is potentially applicable to existing ICP-MS devices used for analyses
that support waste clean-up. It should also be suitable for field
use with a mobile ICP-MS device in a van.
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