The versatility of inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has led to its uptake in a variety of fields, including single-particle analysis and elemental imaging using laser ablation (LA). Both techniques enable new elemental insights but come with unique data processing challenges. Single-particle ICP-MS, where individual particles are temporally resolved and measured, can detect and characterise nano-materials in environmental matrices. With appropriate calibration and processing, the population of particles can be accurately modelled. Due to the low background signals typically obtained special care must be taken when detecting particles and determining limits of analysis.

LA-ICP-MS is used to measure the spatial distribution of elements in solid samples, with data collected by the ICP-MS aligned to form 2D images. Careful selection of experimental parameters is required to avoid issues during data processing. Elemental information can be fed into algorithms to segment and identify regions of interest, and to draw meaning from regional fluctuations in concentration. The integration of topological data and multi-modal imaging is becoming more common, but there are few tools to support them.

Time-of-flight (ToF) detectors in inductively coupled plasma are quickly gaining traction in both the single particle and LA-ICP-MS fields due to their ability to simultaneously acquire the entire elemental mass range, many times per second. Single-particle analysis can now capture the elemental composition of individual particles, and multi-elemental analysis using LA-ICP-MS is now possible at pixel acquisition rates of 1000 Hz. However, with these new capabilities comes new challenges, specifically difficulty determining limits of analysis and the need to sift through enormous amounts of data.