Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, is an analytical technique used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical elements at low and ultra-low concentration levels. It is a type of mass spectrometry that uses an inductively coupled radio frequency plasma to produce ions. These are extracted and accelerated into a double focused magnetic sector field where the ions are separated by their mass to charge ratio (m/z) which is characteristic of a particular element.

The samples, which have to be available in an aqueous solution, are introduced in the high temperature plasma where they are atomized and ionized. After separation the ions generate a detector signal that is proportional to the concentrations of the elements within the sample.

Since the samples have to be available in an aqueous solution a precondition for a comprehensive application of the ICP-MS is a chemical lab with powerful digestion methods like microwave-assisted digestion.