Determination of silicon in biological samples by ICP-OES after non-oxidative decomposition under alkaline conditions

A non-oxidative alkaline sample digestion procedure using tetramethylammonium hydroxide and a high pressure, microwave assisted autoclave digestion system was developed. The silicon concentrations of the digested samples were measured by inductively coupled axial plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Details of the digestion conditions as well as the optimised instrumental parameters for ICP-OES are described. The method was developed and tested using silicon-spiked ascorbic acid and applied to samples of animal tissue and organs. The total silicon content of two different reference materials, NIST 1577b Bovine liver and BCR 184 Bovine Muscle having neither certified nor informational values for Si was determined. The results obtained are compared with the results of independent methods such as wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF) and solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The method described achieves a limit of detection of 2 mg kg^–1 using 100 mg of solid biological or organic material and covers a concentration range of up to 500 mg kg^–1. Received: 27 October 2000 / Revised: 31 January 2001 / Accepted: 2 February 2001     

电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定纺织品中总硼

建立了微波消解-电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法(ICP-OES)测定纺织品中总硼的分析方法。纺织样品经HNO_3-H_2O_2微波消解,以钇元素作为内标元素,以249.772nm波长作为硼的分析线,采用ICP-OES法进行测定。实验结果表明,硼的质量浓度在0.01~0.20mg/L范围内与发射强度比值呈线性关系,方法的定量限为0.8mg/kg,在0.8、1.6、8.0mg/kg添加水平下的回收率为80.4%~104.7%,相对标准偏差为2.4%~9.8%。该方法灵敏度高,定量准确可靠,能够满足纺织品中总硼含量的检测要求。     

超级微波消解-电感耦合等离子体发射光谱（ICP-OES）法测定土壤中18种元素

为提高土壤多元素同时检测的效率,采用超级微波消解-电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定土壤中钾、钠、钙、镁、铜、铁、锰、锌、磷、硫、硼、砷、镉、铬、铅、钴、镓、锂等18种元素含量。比较了超级微波消解、常规微波消解和电热板消解的处理效果,采用超级微波消解法对样品进行前处理,并优化了消解条件。在最优条件下,各元素的检出限在0.05~20 mg/kg,加标回收率在86.2%~107.5%,RSD在0.1%~3.0%,方法准确度及精密度可以满足多元素同时测定的需求,且该方法具有简单、快速、成本低、用酸量少、重现性好等特点。     

Silicon speciation by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in gasolines

A method for the speciation of silicon compounds in petroleum products was developed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Prior to analysis, several precautions about storage and conservation were applied for all samples. In spiked gasoline samples, limits of detection between 24 and 69 μg kg(-1) for cyclic siloxanes (D(4)-D(6)) and between 1 and 7 μg kg(-1) for other species were obtained. In this study, cyclic siloxanes (D(n)) and one ethoxysilane were quantified for the first time in petroleum products by a specific method based on response factor calculation to an internal standard. This method was applied to four samples of naphthas and gasolines obtained from a steam cracking process. Cyclic siloxanes were predominant in four investigated samples with concentrations ranging between 101 and 2204 μg kg(-1). Cyclic siloxane content decreased with an increase in their degree of polymerization. During a steam cracking process, silicon concentrations determined by GC-MS SIM (single ion monitoring) significantly increase. This trend was confirmed by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) measurements but a difference on the total silicon content was observed, certainly highlighting the presence of unknown silicon species. GC-MS SIM method gives access to the chemical nature of the silicon species, which is crucial for the understanding of hydrotreatment catalyst poisoning in the oil and gas industry.     

Determination of iodine in seafood by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry.

A method was developed for determination of total iodine content in different standard reference materials (SRMs) and seafood products by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). If iodine is present as iodide and nitric acid is used in the wet digestion system, the observed signal is not stable when iodine is measured by ICP/MS at m/z 127. To stabilize the iodine signal, 3% ammonia solution (1 + 1, v/v) was added to the digest. The limit of quantitation of the method, defined as 6 times the standard deviation in the blank solution (n = 20) was estimated to be 15 mg/kg (using 0.2 g dry mass and a dilution factor of 50). The precision, expressed as repeatability of the iodine concentration, varied between 3.2 and 12% in SRMs, with concentrations of 4.70-0.17 mg/kg dry matter. The described method was compared with a method using tetramethylammonium hydroxide extraction. Both methods showed good precision and trueness by analyses of SRMs. The 2 methods were used to determine iodine in seafood from the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the North Sea. The results showed great variation between different fish species as well as between individuals within a species. The lowest values of iodine were recorded in muscle of ling (Molva molva) with a mean of 0.07 mg/kg fresh weight and a variation between 0.03 and 0.11 mg/kg fresh weight. The highest values were found in cod (Gadus morhua) from the Barents Sea, with a mean of 2.5 mg/kg and a variation between 0.7 and 12.7 mg/kg fresh weight.     

