Agilent Technologies Europe has announced the development of a new approach for the analysis of phosphorus at parts-per-billion (ppb) concentrations in environmental samples
Measuring low-level phosphorus by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in environmental samples can be a difficult process.
Phosphorus is poorly ionised by the plasma, and sulphur, nitrogen, and oxygen - always present in environmental samples - can form interferences at the analytical mass.
An Agilent 7500 ICP-MS was used with the Agilent ShieldTorch System to determine trace phosphorus in waste water.
The ShieldTorch System narrows the energy distribution of ions entering the mass spectrometer, thereby increasing the resolution between adjacent masses. Consequently, potential interferences arising from intense matrix-based signals at masses adjacent to phosphorous were eliminated.
Calibration plots were constructed down to concentrations as low as 500 parts-per-trillion phosphorous followed by accurate quantitation at the single ppb level.
For further information, request application note 'Determination of Trace Levels of Phosphorus in Environmental Samples with the 7500c ICP-MS System,' publication number 5988-4286EN.
This note is available without charge from any Agilent sales office or its website (see above).
