Application of laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for the determination of major, minor, and trace elements in bark samples

The large surface area of barks from many tree species enables the effective accumulation of pollutants. Therefore, the analysis of bark material will provide useful information about the degree of pollution of a certain region. The determination of main, minor, and trace elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, P, Pb, S, Ti and Zn) in bark was performed with an Nd:YAG laser coupled to an ICP-MS system. Bark standards for the calibration by laser ablation ICP-MS were prepared from different bark layers which differ for some relevant elements in concentrations. Four digestion procedures for the decomposition of the standard pellets, the numbers of laser shots per sample and of samples per region necessary have been investigated. Representative results were obtained for 5 or more samples taken from different individuals of one species of a sampling area and the averaged element concentrations of 10 separately placed laser shots for each sample. Laser ablation ICP-MS was applied for the characterization of real bark samples from different regions with high and low pollution burden. It was shown that the method is well suited to characterize different degrees of environmental impact. Anthropogenic sources were responsible for the higher concentrations of most of the elements under investigation.     

Multi-elemental bio-imaging of rat tissue from a study investigating the bioavailability of bismuth from shotgun pellets

In recent years, bismuth has been promoted as a "green element" and is used as a substitute for the toxic lead in ammunition and other applications. However, the bioavailability and toxicity of bismuth is still not very well described. Following a hunting accident with bismuth-containing shots, a bioavailability study of bismuth from metal pellets inoculated into rat limb muscles was carried out. Bismuth could be found in urine and blood of the animals. Bio-imaging using laser ablation ICP-MS of thin sections of the tissue around the metal implant was carried out to find out more about the distribution of the metal diffusing into the tissue. Two laser ablation systems with different ablation cell designs were compared regarding their analytical performance. Low concentrations of bismuth showing a non-symmetrical pattern were detected in the tissue surrounding the metal implant. This was partly an artefact from cutting the thin sections but also bio-mobilisation of the metals of the implant could be seen. An accumulation of zinc around the implant was interpreted as a marker of inflammation. Challenges regarding sample preparation for laser ablation and bio-imaging of samples of diverse composition became apparent during the analysis.     

Characterizing ablation and aerosol generation during elemental fractionation on absorption modified lithium tetraborate glasses using LA-ICP-MS

The influence of sample matrix composition, absorption behavior and laser aerosol particle size distribution on elemental fractionation in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was studied for nanosecond laser ablation at a wavelength of 266 nm. To this end, lithium tetraborate glass samples with different iron oxide contents and trace amounts of a group of 11 elements were prepared synthetically. The samples were characterized in terms of optical absorbance, melting points, trace element concentrations and homogeneity. UV/VIS spectra showed that sample absorption rises with increasing Fe₂O₃ content. Crater depths and time-dependent particle size distributions were measured, and ablated and transported sample volumes were estimated. Furthermore, the laser aerosol was filtered using a particle separation device and transient ICP-MS signals were acquired with and without filtering the aerosol. The results demonstrate that the amount of ablated sample is related to the absorption coefficient of the sample and therefore to the optical penetration depth of the laser beam into the sample. The higher energy densities resulting from the shorter penetration depths result in smaller average particle sizes for highly absorbing samples, which allows more efficient transport to and atomization and excitation of the ablated material within the ICP. The particle size distribution changes continuously with ablation time, and larger particle fractions occur mainly at the beginning of the ablation, which leads to particle-related fractionation processes at the beginning of the transient signal. Exceeding a critical depth to diameter ratio, laser-related elemental fractionation processes occur. Changes in the volatile to non-volatile element intensity ratio after the aerosol is filtered indicate that particle size-related enrichment processes contribute to elemental fractionation.     

