4. Quality assurance of HPLC-ICP-MS analyses

As with any analytical method, rigorous quality assurance is essential for HPLC-ICP-MS assays. This is all the more important as the number of standards describing the use of this coupling is still low.

The methods developed must be fully mastered, both in terms of species separation and detection. General validation criteria such as limit of detection/limit of quantification, linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness must be assessed. Given the low levels of species generally measured, contamination by blank analysis must be assessed; their level must be as low as possible in order to obtain good performance in terms of sensitivity. In addition, evaluation of detection/quantification limits and linearity requires calibration with solutions containing the chemical form(s) to be analyzed. Certified standard solutions are currently available on the market for...