The ICP-MS method is a mass spectrometry-based analytic method in the field of inorganic elemental analysis. In simple terms, it is based on a spectrum analysis of an ionized sample. Since it was first commercialized in the 1980s, ICP-MS has become a routine analysis technique used in many different industries including. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a type of mass spectrometry that uses an inductively coupled plasma to ionize the sample. It atomizes the sample and creates atomic and small polyatomic ions, which are then detected. If you need a quick answer, here's what.