Triple-quadrupole ICP-MS

我们正在申请一个三重四极杆ICP-MS（“三重四极杆”或“QQQ”），这是一种质谱仪，能够测量各种地质材料（岩石，水，土壤，碳酸盐等）中的痕量金属浓度。一个三重四元可以测量微量元素低到非常低的浓度（有时ppq水平），并可以消除光谱干扰使用它的碰撞电池。因此，它将允许我们使用更少的样本（意味着地质沉积物的时间分辨率可以大大提高），我们可以开始使用不同的诊断示踪剂，例如水和碳酸盐材料中的稀土元素。三组ICP-MS将取代我们目前旧的“正常”单组ICP-MS，因此设施和技术支持已经到位。它将主要用于分析自然和实验水的风化反应、地质记录中的粘土和碳酸盐、软体动物的个体生长线和生物矿化过程中的微量元素诊断。总的来说，这将代表我们能力的巨大变化。

We are applying for a triple-quadrupole (“triple-quad” or “QQQ”) ICP-MS, which is a mass spectrometer capable of measuring trace-metal concentrations in a wide variety of geological materials (rocks, waters, soils, carbonates, etc.). A triple-quad can measure trace elements down to very low concentrations (on occasion ppq levels), and can eliminate spectral interferences using its collision cell. As such, it will allow us to use significantly less sample (meaning that temporal resolution in geological sediments can be vastly increased), and we can start using different diagnostic tracers, such as the REE in waters and carbonate materials. The triple-quad ICP-MS will replace our current old ‘normal’ single-quad ICP-MS, hence facilities and technical support are already available. It will primarily be used for analysing natural and experimental waters from weathering reactions, clays and carbonates from the geological record, individual growth lines from molluscs and diagnostic trace elements during biomineralisation. Overall, it would represent a massive step-change in our abilities.