A Table of Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MS

1 150 SAAtomic SpectroscopyVol. 19(5), September/October 1998A Table of Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MS IsotopeAbundance +(6)(9) +(9) +, 13C14N+, 14N2spread, 1H12C14N+(11)(18)(29) +, 59Co16O+, 36Ar38Ar1H+, 38Ar37Cl+, 36Ar39K, (2)(9)(15)(19)(22)(33)(34)43Ca16O2, 23Na12C40Ar, 12C31P16O2+(35) +(9) spread(18) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +, 31P16O3+, 38Ar40Ar1H+(19)(22) +, 40Ar40Ar1H+, 33S16O3+(19)(22) +(4)(22) (12)(22) +(21) , 14N216O+, 28Si16O+(12)(22)(29) +, 32S14N+(22) +, 34S14N+, 32S16O+(22) +(6) +, 94Zr16O1H+, 39K216O21H+(1)(6) , 40Ar216O2, 96Ru16O+(6)(32) +, 40Ca216O21H+, 40Ar216O21H+, 96Ru17O+(1)(6)(32) +, 98Ru16O+(6)(32) +(32)A Table of Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MSThomas W. May and Ray H. Geological Survey, Biological Resources DivisionColumbia Environmental Research Center4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201 USAS pectroscopic Interferences areprobably the largest class of inter-ferences in ICP-MS and are causedby atomic or molecular ions thathave the same mass-to-charge asanalytes of interest.

2 Current ICP-MSinstrumental software corrects forall known atomic isobaric inter-ferences, or those caused by over-lapping isotopes of differentelements, but does not correct formost Polyatomic Interferences are caused bypolyatomic ions that are formedfrom precursors having numeroussources, such as the sample matrix,reagents used for preparation,plasma gases, and entrained atmos-pheric prior knowledge of polyatomicinterferences cited in the literaturefor a particular analyte mass may behelpful to the analyst for selectingreagents and conditions that wouldpreclude or at least reduce the pos-sibility of their formation. A goodperspective of known polyatomicinterferences is difficult because ofthe number of affected masses, thenumber of Interferences themselves,and the number of literature refer-ences in which they are a review of the ICP-MS literature,reported Polyatomic interferenceswere consolidated to produce atable that may serve as a useful toolfor the ICP-MS analyst.

3 For quickreference, the masses are arrangedin alphabetical order by elementalsymbol. This list of Interferences isnot intended to be complete, butdoes cover those more 19(5), 1998 Vol. 19(5), 1998 A Table of Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MS (cont d)IsotopeAbundance +, 34S1H+, 35Cl+(22) +, 36S1H+, 37Cl+(22) +, 42Ca16O1H+, 24Mg35Cl+, 36Ar23Na+, 40Ar18O1H+, (5)(8)(9)(13)(19)(22)(29)(34)40Ar19F+ +, 36Ar14N+, 35Cl15N+36S14N+, 32S18O+, 33S17O+(2)(15)(22) +, 40Ar12C+, 36Ar16O+, 37Cl15N+(1)(2)(9)(15)(18)34S18O+, 36S16O+, 38Ar14N+, 36Ar15N1H+, 35Cl17O+(19)(22)(29)(35) +, 38Ar15N+, 38Ar14N1H+, 36Ar17O+, 36Ar16O1H+,(1)(22)(29)(34)35Cl17O1H+, 35Cl18O+, 36S17O+, 40Ar13C+ +, 40Ar14N+, 38Ar15N1H+, 36Ar18O+, 38Ar16O+,(2)(22)(29)(34)36Ar17O1H+, 37Cl17O+, 19F216O+ +(32) +, 40Ar23Na+, 47Ti16O+, 23Na40Ca+, 46Ca16O1H+,(2)(9)(19)(28)(29)36Ar12C14N1 H+, 14N12C37Cl+, 16O12C35Cl+ +, 32S16O21H+, 40Ar25Mg+, 40Ca16O1H+, 36Ar14N21H+, (5)(15)(17)(21)(22)(29)(34)32S33S+, 32S16O17O+, 33S16O2+, 12C16O37Cl+, 12C18O35Cl+, 31P16O18O+ +(27)(38)

