Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometric determination of trace elements in sediments after sequential selective extraction: effects of reagents and major elements on the analytical signal

The interfering effects due to the reagents and matrix elements associated with a four step sequential extraction procedure on ICPOES determination of trace elements were investigated in a systematic way. The emission lines were selected in order to include the most interesting elements for environmental studies (Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, V and Cu) and the concentrations ranged according with the values occurring in the real samples. In order to distinguish between chemical and physical interfering effects, the Mg 280.270–Mg 285.213 line intensity ratio was measured, in each condition. Both pneumatic and ultrasonic nebulization were considered for comparison. It was found that both the elements which constitute the sample and the reagents which are added during the sample preparation steps significantly influence the emission intensity of all the analytes, depending on the analytical concentration and the nebulization system. Generally, the signal variations were higher with ultrasonic nebulization. Concerning the interference mechanism, it was found that the effect of the major elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al and Fe) is essentially related to a change of the aerosol generation and transport processes. Differently, acetic acid, ammonium acetate and hydroxylamine hydrochloride significantly improved the plasma excitation conditions, depending on their concentration. A change of the sample introduction efficiency due to the presence of these reagents was also evident. On the contrary, the effect of hydrochloric and nitric acid emerged to be related only to the processes occurring in the sample introduction system.     

去溶温度对微波诱导等离子体原子吸收光谱法分析性能影响的研究

本文研究了超声雾化微波诱导等离子体原子吸收光谱法(UN-MIP-AAS)中,去溶温度对选择载气流量、微波前向功率等因素的影响,并定量考察了去溶效果。通过改善去溶条件,提高了UN-MIP-AAS的分析性能。     

Ultrasonic nebulization of liquid samples for analytical inductively coupled plasma-atomic spectroscopy: an update

An improved, continuous-flow ultrasonic nebulizer equipped with a desolvation system for generating dehydrated aerosol particles prior to their injection into analytical inductively coupled plasmas is described. Results of a critical evaluation of the performance of the nebulizer-desolvation system are also presented. Compared to the commonly used pneumatic nebulizers studied in this work, the ultrasonic version described in this paper provided superior powers of detection, ranging from factors of 5–50, and yielded comparable to superior short and long term reproducibility for dilute acid and high salt content solutions. Clean out times for the ultrasonic nebulizer were marginally longer, by 15–20 s, than those observed for pneumatic nebulizers. “Memory effects” and “desolvation interferences” were generally reducible to negligible proportions through the application of various expediencies discussed in this paper. When substantial changes in concomitant concentrations caused measurable interelement effects, the magnitude of these effects tended to be slightly higher for the ultrasonic system. However, when the samples destined for ultrasonic nebulization were diluted by factors of ~ 10, which corresponds approximately to the superiority of the nebulization efficiency of the ultrasonic nebulizer, the magnitudes of the interelement effects were comparable.     

Desolvation of acid solutions in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry by infrared radiation. Comparison with a system based on microwave radiation

The behaviour of an infrared desolvation system with acid solutions in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) is evaluated, and the influence of the liquid uptake rate and of the nature and concentration of the acid on the solvent and analyte transport rates and on the analytical figures of merit is studied. The results are compared with those obtained with a desolvation system based on the absorption of microwave radiation. The infrared desolvation system performs best at low sample uptake rates (0.4 ml min⁻¹) and its behaviour strongly depends on the nature and concentration of the solution used. With nitric and hydrochloric solutions, there is almost no effect of the acid concentration on the emission intensity, while for sulfuric and perchloric acids the signal decreases as the acid concentration is increased. These effects seem to be related with the different capability of the acid aerosols to be heated in an IR field. The microwave desolvation system seems to be more prone to matrix (acid) effects, specially when using sulfuric and perchloric acids, resulting in emission intensities which are usually lower than those obtained with the infrared desolvation system, though their limits of detection are quite similar.     

