
Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is a type of plasma source in which energy is supplied to a substance through electric currents originating from electromagnetic induction. ICPMS is an analytical technique combining an ICP source with MS, primarily used for elemental analysis. Advantages over atomic absorption spectroscopy include better detection limits, higher throughput, and the ability to handle complex matrices. Detectors are consumable and, depending on use, a typical discrete dynode detector will last 6-8 months in a quadrupole ICPMS. Detectors can become saturated and are light sensitive, therefore methods should be designed to protect these components. Another consideration is detector price.