Signal Suppression

Signal Suppression – Signal suppression occurs when a large amount of easily ionized elements (such as sodium), typically from the solution matrix, flood the detector in an instrument and dampen the signal of the analyte of interest, making accurate detection more difficult.

• High levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) can increase signal suppression, as more electrons are available in solution to flood the detector.
• Signal suppression can be mitigated by using radial view on ICP-OES, using an internal standard, or with the use of an ionization buffer such as cesium.