New methodical and instrumental developments in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Many tasks in bulk analysis, micro analysis and depth profile analysis can be solved advantageously by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Laser ICP-MS) in particular, when both the chemical and elemental distributions in the sample are to be determined. However, the analyst has to take into account that the analytical precision and accuracy of the Laser ICP-MS is influenced decisively by signal standardization, the homogeneity of the samples as well as calibration standards and the mass-spectrometric measuring mode, which is usually sequential when performed with scanning mass spectrometers such as quadrupol- or sector-based instruments. Using the ablated mass as standard, an excellent level of the analytical precision and accuracy (relative standard deviation R.S.D.<0.5%) has been obtained for homogeneous sample materials such as alloys. For inhomogeneous samples, such as pressed pellets, a statistical test is described, which is based upon the auto-correlation function to characterize the sample inhomogeneity. The application of the test allows us to calculate the representative mass for the quantitative analysis at previously defined analytical precision. In the instrumental part of the paper a new type of an ICP—time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer—is described, constructed and built up in our laboratory. For fast signal counting an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) was developed, which permits a time resolution of 1 ns. The analytical performance of the TOF when used in combination with an ICP is demonstrated in terms of resolution, ion extraction rate, detection limits and dynamic range. The determination of ³⁹K⁺ and ⁴⁰Ca⁺ at trace level can be realized in a cool plasma condition (high central gas flow) only with a small interference by ⁴⁰Ar⁺. Detection limits of 23 elements were measured with typical values in the lower nanograms per liter range. The ion extraction rates, measured for a sample mass of 1 ng in terms of counts per second divided by the relative isotope abundance, are one order of magnitude higher than those obtained with a quadrupol-based instrument.     

Measuring metal homogeneity in a matrix via the measurement of the ratio metal to matrix oxide using ICP-MS

A simple method has been developed that allows a fast determination of the homogeneity of an element M in an alloy, even for minor components. This is done by measuring a ratio of ion currents I, I ^M/I ^M’O, whereby M’ is the matrix element, by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method can be used to determine the homogeneity of one component in a binary alloy and allows to estimate the sample size necessary to minimise uncertainty contributions due to inhomogeneity in the analysis of such an alloy. In this work the homogeneity of a niobium/0.1% zirconium alloy was determined on 1 mg samples. Accurate weighings of these small samples are not required, as the method is based on the measurement of the niobium/zirconium amount ratio in the dissolved samples. As this ratio is fairly large, the Zr/NbO amount ratio was measured instead to decrease the magnitude of the measured ratio. This ratio was found to be sufficiently stable over time for homogeneity testing. In this particular case the Zr/NbO ratio in the samples was found to vary by 0.049 relative for a 1 mg samples size.     

Fluorescence optosensing implemented with sequential injection analysis: a novel strategy for the determination of labetalol

The coupling of sequential injection analysis and optosensing has been developed for the first time. It has been applied to the determination of labetalol in both pharmaceuticals and urine samples, with the analytical signal (native fluorescence) being monitored directly on sensing zone microbeads. The solid support used was the nonionic silica gel C₁₈, using 20% methanol–water (v:v) as a carrier. By using a 1.5-ml sample volume , we achieved a detection limit of 3.3 ng ml⁻¹. This sensitivity allowed the determination of the compound in urine samples. A recovery study was carried out at the labetalol levels usually found in urine after pharmaceuticals administration, and recovery percentages close to 100% were obtained. The relative standard deviation was 3.4% for 100 ng ml⁻¹ labetalol. No pretreatment was needed for urine samples, only an appropriate dilution, therefore minimizing the time required per sample analysis. In addition, the determination of the analyte was also carried out in one pharmaceutical, with a satisfactory result being obtained.     

Direct determination of δ44/42Ca isotope ratio by ion chromatography/low‐resolution multicollector ICPMS

High‐precision on‐line procedure for measurement of calcium isotopic ratio by coupling ion chromatography to multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was developed. Calcium separation from the sample matrix was achieved on an ion chromatography column—IonPac CS16—ID 3 mm connected with CERS 500 2 mm suppressor and followed by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry calcium isotopic ratio determination. Dry plasma mode was used with Aridus II desolvation system. To sustained samples with high level of total dissolved salts as well as account capacity of applied analytical column, the method has been optimized regarding calcium isotope ratio measurements with low‐resolution mass spectrometry. Mass discrimination and instrument drift were corrected by sample‐standard bracketing method using the ⁴⁴Ca/⁴²Ca isotope ratio of SRM 915a as a standard. Good accuracy and reasonable precision of calcium isotope ratio (generally 0.20‰ [2SD]) were achieved, which are comparable to off‐line Ca separation and continuous measurement. The reproducibility of the proposed analytical procedure was verified by measuring the SRM 915a standard as a sample randomly over 3 months (n = 56). Applicability of the protocol was demonstrated for matrix‐rich natural water samples, coral samples, and bone standard reference materials.     

