So both are designed to detect metals within a given samples, but what makes these instruments so different? Today I’m going to do a little bit of comparing and contrasting between these spectrometry instruments. A benefit to the ICP-MS is that it has the capabilities to 24-36 elements simultaneously or sequentially, depending on which particular instrument you are using, where as you can only test one element at a time on a GFAA. This makes it very useful in medical fields, especially for toxicology. The GFAA is very sensitive due to its graphite tube, and can be used to detect very low levels of some metals, down to .5 ppb. This high level of sensitivity and makes it ideal for forensics. A benefit of the GFAA is that you can use a much smaller sample than possible with ICP-MS (30 uL compared to 30 mL, respectively). Overall, the instrument you choose will be based on the way you plan to use it because each has their own benefits. -Sam