The plasma laboratory contains six instruments: two MC-ICPMS, a quadrupole ICP-MS, and a ICP-OES The optical ICP (inductively coupled plasma) is a modern compact, bench top Thermo iCAP Pro, with a verticalradial plasma view. This instrument will be used for major- and trace-element analysis of liquid samples (water, dissolved geological, archaeological, environmental, or forensic material). This instrument can also be connected to one of the laser-ablation instruments for major-element analysis of ablated solid materials. Limits of quantification are typically in the range of 0.05 to 10 ppb, depending on the element. The ICP-MS instrument (Thermo iCAP-TQ) is an versatile instrument that can be used to analyze trace-elements in both solutions and solid material (laser-ablation). It contains two mass analysers on either side of a collision-reaction cell to separate masses from each other, resulting in interference free masses and therefore accurate measurements. In addition, it has a collision cell to remove interferences. In a collision cell gasses such as He, O2, and H are used to selectively collide of react with certain ions derived from the plasma or the sample matrix, separating the interference and target ions. Routinely, we analyse >40 elements from Li to U quasi-simultaneously in several minutes per sample. Samples are mainly introduced as solution via a quartz cyclonic spray chamber. The iCAP-TQ can also be attached to a femto-second or nano-second laser (see below) to analyse trace-elements in solid materials. Limits of quantification for liquid samples are generally, depending on the element, between 0.1 ppt and 0.1 ppb The new standard Thermo Neoma MC-ICP-MS is equipped with 11 Faraday cups, which can be connected to eleven standard 1011 Ω and four 1013 Ω amplifiers. In addition, it is equipped with one electron multiplier. High resolution (mass resolving power up to ~12000) allows for resolving molecular isobaric interferences (e.g., 40Ar16O+ on 56Fe+). Samples are introduced as solution via a quartz dual cyclonic spray chamber (‘wet plasma’) or an Aridus III or Apex Omega desolvator (‘dry plasma’). In addition, the nano- and femto-second lasers can ablate solid metals and silicates and introduce them as aerosols to the plasma. We routinely analyse radiogenic isotopes (Rb/Sr, Sm/Nd,, Lu/Hf Pb, U/Th) as well as non-traditional stable isotopes (Li, Si, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ba).

Dataset
isotope ratios
concentration data

Thermo Scientific

teeth
water samples
glass
materials
bones
forensic human materials
metals
cultural heritage (paint, wood, glaze, etc.)
rock