An automated system for preconcentration/matrix-removal followed by ICP-MS determination of organic phosphorus in oil production water

Scale inhibitors based on phosphinepolycarboxylic acid (PPCA) have been successfully used in offshore oil production for preventing deposition of barium and strontium sulfates. A system was developed for the automated pretreatment of PPCA-containing water samples, followed on-line or off-line by phosphorus determination using ICP mass spectrometry. During pretreatment, the previously acidified inhibitor solution is adsorbed on a C18-reversed phase column and then eluted with 0.025 mol l⁻¹ borate solution. Using a 3.5-ml sample volume, analytical frequency in the on-line mode is about 9 samples per hour and 17 in off-line operation. Detection limit of phosphorus in the borate solution was 0.20 μg l⁻¹, using a crossflow nebulizer and a Ryton® spray chamber. Recoveries were, typically, in the range of 90% to 100% and repeatability about 5%. The method has been applied for monitoring inhibitor concentrations during laboratory and field squeeze tests.     

An Analytical Method for the Biomonitoring of Mercury in Bees and Beehive Products by Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry

Bees and their products are useful bioindicators of anthropogenic activities and could overcome the deficiencies of air quality networks. Among the environmental contaminants, mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that can accumulate in living organisms. The first aim of this study was to develop a simple analytical method to determine Hg in small mass samples of bees and beehive products by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The proposed method was optimized for about 0.02 g bee, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly, 0.05 g beeswax and honey, or 0.1 g honeydew with 0.5 mL HCl, 0.2 mL HNO₃, and 0.1 mL H₂O₂ in a water bath (95 °C, 30 min); samples were made up to a final volume of 5 mL deionized water. The method limits sample manipulation and the reagent mixture volume used. Detection limits were lower than 3 µg kg⁻¹ for a sample mass of 0.02 g, and recoveries and precision were within 20% of the expected value and less than 10%, respectively, for many matrices. The second aim of the present study was to evaluate the proposed method’s performances on real samples collected in six areas of the Lazio region in Italy.     

A semi‐quantitative approach for the rapid screening and mass profiling of naphthenic acids directly in contaminated aqueous samples

We report the use of a direct sampling, online analytical approach for the determination of acid extractable naphthenic acids in complex aqueous samples, known as condensed phase membrane introduction mass spectrometry (CP‐MIMS). The technique employs a capillary hollow fibre semi‐permeable membrane probe configured for immersion into a pH adjusted sample. A continuously flowing methanol acceptor phase transfers naphthenic acids to an electrospray ionization source, operated in negative ion mode, whereupon they are analysed by mass spectrometry as [M–H]^? ions. High‐resolution mass spectrometry is used to characterize the influence of sample pH on membrane transport of multiple components of complex naphthenic acid mixtures. We demonstrate the use of CP‐MIMS for semi‐quantitative analysis of real‐world samples using selected ion monitoring and full scan mass spectra at unit mass resolution. The technique has also been employed to continuously monitor the temporal evolution in the mass profile and concentrations of individual naphthenic acid isomer classes in heterogeneous solutions during adsorption processes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of hydrazine in drinking water: Development and multivariate optimization of a rapid and simple solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry protocol

In this work, the capabilities of solid phase microextraction were exploited in a fully optimized SPME-GC-QqQ-MS analytical approach for hydrazine assay. A rapid and easy method was obtained by a simple derivatization reaction with propyl chloroformate and pyridine carried out directly in water samples, followed by automated SPME analysis in the same vial without further sample handling. The affinity of the different derivatized compounds obtained towards five commercially available SPME coatings was evaluated, in order to achieve the best extraction efficiency. GC analyses were carried out using a GC-QqQ-MS instrument in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) acquisition mode which has allowed the achievement of high specificity by selecting appropriate precursor–product ion couples improving the capability in analyte identification. The multivariate approach of experimental design was crucial in order to optimize derivatization reaction, SPME process and tandem mass spectrometry parameters. Accuracy of the proposed protocol, tested at 60, 200 and 800 ng L⁻¹, provided satisfactory values (114.2%, 83.6% and 98.6%, respectively), whereas precision (RSD%) at the same concentration levels were of 10.9%, 7.9% and 7.7% respectively. Limit of detection and quantification of 4.4 and 8.3 ng L⁻¹ were obtained. The reliable application of the proposed protocol to real drinking water samples confirmed its capability to be used as analytical tool for routine analyses.     

