INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY - HAS IT MATURED ALREADY

The development and current status of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is briefly overviewed in the context of Shakespeare's seven ages of man. It is argued that the technique has reached the age of maturity and that it is now time for reflection on the future directions for ICP-MS, and atomic spectrometry and elemental analysis in general. It is suggested that greater effort is required in developing atomic spectrometric methods for the direct analysis of materials and that alternative mass spectrometric methods with glow discharge and electrospray ion sources will be increasingly utilized for elemental analysis.