Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP‑MS) has become a key analytical technique for trace and ultra‑trace elemental analysis in nuclear power plant chemistry since its introduction in the early 1980s. Following a VGB research initiative in 1994, the first such system in a German nuclear power plant was installed at the pressurized water reactor Philippsburg 2, enabling high‑sensitivity investigations of corrosion products in the primary coolant. ICP‑MS combines an inductively coupled argon plasma (~ 8 000–10 000 K) for efficient atomization and ionization with mass spectrometric detection, allowing multi‑element analysis with high throughput and low detection limits.
The method is particularly suited for monitoring corrosion products and for precise determination of boron isotope ratios in the primary circuit, even under conditions of isotopic enrichment; examples of such applications at Philippsburg 2 are discussed in the article. Its high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and capability for isotope ratio analysis provide improved insight into source terms, transport mechanisms, and coolant chemistry control. Today, ICP‑MS is widely implemented in routine analysis in nuclear facilities, contributing significantly to optimized chemistry management and safe, reliable reactor operation.
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