New developments in thermospray sample introduction for atomic spectrometry

The status of thermospray sample introduction for analytical atomic spectrometry was last reviewed in 1992. In this review, we summarize developments in this field since that time, including investigations of aerosol generation processes, noise diagnosis and control with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission or mass spectrometry (ICP-AES/MS), high flow thermospray, the use of dual-stage desolvation systems based on membrane dryers, and the utilization of thermospray with axially viewed ICP-AES. Since a major advantage of methods based on thermospray is improved limits of detection, the emphasis for applications of thermospray with ICP spectrometries remains focused on environmental sample types, particularly with ICP-MS. Relatedly, the use of thermospray as a means for the direct speciation of Se is also under development.     

Study of a Low-Powered He Microwave-Induced Plasma for Determination of P, Cl, Br, and I by Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Aqueous sample solutions were nebulized by an ultrasonic nebulizer and the solvent was removed by a desolvation apparatus before introduction of the aerosol into the microwave-induced plasma (MIP). The desolvation system consists of a heating tube and a condenser associated with a concentrated H₂SO₄ desiccator. The water vapor was removed almost completely with the desolvation system. The detectability of microwave-induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry was therefore improved. The detection limits for P, Cl, Br, and I were 0.0045, 0.12, 0.23. and 0.06 μg/ml, respectively. Based on a study of the emission spectra of P, Cl, Br, and I in the range of 200 to 600 nm in He MIP, the optimum analytical lines for determination of corresponding elements were chosen.     

Use of a multi-tube Nafion® membrane dryer for desolvation with thermospray sample introduction to inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

A multi-tube Nafion^® membrane dryer used as a part of a desolvation system in conjunction with thermospray nebulization was optimized and characterized with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Either argon or nitrogen could be used as the sweep gas, and optimum conditions were found to be at low temperature and low sweep gas flow rate. Analyte sensitivity was not significantly affected by placing the membrane between the plasma and the nebulizer, although about 20% of the analyte entering the dryer is lost within the dryer. A dual role of the membrane dryer was demonstrated. As a secondary step within the desolvation system, it enabled a high desolvation efficiency of 99.94% for aerosols from 1% (v/v) nitric acid. Plasma solvent load could be reduced to 0.9 mg min⁻¹ with a tap water cooled condenser combined with the membrane dryer, compared to 21 mg min⁻¹ with the normal chilled condenser desolvation system. Meanwhile, the membrane was also found to act as a pulse dampener, eliminating the plasma pulsation in the central channel caused by thermospray nebulization and thus improving the analytical performance of the system. The average relative standard deviations (RSD) with the optimized membrane/thermospray system were 0.83% and 0.60% for the background and analyte signals, respectively, which were reduced by a factor of 1.9 and 2.7 for the background and analyte signals, respectively, compared to thermospray without the membrane desolvation, and were essentially identical to those obtained with pneumatic nebulization sample introduction. The improvements in detection limits with the membrane/thermospray system were 1.2–3.0 times with an average factor of 1.8 compared to thermospray without the membrane dryer, and 18–68 times with an average factor of 39 compared to the standard pneumatic nebulization sample introduction system without a desolvation unit. The detection limits for Mn, Mg, Cr and Cd with the present thermospray/membrane system were comparable to those reported for pneumatic nebulization ICP mass spectrometry.     

Studies of a radio frequency inductively coupled argon plasma for optical emission spectrometry—III. Interference effects under compromise conditions for simultaneous multi-element analysis

This work concerns interference effects in a 0.7-kW, 50-MHz inductively coupled plasma (ICP) provided with an ultrasonic nebulizer (USN) and desolvation apparatus (DA). The observations were made under (ICP) conditions adopted previously as “compromise conditions for simultaneous multi-element analysis.” Various matrices and analytes were considered.An arrangement of two identical USN's with separate DA's was used to distinguish between interferences due to processes in the plasma (“plasma effects”) and the nebulizer—desolvation apparatus (“nebulizer—desolvation effects”). The latter were identified as “desolvation effects” and attributed to a variation in the loss of analyte in the DA. This desolvation effect, whose magnitude varies between ±10%, is related to the difference in volatility between matrix and analyte. The experiments revealed plasma effects that cannot be reconciled with the common pictures of ionization interference and are not due to incomplete volatilization or dissociation either. Possible explanations are considered. The overall interference level in the ICP studied is discussed and practical conclusions regarding the use of desolvation, “pure” aqueous solutions as standards, and spectroscopic buffers are drawn.     