Measurements of sulfur in oil using a pressurised wet digestion technique in open vessels and isotope dilution mass spectrometry

Graz University of Technology has developed a new technique for digesting samples using the well-established high-pressure asher (HPA) from Anton Paar GmbH (Graz, Austria). The digestion is performed in semi-open vessels inside a pressurised autoclave. The new HPA equipment consists of a liner for the autoclave, special sample racks and 30-mL digestion vessels made of quartz, covered with PTFE stoppers. The Laboratory for Isotope Dilution and Nuclear Analysis of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM, Berlin) tested this new equipment in order to assess its usability for the decomposition of larger sample amounts of gas oils for the measurement of sulfur. Several experiments were carried out using the new sample decomposition technique. In order to test the recovery of the new digestion method, a gas oil material with known sulfur content was chosen, quantified by the validated conventional closed vessel HPA digestion in combination with thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. Isotope dilution mass spectrometry has been applied as analytical method in this investigation. The gas oil was spiked with an isotopic spike material, which is enriched in ³⁴S, and was then wet digested in the HPA. The oxidized sulfur of the dried samples was reduced to H₂S and precipitated as As₂S₃. The sulfur was measured as arsenic monosulfide (AsS⁺). The mass content of sulfur in the gas oil tested is 453.5 mg kg^–1. Recovery tests for increasing masses of gas oils indicate that the recovery using the new measurement technique decreases with increasing mass of gas oil. Results were obtained for approximately 0.3 g sample weight and had less overlap with the result of the old HPA method within the stated uncertainties. At approximately 0.5 g sample weight the yield decreases to about 97% and at approximately 1.0 g sample weight to about 87%. In comparison with the conventional closed vessel HPA digestion, the new technique shows no clear advantages for the certification of the sulfur content in gas oil other than a more convenient handling. The total uncertainty of the sulfur mass fractions (k=2) is about 1.5%. Repeated determination of the oil samples show a relative standard deviation of about 0.8% and indicate that the analytical procedure is robust and reproducible. The demonstrated reproducibility allows the establishment of correction factors for the yield, which in turn enables higher sample masses for routine work. The blank level (0.26×10^-6 g) was within the range of the conventional closed HPA digestion procedure·(0.28×10^-6 g). Cross contamination could not be detected. In terms of trace metal analysis a good applicability and more advantages over the conventional closed vessel HPA digestion can be assumed.     

Determination of cadmium in biological samples solubilized with tetramethylammonium hydroxide by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, using ruthenium as permanent modifier

The feasibility of Ru as a permanent modifier for the determination of Cd in biological samples treated with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) by ET AAS was investigated. The tube treatment with Ru was carried out only once and lasted for about 300 atomization cycles. The pyrolysis and atomization temperatures, 750 °C and 1300 °C, respectively, were chosen from the temperature curves. The sample dissolution procedure was very simple: a sample aliquot was mixed with a small volume of a 25% m/v TMAH solution, the volume was made up to 50 ml and the mixture was kept at 60 °C for 1 h. Six certified biological reference materials were analyzed and the obtained Cd concentrations are within the 95% confidence interval of the certified values, proving the accuracy of the proposed procedure for a variety of biological samples. The calibration curve, with correlation coefficient higher than 0.99, was established for a working range up to10 μg l⁻¹. The precision was good as demonstrated by relative standard deviations below 3%, except for one sample. The limit of detection (3σ) was 0.05 μg l⁻¹ and the characteristic mass was 1.30 pg, obtained in the presence of the Ru modifier.     