4 , 150Sm16O(38) +(27) +(23)(27) +(9)(38) +, 40Ar14N, 38Ar15N1H+, 36Ar18O+, 38Ar16O+, (15)(18)(22)(29)(36)36Ar17O1H+, 36S18O+, 35Cl18O1H+, 37Cl17O +, 40Ca16O+, 40Ar15N1H+, 38Ar18O+, 38Ar17O1H+(3)(22)(29)37Cl18O1H+ +, 40Ca16O1H+, 40Ar17O+, 38Ar18O1H+, 38Ar19F+(8)(9)(21)(22)(29)(34) +, 40Ar17O1H+(22) +, 35Cl17O2+, 37Cl16O2+, 36Ar33S+, 33S18O2+,(22)34S17O18O+, 36S16O17O+, 33S36S+ +, 37Cl16O18O+, 37Cl17O2+, 36Ar35Cl+, 36S17O18O+,(22)38Ar33S+ +(3) +, 141Pr16O+(26)(27) +, 35Cl17O18O+, 37Cl16O17O+, 34S18O2+, 36S16O18O+,(22)(30)36S17O2+, 34S36S+, 36Ar34S+, 38Ar32S+, 35Cl2+ +, 37Cl17O18O+, 35Cl37Cl+, 36S18O2+, 36S2+, 36Ar36S+(22)(28)56Fe16O+, 40Ar16O2+, 40Ca16O2+, 40Ar32S+ +, 37Cl18O2+, 36Ar37Cl+, 38Ar35Cl+, 40Ar33S+(22) +, 36Ar38Ar+, 37Cl37Cl+, 38Ar36S+(22) +, 38Ar38Ar+, 40Ar36S+(22) +(27) (27)152A Table of Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MS (cont d)IsotopeAbundance +(32) +(22)(29) +(22) +(22) +(22) +, 32S16O3+(22) +, 34S16O3+, 33S16O31H+(22) +(22) +(22) +(27)(38) +(29) +(29) +, 12C21H2+, 12C13C1H+(29) +, 39K16O+, 37Cl18O+, 40Ar15N+, 38Ar17O+, 36Ar18O1H+(2)(9)(11)(19)(22)(29)(34)38Ar 16O1H+, 37Cl17O1H+, 23Na32S+, 36Ar19F+(35) +(11) +, 79Br16O+(11) +, 79Br17O+(11) +, 40Ca216O1H+, 40Ar41K16O+, 81Br16O+(6)(11) +, 41K2O+(6)(11) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +, 40Ar18O+, 40Ca18O+, 40Ca17O1H+, 42Ca16O+, 29Si2+, (9)(16)(18)(19)(20)(22)(29)40Ar17O1H+, 23Na35Cl+ +, 23Na37Cl+, 43Ca16O1H+(3)(13)(26)(29) +, 45Sc16O+(1)(25) +, 23Na39K+, 46Ca16O+(1)(9)(25) +, 32S2+(22)(29) +, 15N15N1H+, 15N16O+, 14N17O+, 13C18O+, 12C18O1H+(3)(22)(29) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(9) +(9)(26) +, 64Ni37Cl+(9) +, 14N18O+, 15N17O+, 14N17O1H+, 15N16O1H+, 32S+(9)(22)(29)

5 14N16O1H2+ +, 14N18O1H+, 15N17O1H+, 16O17O+, 16O21H+, 33S+, 32S1H+(22)(29) +, 16O18O+, 17O2+, 16O17O1H+, 34S+, 33S1H+(22)(29) +(32)153 Vol. 19(5), 1998 A Table of Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MS (cont d)IsotopeAbundance (1) +, 28Si16O1H+, 29Si16O+, 14N216O1H+, 13C16O2+(2)(9)(22)(29) +, 36Ar38Ar+, 38Ar36S+, 40Ar34S+(9)(22)(35) +, 38Ar38Ar+(2)(10)(22)(35) +, 36Ar40Ar1H+, 38Ar21H+, 12C19F14N16O2+(2)(15)(19)(22)(34) +, 38Ar40Ca+(2)(24)(35) +, 32S16O3+(7)(19)(22) +, 34S16O3+, 40Ar21H2+(9)(11)(22) +, 12C16O+(21)(22)(29) +, 14N21H+, 13C16O+, 12C17O+, 12C16O1H+(22)(29) +, 14N15N1H+, 14N16O+, 12C18O+, 13C17O+, 13C16O1H+,(22)(29)(31)12C17O1H+, 14N21H2+, 12C16O1H2+ +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) 102Ru16O3+(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +, 102Pd16O+(32) +(32) +, 104Pd16O+(32) +(32) +(32) +(22) +(26)(27) +(27) +(27)(38) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +(32) +, 14N16O2+, 15N216O+(3)(22)(29) +, 30Si16O1H+, 32S15N+, 33N14N+, 33S14N+, 15N16O2+,(3)(9)(22)(29)(37)

6 14N16O21H+, 12C35Cl+, 31P16O+ +, 34S14N+, 33S15N+, 14N16O18O+, 14N17N2+, 12C4+,(3)(18)(19)(22)(29)36Ar12C+ +, 32S16O1H+, 35Cl14N+, 34S15N+, 33S16O+, 14N17O21H+,(3)(22)(29)(37)14N35Cl+, 36Ar13C+, 36Ar12C1H+, 12C37Cl+, 31P18O+154A Table of Polyatomic Interferences in ICP-MS (cont d)IsotopeAbundance +, 32S17O1H+, 36Ar14N+, 35Cl15N+, 36S14N+, 33S17O+(3)(22)(29)34S16O+, 1H14N35Cl+, 34S15O1H+ +, 186W16O1H+(3)169Tm100. 153Eu16O+(27) +, 36Ar14N+, 35Cl15N+, 36S14N+, 32S18O+, 33S17O+(2)(22)(29) +, 35Cl16O+, 38Ar13C+, 36Ar15N+, 36Ar14N1H+, (2)(3)(14)(15)(19)(22)37Cl14N+, 36S15N+, 33S18O+, 34S17O+(29)(35) +(27) +(38) +(27) +, 48Ti16O+, 31P16O21H+, 48Ca16O+, 32S2+, 31P16O17O+(2)(9)(11)(15)(19)(22)(34)34S1 6O2+, 36Ar14N2+(35) +, 34S16O2+, 33S16O21H+, 32S16O18O+, 32S17O2+,(9)(11)(15)(22)33S16O17O+, 32S34S+, 33S2+ +, 33S34S+, 34S16O21H+, 32S16O18O1H+, 33S34S+,(1)(9)(11)(15)(22)34S16O17O+, 33S16O18O+, 32S17O18O+, 33S17O2+, 35Cl16O2+(35) +, 34S16O18O+, 40Ar14N2+, 35Cl16O17O+, 34S2+, (11)(15)(22)36Ar32S+, 34S17O2+, 33S17O18O+, 32S18O2+, 32S36S+(35) +, 40Ar14N16O+, 35Cl17O18O+, 37Cl16O17O+, 34S18O2+,(9)(22)36S16O18O+, 36S17O2+, 34S36S+, 36Ar34S+, 38Ar32S+ McLaren, D.

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