Working Group Quality in Laboratories

Discussion Group of the ICP forests Working Group on Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Laboratories

Detection limits and quantification limits for Ca, Mg, K and Li by ICP MS in water samples

Dear coleagues,

I'm interested in detection limits and quantification limits for Ca, Mg, K and Li, determined by ICP MS.

Is it possible to have a LOD and LOQ of 0.1 mg/l, respectively 1,0 mg/l for Ca in water samples? And 0.5 mg/l, respectively 5 mg/l for K?

For Li, Hg, Pb and As, the LOD and LOQ were 0.01 ug/l, respectively 0.001ug/l. So LOQ is 10 times higher than LOD.

I found these values in an article. But  I new that the LOQ can be equal, but not higher than the LOD.

In these conditions, can we correlate Li with Na, Mg, K and Ca contents in water samples?

I never used ICP MS, so I wait for your sugestions and solutions.

Thank you in advance!

Carmen