Applications of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in materials science

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) have been applied as the most important inorganic mass spectrometric techniques having multielemental capability for the characterization of solid samples in materials science. ICP-MS is used for the sensitive determination of trace and ultratrace elements in digested solutions of solid samples or of process chemicals (ultrapure water, acids and organic solutions) for the semiconductor industry with detection limits down to sub-picogram per liter levels. Whereas ICP-MS on solid samples (e.g. high-purity ceramics) sometimes requires time-consuming sample preparation for its application in materials science, and the risk of contamination is a serious drawback, a fast, direct determination of trace elements in solid materials without any sample preparation by LA-ICP-MS is possible. The detection limits for the direct analysis of solid samples by LA-ICP-MS have been determined for many elements down to the nanogram per gram range. A deterioration of detection limits was observed for elements where interferences with polyatomic ions occur. The inherent interference problem can often be solved by applying a double-focusing sector field mass spectrometer at higher mass resolution or by collision-induced reactions of polyatomic ions with a collision gas using an ICP-MS fitted with collision cell. The main problem of LA-ICP-MS is quantification if no suitable standard reference materials with a similar matrix composition are available. The calibration problem in LA-ICP-MS can be solved using on-line solution-based calibration, and different procedures, such as external calibration and standard addition, have been discussed with respect to their application in materials science. The application of isotope dilution in solution-based calibration for trace metal determination in small amounts of noble metals has been developed as a new calibration strategy. This review discusses new analytical developments and possible applications of ICP-MS and LA-ICP-MS for the quantitative determination of trace elements and in surface analysis for materials science.     

Investigations on cluster and molecular ion formation by plasma mass spectrometry

The formation of molecular and cluster ions of different inorganic materials in plasma mass spectrometry – spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS), radiofrequency glow discharge mass spectrometry (rf GDMS), laser ionization mass spectrometry (LIMS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) – was investigated and compared. Similar abundance distributions of cluster ions were observed for a graphite sample, for boron nitride/ graphite and for metal oxide/graphite mixtures using different plasma mass spectrometric methods. A correlation of intensities of metal argide ions in ICP-MS with their bond dissociation energies was used to estimate unknown dissociation energies of molecular ionic species. For the elements of the 2nd or 3rd period in the periodic table, the intensities of most argon molecular ions (ArX⁺) measured by ICP-MS rise with increasing atomic number in a similar manner to the theoretically calculated bond dissociation energies of argon molecular ions.     

Laser defocusing effects on laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry: different ablation interactions between the laser and low-alloy steel, Fe pellets, and a pond sediment pellet.

The ablation interaction between a laser and solid samples, which affects the analytical performance for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (LA-ICP-AES), was studied. The emission intensities of elements observed by LA-ICP-AES (LA-ICP-AES element signal intensities) for different solid samples were measured under different laser defocusing conditions with a fixed laser output energy. It was found that the optimum laser defocusing conditions were dependent on the different solid samples with different sample characteristics, and also on the different elements with different elemental characteristics in each solid sample. A low-alloy steel, pellets containing different Fe concentrations (0 - 100% Fe pellet), and a pond sediment pellet were used as different solid samples. The variations of the LA-ICP-AES Fe signal intensities observed under different laser defocus conditions were completely different between the low-alloy steel and the pond sediment pellet. The changes in the LA-ICP-AES Fe signal intensities for 90 and 100% Fe pellets were similar to that of the low-alloy steel. However, pellets with lower Fe concentrations (less than 70%) showed different trends and the defocusing behavior became closer to that of the pond sediment pellet. The LA-ICP-AES signal intensities of other elements were also evaluated, and were compared for different solid samples and different defocusing behavior. It was observed that the changes in the LA-ICP-AES signal intensities of almost all elements in the pond sediment pellet showed a similar trend to those of Fe for different laser defocus positions; that is, the elemental fractionation for these elements in the pond sediment pellet seemed to be relatively small. On the contrary, it was found that the LA-ICP-AES Si, Ti, and Zr signal intensities for low-alloy steel showed different trends compared to those of other elements, including Fe, under different defocusing conditions; that is, the elemental fractionation observed for the low-alloy steel was larger than that of the pond sediment pellet. From these results, different ablation interactions between the laser and the different solid samples were considered, and attributed to the sample characteristics, such as the matrix, hardness, and conductivity. Elemental fractionation was attempted to be explained by using elemental characteristics, such as the melting point and ionization energy of the elements.     