A direct solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry method for the determination of silicon in biological materials

A solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry method for direct determination of trace silicon in biological materials was developed and applied to analysis of pork liver, bovine liver SRM 1577b and pure cellulose. The organic matrix was destroyed and expelled from the furnace in the pyrolysis stage involving a step-wise increasing the temperature from 160 °C to 1200 °C. The mixed Pd/Mg(NO₃)₂ modifier has proved to be the optimum one with respect to the achievement of maximum sensitivity, elimination of the effect of the remaining inorganic substances and the possibility of using calibration curves measured with aqueous standard solutions for quantification. For the maximum applicable sample amount of 6 mg, the limit of detection was found to be 30 ng g^− 1. The results were compared with those obtained by different spectrometric methods involving sample digestion, by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using slurry sampling, by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and by radiochemical neutron activation analysis. The method seems to be a promising one for analysis of biological materials containing no significant fraction of silicon in form of not naturally occurring volatile organosilicon compounds. The still incessant serious limitations and uncertainties in the determination of trace silicon in solid biological materials are discussed.     

Metal content in mosses from the Metropolitan Area of the Toluca Valley: a comparative study between inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF)

The comparison between inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) for simultaneous determination of metal content (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) in mosses from the Metropolitan Area of the Toluca Valley was performed. Epiphytic mosses (Fabriona ciliaris and Leskea angustata) were collected in two sampling campaigns and were digested with HNO₃, HCl and HF for ICP-OES method and HNO₃ and HCl for TXRF method. The certified reference material (IAEA-336, Lichen) and the Standard Reference Material (SRM-1573, tomato leaves) were used for the quality control and to evaluate trueness and precision. Linearity, detection and quantification limits were also determined. Results show an ICP-OES and TXRF trueness mean of 101 ± 5% and 97 ± 9%, respectively; the relative standard deviation (RSD percent) was less than 17% in both methods. The moss samples exhibit a satisfactory precision (RSD ≤ 20%), because the RSD percent for ICP-OES, from 2% to 15%, and that for TXRF, from 1% to 17%, were obtained. One factor experimental design and simple regression analysis (α = 0.05) were used to compare the ICP-OES and TXRF metal concentrations. The statistical results do not show significantly different values for Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in both the sample campaigns. In addition, the average results for Cr in the first sample campaign (30.3 ± 11.4 mg/kg for ICP-OES and 18.6 ± 9.8 mg/kg for TXRF) and Fe values in the second sample campaign (10,810 ± 2980 mg/kg for ICP-OES and 8380 ± 2350 mg/kg for TXRF) were significantly different in both methods. These differences are attributed to an incomplete sample digestion in the TXRF sample preparation. The results of the simple regression analyses show p-value less than 0.05, which indicates an equivalent and significant relation between ICP-OES and TXRF.     

-电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定硅锰冶炼渣中8种金属元素

实验采用HCl-HNO₃-HF-HClO₄混合酸为消解体系对样品进行前处理,加入1.0 mL盐酸羟胺溶液(100 g/L)溶解残渣,选择合适的同位素,以¹⁰³Rh为内标测定Cr、Co、Ni、Cu、Zn和Cd,以¹⁹³Ir为内标测定Tl和Pb,建立了电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法测定硅锰冶炼渣中8种重金属元素的方法。实验发现,样品前处理选择HCl∶HNO₃∶HF∶HClO₄=5∶5∶5∶1,并在复溶阶段加入1.0 mL盐酸羟胺溶液(100 g/L)可以完全消解样品,实验采用KED模式和干扰系数校正法消除质谱干扰,样品中待测元素的测定结果不受基体成分的干扰。通过绘制校准曲线及测定流程空白,各元素校准曲线的相关系数均大于0.9999,方法检出限为0.006~0.19 mg/kg,方法定量限为0.018~0.57 mg/kg。对硅锰渣实际样品进行测定,各元素的相对标准偏差(RSD,n=11)在0.83%~4.1%,加标回收率为94.7%~106%;经过人员比对实验,相对偏差为-4.54%~4.24%。测定结果稳定可靠,能满足硅锰冶炼渣中8种微量金属元素含量的分析检测要求。     

