By: Jordan Plemmons Brad Barnette Isaac Otto

ICP stands for Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometer. It Measures the light spectras emitted by elements heated in the plasma flame. From the light spectras emitted the ICP can determine what elements were placed inside it.

Metals are placed in a solution and put through and acid digestion cycle. Solutions are sprayed into an argon gas, which is heated at 10,000C. The gas and everything in it is atomized and ionized, forming a plasma consisting of exited, ionized atoms.

It is the focused down a quadrapole mass spectrometer. After obtaining the mass spectrum it can determine all of the elements present in the periodic table.

Depending on the element it is measuring, an ICP has a detection limitation of any where from 1 ppb to 10 ppb. Arsenics detection limitation is just over 10 ppb.

The temperature of the flame must be at a very specific heat.

If it is too hot or too cold it will excite to many electrons, and change the spectra.

The machine must be properly calibrated for each element.

If this is not done, you could be given false data.

Spectral interferences can occur.

Spectra from other elements can overlap each other and give you skewed data.

The ICP
ICPs are a very new technology. Since it is very new technology their use is still becoming familiar. Theyre used in determining elements within a substance. The theories behind them show that they should be accurate, but there is still room for error, as shown in the project.

Sources of Error
There are many different things that could cause errors in an ICP, since the design is so demanding, if only one very minor piece is incorrect, false data will be given.