A study of laser ablation and slurry nebulisation sample introduction for the analysis of geochemical materials by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry

Summary The performances of two alternative sample introduction methods for use with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) have been evaluated for the analysis of the same sample material. The laser ablation sample introduction system is based on a Nd:YAG laser to which an x-y-z translational sampling head had been added. A study has been made of a number of parameters which affect the performance of the system to find the optimum operating conditions. The slurry introduction system involved aspirating the slurries into the plasma using a de Galan nebuliser and a Scott-type spray chamber arrangement. A study has been made of the parameters which control the production of stable homogeneous slurries. Initial particle size measurements have been carried out on the slurried samples to show how this affects this method of sample introduction. Results are presented for the analysis of a South African reference material rock sample (SARM 5) by ICP-OES with both laser ablation and slurry nebulisation sample introduction and some preliminary results for the analysis by ICP-MS with laser ablation introduction. Semi-quantitative results are obtained for laser ablation ICP-OES as only one matrix matched standard is used. However, the agreement between the results obtained for slurry nebulisation and the certificate value is poor. It is suggested by comparison with previous studies that this may be due to particle size effects. Encouraging results were obtained for the determination of trace elements by laser ablation ICP-MS.     

Glass particles produced by laser ablation for ICP-MS measurements

Pulsed laser ablation (266 nm) was used to generate glass particles from two sets of standard reference materials using femtosecond (150 fs) and nanosecond (4 ns) laser pulses with identical fluences of 50 J cm⁻². Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the collected particles revealed that there are more and larger agglomerations of particles produced by nanosecond laser ablation.In contrast to the earlier findings for metal alloy samples, no correlation between the concentration of major elements and the median particle size was found. When the current data on glass were compared with the metal alloy data, there were clear differences in terms of particle size, crater depth, heat affected zone, and ICP-MS response. For example, glass particles were larger than metal alloy particles, the craters in glass were less deep than craters in metal alloys, and damage to the sample was less pronounced in glass compared to metal alloy samples. The femtosecond laser generated more intense ICP-MS signals compared to nanosecond laser ablation for both types of samples, although glass sample behavior was more similar between ns- and fs-laser ablation than for metal alloys.     

Were Chinchorros exposed to arsenic? Arsenic determination in Chinchorro mummies' hair by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

Chinchorros, a fishermen culture, who lived about 7000 years ago in the coastal region of the Atacama Desert in the northern outpost of present-day Chile, practiced an intricate system of mummification of their dead. The drinking water in this region is rich with arsenic, and the mummies were found in these arsenic endemic areas. Well preserved mummy hair samples provided a unique opportunity to explore the ancient arsenic exposure of the Chinchorros by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) using a single hair strand without any elaborate sample preparation. Forty-six hair samples from mummies found in five burial sites around the Atacama Desert, Chile, were used for this study. After cleaning, hair strands were placed on mounting tape and ablated using a Nd-YAG UV laser coupled to ICP-MS. A suite of contemporary human hair from the same region with known arsenic concentrations was used for calibration of LA-ICP-MS. Satisfactory linear calibration functions were obtained for arsenic in hair. The method detection limit was 0.8 µg/g and the sample throughput for this method is ∼ 10 samples per hour. It appears that mummies from the Morro (Arica), Iquique and Camarones had the elevated concentration of arsenic in hair (AsH > 10 µg/g) in this sub-set of samples, where Morro had the broad distribution of As concentrations.     

Quasi ‘non-destructive’ laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry fingerprinting of sapphires

