The correction of interference effects in the determination of the rare earth elements and hafnium by spark-source mass spectrometry

Superpositional interferences from oxide ion species cause significant errors in the spark-source mass spectrometric determination of hafnium and the rare earth elements when aluminium is used as the conducting matrix for samples such as rocks and soils. A mathematical correction procedure is described in which corrections are made in any particular exposure by using intensity measurements derived from that exposure alone. Its effectiveness is demonstrated for the USGS Standard Rocks BCR-1, AGV-1 and G-2.