The Central Science Laboratory at the University of Tasmania has recently acquired the first HR-ICP-MS in Australia (The Element produced by Finnigan (Bremen, Germany)). The Element is equipped with a HR mass analyser with reversed Nier-Johnson geometry, consisting of both magnetic and electrostatic sectors. This instrument has three fixed resolution settings, namely low (300), medium (3000) and high (7500). The plasma interface is operated at ground potential with an 8kV accelerating voltage being applied to the lense and analyser system. Data evaluation is possible by both semi-quantitative and quantitative modes.
To date the sample introduction system used has consisted of a Meinhard or V-Groove nebuliser, connected to a Scott-type spray chamber cooled to ~5°C. A Cetac ASX-500 auto sampler has been used to facilitate higher sample throughput under more reproducible rinse conditions. The highest purity acid reagents and standards have been used, while Milli-Q water that has been twice sub-boiled in a quartz still has been used for all sample dilutions. Indium has been used as an internal standard.
Since commissioning, the instrument has been applied to a wide variety of analytical applications, particularly using medium resolution mode (as in many cases medium resolution is all that is required to separate analytes from nearby interferences). Results will be presented showing some of the benefits of an HR-ICP-MS that is able to fully resolve analytes of interest from many commonly encountered interferences (for example 56Fe from ArO; 32S from O2; 60Ni from CaO; 63Cu from ArNa). Studies have included the analysis of pore and environmental waters, dissolved geological materials, biological materials and antarctic ice melts. Where possible standard reference material results will also be presented to show method reliability.