A homogenized 193 nm excimer laser with a flat-top beam profile was used to study the capabilities of LA-ICP-MS for ‘quasi’ non-destructive fingerprinting and sourcing of sapphires from different locations. Sapphires contain 97–99% of Al₂O₃ (corundum), with the remainder composed of several trace elements, which can be used to distinguish the origin of these gemstones. The ablation behavior of sapphires, as well as the minimum quantity of sample removal that is required to determine these trace elements, was investigated. The optimum ablation conditions were a fluency of 6 J cm⁻², a crater diameter of 120 μm, and a laser repetition rate of 10 Hz. The optimum time for the ablation was determined to be 2 s, equivalent to 20 laser pulses. The mean sample removal was 60 nm per pulse (approx. 3 ng per pulse). This allowed satisfactory trace element determination, and was found to cause the minimum amount of damage, while allowing for the fingerprinting of sapphires. More than 40 isotopes were measured using different spatial resolutions (20–120 μm) and eight elements were reproducibly detected in 25 sapphire samples from five different locations. The reproducibility of the trace element distribution is limited by the heterogeneity of the sample. The mean of five or more replicate analyses per sample was used. Calibration was carried out using NIST 612 glass reference material as external standard. The linear dynamic range of the ICP-MS (nine orders of magnitude) allowed the use of Al, the major element in sapphire, as an internal standard. The limits of detection for most of the light elements were in the μg g⁻¹ range and were better for heavier elements (mass >85), being in the 0.1 μg g⁻¹ range. The accuracy of the determinations was demonstrated by comparison with XRF analyses of the same set of samples. Using the quantitative analyses obtained using LA-ICP-MS, natural sapphires from five different origins were statistically classified using ternary plots and principal multi-component analysis.     

Saturation effects in the laser ablation of stainless steel in air at atmospheric pressure

A pulsed Nd : YAG laser was used to generate a plasma from stainless steel targets in air at atmospheric pressure. Laser focusing was found to be an important factor in the ablation process. The influence of focal conditions on spatial profiles of plasma, emission intensity and averaged ablation rate (AAR, μm pulse^–1) of stainless steel samples as a function of laser energy are discussed. At high energies and depending on laser beam focusing, ablation efficiency tends to decrease compared to that at lower energies. This effect can be due to plasma shielding and air breakdown. The averaged ablation rate was found to be dependent on the thickness of the sample. This effect results in shielding of the incoming laser beam and redeposition of removed material in the crater. By focusing the beam inside the material free expansion of plasma is allowed, resulting in more efficient erosion of the sample at larger energies. For comparative purposes, data on ablated mass per pulse are presented. Received: 25 January 1999 / Revised: 7 April 1999 / Accepted: 30 April 1999     

Direct liquid ablation: a new calibration strategy for laser ablation-ICP-MS microanalysis of solids and liquids

Trace elements in microliter quantities of aqueous solutions were analysed by direct liquid ablation using an 193 nm excimer with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Fractionation resulting from splashing and evaporation can be minimised by covering the liquid surface with a thin plastic film, through which a 20 μm hole is drilled with the laser. Particle-size distribution and oxide formation in the plasma resulting from the direct liquid ablation are similar to those generated by solid ablation. The ICP-MS response in cps/ppm is approximately 100 × higher for the direct ablation, but is proportional to the response from solid ablation, within an accuracy < 15% for most trace elements in NIST 610 and NIST 612 glass standards. A matrix load up to 2.5 wt.-% NaCl in the solution does not affect the proportionality of trace element responses. Thus, direct liquid ablation is not only suited for analysing small volumes of complex aqueous solutions (e.g., the quantitative microanalysis of fluid inclusions in minerals), but also provides a new approach for calibrating laser ablation ICP-MS microanalysis of solids. Received: 2 December 1996 / Revised: 3 March 1997 / Accepted: March 1997     

Routine analysis of ultra pure water by ICP-MS in the low- and sub-ng/L level

The chemical analysis with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can help to examine the purity of ultra pure water (UPW) down to 10 part per trillion (ng/L) and lower. For a proper determination of a high number of samples per week the analysis must be divided into two parts: the routine analysis and the reference water analysis. The routine analysis is done by direct measurement of the ultra pure water samples. Applying a standard addition method under particular clean conditions, the reference water analysis leads to the definition of the accurate zero. A quick evaluation scheme is also presented for the reference water analysis. The method is tested for its fitness for application by examining LOD (for relevant element < 2 ng/L), reproducibility and linearity of calibration. The ICP-MS was optimized according to the methodology of G. Taguchi to improve reproducibility and LOD. Received: 16 June 1999 / Revised: 2 August 1999 / Accepted: 6 August 1999     

