Development of methods that lower the detection limits of inductively coupled plasma spectrometry without jeopardizing robustness

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Many laboratories have to perform the accurate analysis of numerous samples everyday, from service laboratories (such as Acme Analytical Laboratories Ltd) whose livelihood is to perform analyses to government agencies (such as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and Environment Canada to name a few), which monitor food, drugs, water, etc. for our safety. However, limitations of the instruments that are used for this purpose often complicate the analyses by requiring additional steps, which unavoidably decrease the number of samples that can be analyzed each day. Furthermore, available instruments can barely detect several elements of interest. The goal of this collaborative research effort between the Department of Chemistry at Queen's University and Acme Analytical Laboratories Ltd (Acme) is to develop simple means of circumventing the main limitations of these instruments. To this end, several approaches will be optimized or developed to (1) decrease the lowest quantity of metal-containing species that can be measured in a variety of samples and (2) make the measurement largely independent of sample composition. This collaboration will benefit Queen's through new basic and applied research directions, operating support for their analytical laboratories, salary support for post-doctoral fellows and students, and publication of basic research results. Acme will benefit from new analytical techniques that they can successfully use for more effective analysis of geochemical samples, which should attract more clients. Canada will benefit from the simple strategies that can readily be implemented in all government, academic and industrial laboratories to enhance the quality of their results while increasing the number of samples that can be analyzed daily.