Analytical Methodology in ICP-AES:

The analytical determination of different elements on the basis of characteristic emission spectrum has developed a lot from the times of Bunsen and Kirchhoff. These developments have been made possible by the availability of better atomisation- excitation sources, detection and dispersion devices, etc. The atomic emission spectra for some elements such as Na and K are simple, consisting of only a few wavelengths, while in others, such as Fe and U there are thousands of distinct reproducible wavelengths are present. Today with plasma based sources and state of the art monochromators coupled with solid state detection devices the potential of the technique in terms of the range, accuracy and the detection limits has become excellent.

In principle, all metallic elements can be determined by plasma emission spectrometry and these can be measured simultaneously in a given analyte. However, for the determination of the nonmetals such as boron, phosphorus, nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon, a vacuum spectrometer is essential. This is so since the emission lines for these elements lie at wavelengths below 180 nm where the atmospheric gases absorb strongly. In practice, the plasma emission spectroscopy is generally limited to the determination of about 60 elements.

Now let us know about the methodologies adopted in using the technique for qualitative and quantitative determinations.