This work reviews the operating principles of ICP-tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) and the key applications reported on since the introduction of the technique in 2012.

The aim of this work is to review and compare the present possibilities of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ETV-ICP-OES) and electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ETV-ICP-MS) for analysis of solid samples, slurries and complex matrixes. The paper keeps in perspective the historical evolution of these techniques, providing an overview of the most relevant advances in instrumentation, methodology and fundamentals and highlighting the most relevant applications carried out during the last decade. The benefits of continuum source-AAS, the possible impact of diode lasers on this technique, the potential of ETV-ICP-methods for fractionation/speciation studies, as well as for resolving spectral interferences, and the influence of the different types of ICP-MS instrumentation currently available on the overall performance of ETV-ICP-MS will be some of the aspects discussed in more detail.

After 40 years of development, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can hardly be considered as a novel technique anymore. ICP-MS has become the reference when it comes to multi-element bulk analysis at (ultra)trace levels, as well as to isotope ratio determination for metal(loid)s. However, over the last decade, this technique has managed to uncover an entirely new application field, providing information in a variety of contexts related to the individual analysis of single entities (e.g., nanoparticles, cells, or micro/nanoplastics), thus addressing new societal challenges. And this profound expansion of its application range becomes even more remarkable when considering that it has been made possible in an a priori simple way: by providing faster data acquisition and developing the corresponding theoretical substrate to relate the time-resolved signals thus obtained with the elemental composition of the target entities. This review presents the underlying concepts behind single event-ICP-MS, which are needed to fully understand its potential, highlighting key areas of application (e.g., single particle-ICP-MS or single cell-ICP-MS) as well as of future development (e.g., micro/nanoplastics).