Trace and major elements analysis of alternative solid fuels by means of ICP-MS: comparison with AAS and XRF results

The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) lies among the most dominant techniques for rapid spectroscopic multi-element analysis as a result of a set of attributes such as low detection limits (often parts per billion or trillion), a wide linear dynamic range and high precision. This work offers a comprehensive examination of ICP-MS as a higher level analytical method compared to Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). Comparisons between ICP-MS and AAS were made with the determination of the concentration of trace elements in the same solid alternative fuel samples, while comparisons between ICP-MS and XRF were made by the determination of the concentration of major elements in the same Solid Recovered Fuels, resulting in the superiority of the method. While acknowledging that the initial cost and complexity of operation may deter some from adopting ICP-MS, the study asserts that the advantages of enhanced precision, sensitivity, and speed of analysis validate the investment. Hence, ICP-MS is an extremely important laboratory tool used in modern physics and chemistry and has a wide range of applications: biological materials, high purity reagents and metals, atomic nuclear materials, geological samples and food.