| Abstract | Since its commercialization in 1992, the multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) has quickly become a powerful research tool for the detennination of isotope amount ratios for its applications in a wide range of fields and disciplines Attributed to its inherited high sample throughput, publications of MC-ICPMS have grown exponentially over the last two decades. lt has reached a total of 12000 by March 2017, with 1400 publications in the year of 20 16 alone. This de/uge, however, has also created significant confusion and inconsistencies as to how to obtain highly accurate and precise isotope amount ratios using MC-ICPMS. Compared to the conventional therma l ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), MC-ICPMS suffers much larger mass bias. In addition to mass-dependent fractionation (MDF), mass-independent fractionation (MIF) has also been reported in MC-ICPMS for many multi-isotopic elements. Consequently, proper choice of methodologies for correcting mass bias is of paramount importance when MC-ICPMS is used for the detennination of absolute isotope amount ratios. Current methodologies for the accurate isotope amount ratios measurements by MC-ICPMS will be reviewed and discussed in details. In particular, the latest developments in the regression mass bias correction method for the accurate isotope amount ratio measurements by MC-ICPMS and results obtained from our laboratory will be discussed in details in this lecture. |
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