微波消解-电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定钼铁合金中的钼含量

采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法(ICP-OES)测定钼铁合金试样(钼质量分数为55%~65%)中的钼含量,单点校准获得了较好的线性.样品经酸化后微波消解处理,采用钇元素作为内标以减少仪器波动的影响,在波长202.030 nm的分析谱线处测得钼元素的最佳发射强度.检测结果显示微波消解的样品溶解时间可缩短为重量法的14%,检测结果的相对标准偏差为0.17%~0.22%,采用标准样品验证结果的准确度与重量法无显著差异,可以为ICP-OES法检测高含量组分提供参考.     

Determination of selenium, zinc and cadmium in antidandruff shampoos by atomic spectrometry after microwave assisted sample digestion

Microwave assisted pre-treatments for atomic spectrometric determination (inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, ICP-OES or flame atomic absorption spectrometry, FAAS) of metallic elements, usually present in antidandruff shampoos, are proposed. They are based on the digestion of the sample with HNO₃ into a closed reactor, which is irradiated at 800 W for a few minutes. Selenium was determined by ICP-OES. The limit of detection was 0.11 mg l⁻¹; the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for the selenium content in the samples was in the 0.6–3.6% range. The results obtained were in agreement with the label contents and the recovery of the proposed method was in the 100–106% range. Zinc and cadmium were determined by FAAS. The limit of detection for zinc determination was 0.078 mg l⁻¹; the R.S.D. for zinc contents was in the 0.8–8.6% range. A limit of detection of 0.09 mg l⁻¹ was obtained for cadmium determination; the R.S.D. for cadmium contents was in the 0.7–2.7% range. The determinations were performed after two different sample mineralization pre-treatments — dry ashing (in an electric furnace) and wet mineralization (in a microwave oven). Both methodologies provided comparable results for zinc and cadmium determination in shampoos. The proposed microwave assisted digestion procedures allow a precise and accurate determination of selenium, zinc and cadmium in commercial antidandruff shampoos, and the sample pre-treatment is less time-consuming than the classic methods.     

王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法测定土壤中汞

为了寻求一种更加适宜测定土壤中汞含量的测试方法,将检出限低、精密度高的冷原子吸收光谱法与便捷、高效的王水水浴消解土壤处理方式相结合,建立了王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法测定土壤中汞。通过测定方法的线性相关性、方法检出限、准确度、精密度、加标回收率,并与原子荧光光谱法进行对比实验来评价该方法的有效性。王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法在汞质量浓度0.0～1.0μg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数可以达到0.999 9,方法检出限为0.000 75mg/kg,土壤标准样品测试的相对标准偏差为4.0%～10.7%,实际样品加标回收率分别为93%～104%。采用原子荧光光谱法进行对比测试,原子荧光光谱法的方法检出限为0.002 5 mg/kg,相对标准偏差为4.8%～13.5%,加标回收率为104%～107%。结果表明,对于王水水浴消解土壤的方法不仅适用于原子荧光光谱法测定汞含量,同样可以应用于冷原子吸收光谱法中。所建立的王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法具有更低的检出限,更优的准确度和精密度,有利于提高土壤样品测试的工作效率,值得推广。     

Development of a certified reference material (NMIJ CRM 7505-a) for the determination of trace elements in tea leaves

A certified reference material (CRM) for trace elements in tea leaves has been developed in National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ). The CRM was provided as a dry powder (<90 μm) after frozen pulverization of washed and dried fresh tea leaves from a tea plant farm in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Characterization of the property value for each element was carried out exclusively by NMIJ with at least two independent analytical methods, including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), high-resolution (HR-) ICP-MS, isotope-dilution (ID-) ICP-MS, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) and flame atomic-absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Property values were provided for 19 elements (Ca, K, Mg, P, Al, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Zn and Co) and informative values for 18 elements (Ti, V, Cr, Y, and all of the lanthanides, except for Pm whose isotopes are exclusively radioactive). The concentration ranges of property values and informative values were from 1.59% (mass) of K to 0.0139 mg kg(-1) of Cd and from 0.6 mg kg(-1) of Ti to 0.0014 mg kg(-1) of Lu, respectively. Combined relatively standard uncertainties of the property values were estimated by considering the uncertainties of the homogeneity, analytical methods, characterization, calibration standard, and dry-mass correction factor. The range of the relative combined standard uncertainties was from 1.5% of Mg and K to 4.1% of Cd.     