Direct Determination of Aluminum in Archaeological Clays by Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Abstract

Instrumental techniques that allow the direct analysis of solids with little or no sample preparation are particularly important for the evaluation of samples that are difficult to analyze such as refractory or geological materials. Laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising technique for the direct, rapid analysis of elements in solid materials with minimal sample preparation. The main advantages over wet techniques are virtual nondestructiveness and analysis speed. The goal of this work is the direct determination of aluminum of archaeological pieces using laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy. The corresponding signals of metals were interpolated from calibration graphs of different salts of the metals. The matrix effects from the direct determination of these elements were thoroughly investigated. The potential of this technique for direct quantitative analysis of real archaeological materials (from Department of Ancient Science, University of Zaragoza) was evaluated, and the reproducibility of LIBS spectra from different archaeological samples was measured as a function of the number of laser shots. Finally, the results from LIBS are compared with those obtained by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.     

Applications of laser ablation and electrothermal vaporization as sample introduction techniques for ICP-MS

The field of applications of ICP-MS can be further increased by the use of special sample introduction techniques such as laser ablation (LA) and electrothermal vaporization (ETV). In both cases a tandem source for mass spectrometry is formed by the sample introduction device and the ICP. The first source is specifically designed for the volatilization of a sample and it can be used to introduce selectively only certain parts of a sample into the ICP-MS, based either on local distribution (LA) or volatility (ETV). Applications of LA-ICP-MS are the determination of distribution patterns of minor constituents in solid samples such as ceramics, alloys or hard biological structures. Homogeneity testing in the first two types of samples or determination of distribution patterns of trace elements in the latter can be carried out rapidly with high spatial resolution on a multielement basis. The possibility of on-line separation between fractions of different volatility in a sample with ETV-ICP-MS is demonstrated for volcanic eruption products and other samples.     

Determination of long-lived radionuclides in concrete matrix by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A laser ablation system using a Nd:YAG laser was coupled both to a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometer and to a double-focusing sector field ICP mass spectrometer. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was applied for the determination of long-lived radionuclides in a concrete matrix. The investigated samples were two laboratory standards with a concrete matrix, which we doped with different long-lived radionuclides (e.g. ⁹⁹Tc, ²³²Th, ²³³U, ²³⁷Np) from the ng g⁻¹ to μ g⁻¹ concentration range and an undoped concrete material (blank). Detection limits for long-lived radionuclides in the 10 ng g⁻¹ range are reached for LA-ICP-MS using the quadrupole mass spectrometer. With double-focusing sector field ICP-MS, the limits of detection are in general one order of magnitude lower and reach the sub ng g⁻¹ range for ²³³U and ²³⁷Np. A comparison of mass spectrometric results with those of neutron activation analysis on undoped concrete sample indicates that a semiquantitative determination of the concentrations of the minor and trace elements in the concrete matrix is possible with LA-ICP-MS without using a standard reference material.     

Sample Preparation for Determination of Rare Earth Elements in Geological Samples by ICP-MS: A Critical Review

The presence of rare earth elements (REE) in geological materials provides important information about the formation and the geochemical processes that rocks undergo. Therefore, there is a constant necessity for accurate data and reliable and fast analytical methods. However, the low concentrations of these elements typically found in rocks require quantification by sufficiently sensitive techniques, such as Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The preparation of these samples to the introduction in ICP-MS is a critical part of the process. Traditional wet dissolution methods, such as acid digestion or alkaline fusion followed by dissolution are mostly employed. The acid digestion requires a mixture of strong acids due to the presence of low soluble constituents common in rock samples, such as silicates or clays. The alkaline fusion is fast and efficient, but the dissolution of the melted material results in solutions with a high amount of total dissolved solids (TDS), which can be a problem due to the possibility of deposition in parts of the ICP-MS. Other instrumental approaches have been spread rapidly, as the coupling of a laser ablation accessory or an electrothermal vaporizer to the ICP-MS, as they can allow the direct sample introduction, or at least with minimum preparation. This paper presents a review of sample preparation methods, aimed at the quantification of rare earth elements by ICP-MS and focusing on works published in the last decade.     

