Our inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES, ThermoFisher iCAP 6300) can detect the presence of metals in a sample, indicating how much of a particular metal atom is present.
The ICP-OES has been used in a variety of courses, including Chemical Measurements (CHM 480), Analytical Chemistry (CHM 270), and Independent Study (CHM 500/501). The ICP, for example, has been used to determine if heavy metals are present in children’s toys and investigate whether or not regional groundwater has been contaminated by natural gas extraction through hydrofracking. It has also been used in research on nanoparticle coating and modification.