Matrix-induced shift effects in axially viewed inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

In order to study matrix effects and efficiency of internal standardization with an axially-viewed ICP-AES system, a large number of elements with atomic lines in the 2.9–7.8-eV excitation energy range and ionic lines in the 7.7–16.5-eV energy sum range were selected and matrix effects were evaluated using a multichannel detector having a wavelength coverage in the range 167–785 nm. Na and Ca were selected as interferent elements at a concentration of up to 10 g l⁻¹, along with nitric acid, up to a concentration of 20% (v/v). Several operating conditions were used, ranging from robust conditions (1500 W, 0.65 l min⁻¹ for the carrier gas) to non-robust conditions (800 W, 1.2 l min⁻¹). Under robust conditions, a rather flat, depressive effect was observed for ionic lines and atomic lines. This depressive effect was mainly assigned to the aerosol transport and filtering phenomena and was element or acid concentration-dependent. Within this depressive effect, some small departures from the flat effect were observed. However, these small effects exhibited the same patterns over the interferent element concentration range of 1–10 g l⁻¹, i.e. these effects were shifted as a function of the interferent concentration rather than multiplied. A consequence is that internal standardization to compensate for matrix effects on ionic lines was found to be more efficient when based on additive (i.e. shift) effects rather than on multiplicative (i.e. proportional) effects. Under non-robust conditions, signal compensation was found to be inefficient.     

有机溶剂对镧和钇ICP光谱信号的增敏机理研究

本文考察了有机溶剂（乙酸丁酯）及有机试剂（PMBP）引入ICP－AES对稀土元素镧和钇光谱信号的影响。实验结果表明，有机溶剂的引入明显增大了待测物的传质效率，从而导致分析灵敏度的改善。与水相相比，有机相的引入对ICP激发温度未产生明显影响，但使线对强度比（LogI^ /I)增强，有利于待测物的电离。     

Modelling study of electron-beam polycyclic and nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons treatment

The efficiency of the electron-beam removal of harmful impurities from industrial flue gases was studied as applied to polycyclic and nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The mathematical model of radiation-induced processes was proposed. The model includes aromatic molecules decomposition in gas-phase reactions, and their liquid-phase conversion in the aerosol droplets produced upon the binary volume condensation of water and sulfuric acid vapors. The presence of active species (atoms and radicals) in radiation zone and their reactions with aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons can result in an opposite effect: the formation of aromatic molecules and growth of their structure. Modelling study of such processes allows evaluating the efficiency of this purification technology at various initial conditions. Results of calculations are compared with available experimental data.     

Behaviour of the thermospray nebulizer as a system for the introduction of organic solutions in flame atomic absorption spectrometry

The results obtained in the evaluation of the thermospray nebulizer for the introduction of organic solutions in atomic spectrometry are described. To this end, the influence of the nebulization variables (i.e., liquid flow, control temperature and inner diameter of the capillary) and of the nature of the solvent on the fraction of solvent vaporized, on the drop size distribution of the primary aerosol, on the rates of analyte and solvent transport to the atomization cell and on the analytical signal has been studied. Experimental fraction of solvent vaporized values obtained under different nebulization conditions are reported for the first time. The results show that the characteristics of the aerosol generated strongly depend on the nebulization variables since they determine the amount of energy available for surface generation. The median of the volume drop size distribution of the primary aerosol decreases when the control temperature or the liquid flow is increased or when the inner diameter of the capillary is decreased. As regards the physical properties of the solvent, the so-called expansion factor (i.e., the volume of vapour produced per unit volume of liquid solvent) is the most influential. Surface tension and viscosity are much less significant here than in ordinary pneumatic nebulization. The volatility of the solvent and the characteristics of the primary aerosol determine the solvent transport efficiency which reaches values close to 100% in many cases. The analytical signal is mainly determined by the analyte transport rate, although a severe negative effect appears which is related to the high solvent load to the flame. Due to this fact, the use of organic solvents instead of water in thermospray nebulization for Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry does not provide clear advantages, at least without desolvation. A new modified Nukiyama-Tanasawa equation has been presented and evaluated in order to predict the Sauter mean diameter of the thermal aerosols. The results show that, under the conditions tested, this equation can not be applied to predict the characteristics of the primary aerosols generated with this type of nebulizer.     