Laser ablation and low-pressure helium-ICP-MS for the analysis of alumina powder dispersed in glycerol.

A combined method of laser ablation (LA) and ICP-MS has gained much attention as a direct analytical method for solid samples. The determination of some elements, however, is seriously disturbed by isobaric interferences, mainly caused by argon and ambient air constituents. The use of low-pressure helium-ICP is a promising solution of the problem. A 1:1 mixture of alumina powder and glycerol was deaerated and irradiated with a pulsed laser beam (150 mJ) for 10 s. The sample aerosol was transported to the ICP with a stream of helium. Indium was used as an internal standard for correcting the ablated sample amount. Calibration curves were prepared from glycerol containing high-purity alumina, trace metals and indium. The detection limits for Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu approached the fractional ppm levels. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of different alumina samples (99 - 99.995% purity).     

Development of an accurate,sensitive, and robust isotope dilution laser ablation ICP-MS method for simultaneous multi-element analysis (chlorine,sulfur, and heavy metals) in coal samples

A method for the direct multi-element determination of Cl, S, Hg, Pb, Cd, U, Br, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn in powdered coal samples has been developed by applying inductively coupled plasma isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS) with laser-assisted introduction into the plasma. A sector-field ICP-MS with a mass resolution of 4,000 and a high-ablation rate laser ablation system provided significantly better sensitivity, detection limits, and accuracy compared to a conventional laser ablation system coupled with a quadrupole ICP-MS. The sensitivity ranges from about 590 cps for ³⁵Cl⁺ to more than 6 × 10⁵ cps for ²³⁸U⁺ for 1 μg of trace element per gram of coal sample. Detection limits vary from 450 ng g⁻¹ for chlorine and 18 ng g⁻¹ for sulfur to 9.5 pg g⁻¹ for mercury and 0.3 pg g⁻¹ for uranium. Analyses of minor and trace elements in four certified reference materials (BCR-180 Gas Coal, BCR-331 Steam Coal, SRM 1632c Trace Elements in Coal, SRM 1635 Trace Elements in Coal) yielded good agreement of usually not more than 5% deviation from the certified values and precisions of less than 10% relative standard deviation for most elements. Higher relative standard deviations were found for particular elements such as Hg and Cd caused by inhomogeneities due to associations of these elements within micro-inclusions in coal which was demonstrated for Hg in SRM 1635, SRM 1632c, and another standard reference material (SRM 2682b, Sulfur and Mercury in Coal). The developed LA-ICP-IDMS method with its simple sample pretreatment opens the possibility for accurate, fast, and highly sensitive determinations of environmentally critical contaminants in coal as well as of trace impurities in similar sample materials like graphite powder and activated charcoal on a routine basis. Figure LA-ICP-IDMS allows direct multi-element determination in powdered coal samples     

A new laser ablation system for quantitative analysis of solid samples with ICP-MS.

The laser ablation (LA) method is an effective technique for quantitative analysis. In the present work, a new LA system was developed for the high-sensitivity analysis of metal materials using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This system consists of a high-frequency Q-switched laser and 2 scanning mirrors for scanning the ablation spot in an adequately large area of the specimen without vacant spaces. The influence of elemental fractionation (non-stoichiometric generation of vapor species) can be eliminated by repetitive irradiation of this pattern on the same area. Particles generated with an average laser power of 0.6 W with the developed LA system gave intensity and stability substantially similar to that of a 500 microg/ml solution steel sample in solution ICP-MS. The analytical performance of the developed LA-ICP-MS was compared with that of a solution ICP-MS using NIST steel SRMs. The performance of the newly-developed system is comparable to that of conventional solution ICP-MS in both accuracy and precision. The correlation coefficients between the contents and the intensity ratios to Fe were over 0.99 for most elements. The relative standard deviation (RSD) obtained by LA-ICP-MS revealed that this system can analyze iron samples with good precision. The results of ultra trace level analysis of high-purity iron showed that developed LA-ICP-MS is capable of analyzing ppm concentration levels with a 20 - 30 ppb level standard deviation. The detection limit was on the order of 10 ppb for most elements.