Measuring metal homogeneity in a matrix via the measurement of the ratio metal to matrix oxide using ICP-MS

A simple method has been developed that allows a fast determination of the homogeneity of an element M in an alloy, even for minor components. This is done by measuring a ratio of ion currents I, I ^M/I ^M’O, whereby M’ is the matrix element, by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method can be used to determine the homogeneity of one component in a binary alloy and allows to estimate the sample size necessary to minimise uncertainty contributions due to inhomogeneity in the analysis of such an alloy. In this work the homogeneity of a niobium/0.1% zirconium alloy was determined on 1 mg samples. Accurate weighings of these small samples are not required, as the method is based on the measurement of the niobium/zirconium amount ratio in the dissolved samples. As this ratio is fairly large, the Zr/NbO amount ratio was measured instead to decrease the magnitude of the measured ratio. This ratio was found to be sufficiently stable over time for homogeneity testing. In this particular case the Zr/NbO ratio in the samples was found to vary by 0.049 relative for a 1 mg samples size. Received: 30 November 1998 / Revised: 22 March 1999 / Accepted: 27 March 1999     

Determination of ultratrace levels of dissolved metals in seawater by reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after ammonia induced magnesium hydroxide coprecipitation

A method for the determination of ultratrace amounts of Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn in seawater has been developed. It combined the low-blank magnesium hydroxide coprecipitation procedure with quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and used the dynamic reaction cell technique to resolve the polyatomic interferences arising from the residual matrix, the solvent and plasma gases. Detection limits (3σ_B, n = 10) for Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were 0.02, 0.10, 0.01, 0.002 and 0.19 nM, respectively, using 50 mL of seawater sample. The accuracy of the analytical procedure was verified by the analysis of the seawater reference materials CASS-4, NASS-5, SAFe D2 and SAFe S. The analytical precision ranged from 3% to 16% (n = 6), with a sample throughput of about 6 samples h⁻¹.     

Analysis of illegal dyes in food by LC/TOF-MS

A sensitive and accurate methodology was developed for the analysis of seven illegal dyes (Sudan I, Sudan II, Sudan III, Sudan IV, Sudan Orange G, Sudan R and Para Red,) used as additives in food products, such as chilli powder and steak sauces. The analytical methodology consisted of solvent extraction with acetonitrile followed by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection. Accurate mass measurements were crucial in order to achieve a high degree of specificity for the target analytes in such complex samples. The dyes were effectively extracted from spice and sauce matrices achieving recoveries higher than 75%. Because of the excellent mass accuracy obtained for the target analytes (better than 2?ppm), no cleanup of the samples was required using this methodology, thus leading to a better precision and reproducibility of the results from the quantitative point of view. Calibration curves were linear and covered two orders of magnitude (from 0.01 to 1?mg?L^?1) for all the compounds studied with the exception of Para Red. A detailed study of matrix effects is also included in this work, showing a clear improvement when dilution of the extracts was carried out. Method detection limits were in the low mg?kg^?1 range, and the precision, calculated as the relative standard deviation, ranged from 5 to 15%. The methodology was successfully applied to market samples in a survey performed as part of a regional research programme organized by the Andalusian Health Service in Spain, and a positive confirmation for Sudan I was obtained in a chilli powder sample.     

Slurry sampling and high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry using secondary lines for the determination of Ca and Mg in dairy products

The present paper proposes a simple and fast analytical procedure for the sequential multi-element determination of Ca and Mg in dairy products employing sampling slurry and high resolution-continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS). Considering the high concentration of these species in these matrices, the analytical measurements were carried out at the secondary lines of 239.856 and 202.852 for Ca and Mg, respectively. The experimental conditions established for the preparation of the slurries during the optimization step were: 2.0 mol L^{− 1} hydrochloric acid, sonication time of 20 min and sample mass of 1.0 g for a slurry volume of 25 mL. Experiments demonstrated that the analytical curves can be established using the external calibration technique employing aqueous standards. The method allows the determination of Ca and Mg with limits of quantification of 0.038 and 0.016 mg g^{− 1}, respectively. The precision was evaluated under reproducibility and repeatability conditions and expressed as relative standard deviation. The results varied from 2.7 to 2.9% (all tests with n = 10) and using a yogurt sample containing Ca and Mg concentrations of 1.40 and 0.13 mg g^{− 1}, respectively.The accuracy was confirmed by the analysis of a certified reference material of non-fat milk powder furnished by the National Institute of Standard and Technology. The proposed method was applied for the determination of Ca and Mg in yogurt, cow milk and milk powder samples. The samples were also analyzed after complete acid digestion and Ca and Mg determination by HR-CS FAAS. No statistical difference was observed between the results obtained by both of the procedures performed.     

