Our ICP Lab is equipped with 3 instruments that use plasmas as a source of photons or ions: ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectroscopy), ICP-MS (Mass Spectrometry) and LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation). We can measure a wide range of elements in solutions and solids with concentrations from ppt to % levels.

With the ICP-OES and ICP-MS we can directly measure water, seawater and brines, as well as digested rock powders and sediments. LA-ICP-MS is used for analyzing solid samples, including minerals in thin sections of rocks, grain mounts such as zircons for U-Pb dating, teeth of prehistoric animals, fish scales, or XRF fusion beads for bulk rock analysis.