Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES)

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The requested equipment is an Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES), as the most reliable and sensitive method used for the rapid, simultaneous multi-element determinations at the ultra-trace level. The advanced analytical capabilities of the ICP-OES allow for high flexibility and versatility of use, covering large detection limits (from parts per billion to hundreds of parts per million) in both organic and aqueous-based liquid matrices. It is a standard instrument for elemental (mainly metal) analysis in all laboratories working with dissolved elements in aqueous and/or organic solutions. Any type of sample that can be dissolved or digested (i.e. brought into a liquid form) can be analyzed by ICP-OES, as the technique covers a diverse range of application areas including environmental, geochemical, semiconductor, clinical, nuclear, chemical, food, and metallurgical. Various research groups at the University of Toronto focus on developing novel sustainable processes and environmentally responsible solutions for the metals/minerals, chemical and food industries. Ongoing and planned research projects cover wide fields of interest in our Department among 8 research groups employing about 55 students and researchers. As such, in-house use of a fast and sensitive simultaneous multi-element detection technique will elevate our productivity and analytical precision immensely. Due to lack of such analytical facility within our Department, research staff and students have to make arrangements for ICP-OES use outside the Department, which raises the issue of prompt accessibility, an important factor for samples that are unstable over longer periods of time. The acquisition of the proposed equipment will enable us to meet our research quality objectives and move one step closer to commercializing the new technologies that we are developing.