王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法测定土壤中汞

为了寻求一种更加适宜测定土壤中汞含量的测试方法,将检出限低、精密度高的冷原子吸收光谱法与便捷、高效的王水水浴消解土壤处理方式相结合,建立了王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法测定土壤中汞。通过测定方法的线性相关性、方法检出限、准确度、精密度、加标回收率,并与原子荧光光谱法进行对比实验来评价该方法的有效性。王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法在汞质量浓度0.0~1.0μg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数可以达到0.9999,方法检出限为0.00075 mg/kg,土壤标准样品测试的相对标准偏差为4.0%~10.7%,实际样品加标回收率分别为93%~104%。采用原子荧光光谱法进行对比测试,原子荧光光谱法的方法检出限为0.0025 mg/kg,相对标准偏差为4.8%~13.5%,加标回收率为104%~107%。结果表明,对于王水水浴消解土壤的方法不仅适用于原子荧光光谱法测定汞含量,同样可以应用于冷原子吸收光谱法中。所建立的王水消解-冷原子吸收光谱法具有更低的检出限,更优的准确度和精密度,有利于提高土壤样品测试的工作效率,值得推广。     

Direct determination of lead in biological samples by electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV-ICP-MS) after furnace-fusion in the sample cuvette-tungsten boat furnace

The newly conceived electrothermal vaporization (ETV) system using a tungsten boat furnace (TBF) sample cuvette was designed for the direct analysis of solid samples with detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Into this small sample cuvette, a solid mixture of the biological samples and diammonium hydrogenphosphate powder as a fusion flux was placed and situated on a TBF. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution was added to the mixture. After the on-furnace digestion had been completed, the analyte in the cuvette was vaporized and introduced into the ICP mass spectrometer. The solid samples were analyzed by using a calibration curve prepared from the aqueous standard solutions. The detection limit was estimated to be 5.1 pg of lead, which corresponds to 10.2 ng g(-1) of lead in solid samples when a prepared sample amount of 1.0 mg was applied. The relative standard deviation for 8 replicate measurements obtained with 100 pg of lead was calculated to be 6.5%. The analytical results for various biological samples are described.     

Analytical procedures for the determination of selected major (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, and Ti) and trace (Li, Mn, Sr, and Zn) elements in peat and plant samples using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

A simple, robust and reliable analytical procedure for the determination of Al, Ca, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Sr, Ti, and Zn in peat and plant materials by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was developed. A microwave heated high pressure autoclave was used to digest powdered sample aliquots (approximately 200 mg) with different acid mixtures including nitric acid (HNO₃), tetrafluoroboric acid (HBF₄) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The optimized acid mixture for digestion of plant and peat samples consisted of 3 mL HNO₃ and 0.1 mL HBF₄, in addition to H₂O₂ which was sub-boiled into the PTFE digestion tubes during heating of the autoclave. Using HNO₃ alone, recoveries of Al and Ti were too low by 40 and 160%, respectively, because HNO₃ could not fully liberate the analytes of interest from the silicate fraction of the plant and peat matrix. However, for all other elements (such as Mn, Sr, and Zn), the use of HBF₄ was less critical. The accuracy of the analytical procedure developed was evaluated with peat and plant reference materials of different origin and composition. The ICP-OES instrument was optimized using solutions of plant reference materials considering RF power, nebulizer pressure, auxiliary gas flow and rinse time. Scandium was used as an online internal standard (IS) as it provided accurate results and showed less than 3% drift in sensitivity over time which was lower compared to other potential IS such as Rh (20%) and In (6%). The combination of most sensitive and less sensitive wavelengths allowed to obtain low detection limits and highest possible dynamic range. The achieved procedure detection limits ranged from 0.05 μg g⁻¹ (Li) to 15 μg g⁻¹ (Ca) and allowed a precise quantification of all elements. Comparative X-ray fluorescence spectrometric measurements of solid peat and plant samples generally agreed well with results obtained by digestion/ICP-OES. To overcome interferences caused by Na, K, and Li, a solution of 10 μg g⁻¹ CsCl₂ was successfully used as an ionization buffer. The good agreement between the found and certified concentrations in plant and peat reference materials indicates that the developed analytical procedure is well suited for further studies on the fate of major elements in plant and peat matrices.     

