A simple, precise, accurate, and sensitive method is developed and validated for simultaneous determination of seventeen
metals (Li, Sr, Ba, Tl, Pb, Bi, Al, K, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ag, and Cd) in water by ICP-MS. The optimum conditions
of the ICP-MS are as follows: nebulizer gas (argon) flow rate: 0.9 L/min, auxiliary gas (argon) flow 0.3 L/min, plasma
(argon) gas flow: 15 L/min, reaction gas flow (helium) 4mL/min. This method is validated according to the requirements for
new methods, which include linearity and range, accuracy, precision, selectivity, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of
quntitation (LOQ). The current method demonstrates good linearity over the range of 1-1000 ppb with r2 greater than
0.999 for the seventeen metals. The recovery of the metals from water samples ranges from 97.5 to 101.7%. The method
is selective where minimal interferences between the metals is observed (CeO/Ce = 1%, and Ce+2/Ce+1 = 1%), and with
good resolution (0.8 amu at 10% height). The method is also precise where the RSD of the responses (cps) of replicates
of the metals at three concentration levels is less than 1%. Low LOD and LOQ of metals using this method enable the
detection and quantitation of these metals at low concentrations. Real water samples from West Bank in Palestine
(groundwater) were analyzed for their trace metals content using this method.