Cesium sorption from concentrated acidic tank wastes using ammonium molybdophosphate-polyacrylonitrile composite sorbents

The radiological examination of water requires a rapid screening that permits the determination of gross alpha-activity in order to decide if further radiological analyses are necessary. The usual method of gross alpha-determination includes sample evaporation to dryness on a disk and counting using a ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector or a proportional counter. The determination of gross alpha-activity in sea water using this method has a number of drawbacks such as high mass attenuation, lack of homogeneity in the precipitate, and very small volume of sample. In this work, coprecipitation is proposed to enable a 500 ml sample of water to be analyzed. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) achieved was 0.004 Bq^.l^–1 for a counting time of only 4 hours. Weight variation, self-absorption factor, efficiency and blanks were studied. In order to test reproducibility of the method, several Spanish coastal sea water samples were analyzed by two different laboratories.     

Thick-target PIGE analysis of plant materials preconcentrated by dry ashing

An analytical methodology has been developed for the UV-spectrophotometric determination of carbaryl in waters after its preconcentration onto a polyether type polyurethane foam followed by on-line elution. The aforementioned strategy offers an easy way for in-field sampling and to improve the analytical sensitivity. Several chemical and flow variables (mass of sorbent, sample flow rate, sample volume and carrier flow rate) were studied to ensure the best performance of the system. Recovery studies, carried out on natural water samples spiked with known amounts of carbaryl at concentration levels between 250 and 500 mug l(-1), provided recovery percentages between 94 and 105%. A detection limit of 12 mug l(-1) was achieved and a variation coefficient of 3.4% was obtained at 0.50 mug ml(-1).     

Estimation of239Pu in urine,influence of Sulkowich reagent

Plutonium is known to be co-precipitated with Sulkowich reagent as calcium ammonium oxalate. In adopting this technique for bio-assay of plutonium, its accuracy depends on the self-absorption of the resulting precipitate in each urine sample. Pu recovery experiments were carried out with varying concentration of Ca and Mg, using different volumes of Sulkowich reagent. When the sample volume is 500 ml, Pu in urine can be estimated with an accuracy and precision of 74.38%±7.4%; with a detection limit of 0.06 Bq (1.6 pCi) per dm³. An attempt was made to improve the detection limit, accuracy and precision values. The results obtained are presented in this paper.     

Application of two-tracer isotope dilution mass spectrometry in the determination of uranium in geological samples

The determination of the uranium concentration in mineral samples using two tracer (²³³U and ²³⁵U) mass spectrometric isotope dilution techniques is described. The precision and accuracy are discussed and results are compared with those obtained by x-ray fluorescence and instrumental neutron activation methods. Based on the two independent values obtained for the same dilution, parameters such as the chemical procedures adopted, effect of mass fractionation and uranium distribution in minerals are evaluated. The ability of the method to distinguish between the analytical errors and heterogeneous distribution of uranium is discussed.     

Laboratory standard for radionuclides in nuclear waste

A laboratory standard for the determination of long-lived radionuclides in nuclear waste has been prepared using concrete as matrix. It will be used to check sample preparation procedures, chemical separations and methods for the determination of nuclides, e.g., nuclear counting techniques or mass spectrometry. The material chosen was a fine-grained ready-to-use cement mixture, to which the following radionuclides were added:⁶⁰Co and¹³⁷Cs as -ray-emitting nuclides,⁹⁹Tc,⁹⁰Sr and⁵⁵Fe as radionuclides emitting pure -radiation or low-energy electrons, and²³³U,²³⁷Np,²³⁸Pu and²⁴¹Am as -emitters. Care was taken to attain a homogeneous distribution of the nuclides in the standard material. Pieces of about 1 g were formed as suitable and representative samples. Repeated analyses were carried out with the standard to check its homogeneity. The analytical procedures are described in brief. The pieces of the standard material have the same content of nuclides within ±5% at a 95% level of confidence.     

Determination of trace elements in high purity copper by INAA, GFAAS and ICP/AES

Trace impurity elements in high purity copper metal (4 mine class) put on the market were analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and the results compared with those from Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (GFAAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry (ICP-AES). The sample irradiation was done at the irradiation facilities (thermal neutron flux, 5·10¹² n·cm⁻²·s⁻¹) of the TRIGA Mark-III research reactor in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. Four unalloyed copper standards (NIST SRM # 393, 394, 395 and 398) were used to identify the accuracy and precision of the analytical procedure. The homogeneity of samples was assessed by means of the elements such as Ag, As, Co, Sb, Se and Zn. The analytical results of INAA, GFAAS and ICP-AES were in good agreement within expected uncertainties each other and showed the possibility of using them for the analytical quality control.