Direct determination of impurities in high purity silicon carbide by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry using slurry nebulization technique

A novel method for the determination of Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni and Ti in high purity silicon carbide (SiC) using slurry introduction axial viewed inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was described. The various sizes of SiC slurry were dispersed by adding dispersant polyethylene imine (PEI). The stability of slurry was characterized by zeta potential measurement, SEM observation and signal stability testing. The optimal concentration of PEI was found to be 0.5 wt% for the SiC slurry. Analytical results of sub-μm size SiC by the slurry introduction were in good accordance with those by the alkaline fusion method which verified that determination could be calibrated by aqueous standards. For μm size SiC, results of most elements have a negative deviation and should be calibrated by the Certified Reference Material slurry. Owing to a rather low contamination in the sample preparation and stability of the slurry, the limits of detection (LODs), which are in the range of 40-2000 ng g⁻¹, superior to those of the conventional nebulization technique by ICP-OES or ICP-MS.     

Determination of metal content in valerian root phytopharmaceutical derivatives by atomic spectrometry

Phytopharmaceuticals containing Valerian are used as mild sleep-inducing agents. The elemental composition of 3 different marks of Valeriana officinalis roots commercially available in the Argentinian market, their teas, and a commercial tincture have been studied. The content of Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn was determined in phytopharmaceuticals by flame atomic emission/absorption spectrometry, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, and ultrasonic nebulization coupled to inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Prior to analyses of the samples, a digestion procedure was optimized. The analytical results obtained for Fe, Al, Ca, and V in the solid sample study were within the range 100-1000 mg/kg, and for Mn, Zn, and Pb within the range 10-100 mg/kg. Cadmium was found at levels up to 0.0125 mg/kg.     

Single-step microwave digestion with HNO(3) alone for determination of trace elements in coal by ICP spectrometry

A microwave digestion method with HNO₃ alone was conducted at a temperature as high as 250 °C for determination of 19 trace elements (Li, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, Hg, and Pb) in coal jointly by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and flow injection ICP-MS (FI-ICP-MS). The validity of determination was assessed by using three standard coals, SRM 1632c, BCR 180, and SARM 19. It was found that the high-temperature digestion led to an extensive decomposition of the organic matrix and clay in coal, and no dissolved and solid carbon remained in the final solution after evaporation. Good recoveries were observed for all trace elements in three coals, with the exception of V, Rb, and Cs in high-ash SARM 19. Additionally, FI-ICP-MS combined with the present digestion without evaporation pretreatment was proved to be a rapid and efficient approach for determination of ultra-trace elements such as Se, Cd, and Hg in coal.     

Feasibility study on in situ microwave digestion prior to analysis of biological samples by total reflection X-ray fluorescence

A microwave-assisted, micro-digestion procedure was developed and evaluated for analysis of solid samples by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Digestion of a 1.1-mg sub-sample of the NIST Bovine Liver (1577a) standard reference material was performed directly on the surface of common, siliconized quartz reflectors with a 20-μl H₂O₂+20 μl HNO₃ mixture. The method was evaluated in terms of variations in the peak-to-background ratio (detection limits) and on the recovery rates for various volatile and non-volatile analytes. The characteristics of the reflector surface, the order of addition of the digestion reagents as well as the microwave power must be carefully controlled for successful application of the methodology.     

ICP-AES测定铀污染土壤植物中铀的研究

采用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱(ICP-AES)对铀污染土壤植物中铀的测定方法进行了研究.在λU385.958 nm处,选择了仪器的最佳工作条件,考察了酸度和常见共存元素对测定的干扰情况,并且对比了干灰化消解和湿式消解对测定的影响.研究发现2%硝酸溶液为最佳介质,干扰离子对测定没有显著影响,干灰化消解比湿式消解得彻底.在选定条件下,方法检出限为0.18 mg·L-1,测定下限为0.61 mg·L-1,5.0000 mg·L-1的铀标准溶液的相对标准偏差RSD(n=10)为0.81%,方法回收率为96.2%～106.2%.该方法操作简单,快速.结果表明,用ICP-AES测定铀污染土壤植物样品中的铀是可行的.