C. Tanaselia, M. Miclean, C. Roman, E. Cordos, L. David, Optimization of operating parameter of a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer used in the determination of lead isotopic ratio, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Seria CHEMIA LIII, 4 (2008) 123-128

Title: Optimization of operating parameter of a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer used in the determination of lead isotopic rati

Abstract: Due to small (but random) plasma variations while the quadrupole scans multiple masses, the single detector of a commercially available ICP-MS instrument will sequentially receive data that is affected by the non constant plasma power. Present study focuses on DRC’s RPq parameter and quadrupole’s sweeps optimization, for a quadrupole based ICP-MS instrument. The proposed method is used for lead isotopic ratio in vegetables, soils, concentrated mining ores and leaded gasoline, offering a RSD between 0.12% and 0.91%. Measured isotopic ratio for ²⁰⁷Pb / ²⁰⁶Pb varied from 0.829 (mining ore) to 0.890 (leaded gasoline) respectively 2.048 (mining ore) to 2.155 (leaded gasoline) for ²⁰⁸Pb / ²⁰⁶Pb.

Key words: mass spectrometry, isotopic ratio, instrument optimization