Atomization problems in atomic absorption spectroscopy—IV: Impact devices, spray chambers and interferences

A study is made of the effect of the design and position of impact devices on the nebulization efficiency and the extent of volatilization interferences in atomic absorption measurements using an air-acetylene flame. Experiments are described using new designs of spray chamber, either alone or following a tapered spray chamber. The most effective way of reducing volatilization interferences is to force the aerosol to pass through a jet and impinge on a flat surface, either at an impact device or in a spray chamber. This always involves a decrease in the analytical signal, but the signal-to-noise ratio is essentially unchanged. The aerosol transport model of Browner, Boorn and Smith is applied, with modifications where necessary, to calculate the cut-off characteristics of some of the systems studied. Drop-size distribution measurements made on some of the spray chambers substantiate the conclusion that reduction of volatilization interferences and the concomitant loss of analytical signal are due to the selective removal of the larger droplets of the aerosol. For several well-known volatilization interferences, values are derived for the limiting diameters of droplets which can be effectively vaporized in the air-acetylene flame under the experimental conditions used.     

Comparative performance study of different sample introduction techniques for rapid and precise selenium isotope ratio determination using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP/MS)

The analytical performance of five sample introduction systems, a cross flow nebulizer spray chamber, two different solvent desolvation systems, a multi-mode sample introduction system (MSIS), and a hydride generation (LI2) system were compared for the determination of Se isotope ratio measurements using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP/MS). The optimal operating parameters for obtaining the highest Se signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios and isotope ratio precision for each sample introduction were determined. The hydride generation (LI2) system was identified as the most suitable sample introduction method yielding maximum sensitivity and precision for Se isotope ratio measurement. It provided five times higher S/N ratios for all Se isotopes compared to the MSIS, 20 times the S/N ratios of both desolvation units, and 100 times the S/N ratios produced by the conventional spray chamber sample introduction method. The internal precision achieved for the ⁷⁸Se/⁸²Se ratio at 100 ng mL⁻¹ Se with the spray chamber, two desolvation, MSIS, and the LI2 systems coupled to MC-ICP/MS was 150, 125, 114, 13, and 7 ppm, respectively. Instrument mass bias factors (K) were calculated using an exponential law correction function. Among the five studied sample introduction systems the LI2 showed the lowest mass bias of −0.0265 and the desolvation system showed the largest bias with −0.0321. Figure Illustration of the multi-mode sample introduction system for Se isotope ratiomeasurements     

Isotope dilution – high efficiency nebulization-ICP-MS: The coupling of accuracy and sensitivity

If sample pretreatment, nebulization and method of calibration are suitably adapted to each other the performance of inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry ICP-MS can be greatly increased. High accuracy is obtained by high precision and low bias. For a given concentration higher sensitivity means higher count rates and therefore higher precision. Systematic errors are minimized by employing a definitive method of calibration. Increased sensitivity is obtained by introducing higher amounts of sample into the measurement system via high efficiency nebulizers (ultrasonic nebulizer, hydraulic-high pressure nebulizer according to Berndt and concentric high efficiency nebulizer according to Meinhard). Because this means also higher matrix effects a combination of ion chromatographic (IC-TMS) and thermal trace-matrix-separation by aerosol desolvation (T-TMS) is introduced. Isotope dilution (ID) proves to be the calibration most suitable to achieve the highest accuracy. First applications on the analysis of refractory metals (e.g. Ti, V, Nb, Ta) and non-metals (e.g. P, S, As, Se) showed recoveries of 60-105%, an imprecision of the recoveries of 2-50%, but an overall inaccuracy of only 0.1 to 4%.     

Matrix effects in the analysis of biological matrices by axial view inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

We are reporting observations of positive and negative variations of emission line intensities during the determination of boron and titanium in biological matrices by axial view inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry with segmented charge-coupled device detection. The study included the testing of several elements (yttrium, palladium and platinum) and analytical wavelengths for internal standardization, aiming to compensate for variations in signal recovery due to matrix interferences. Human albumin was chosen as principal matrix component to assess the effect of variable chemical and instrumental operating conditions on boron response. A parametric study was performed by considering the application of two different nebulizer–aerosol chamber systems, the effect of plasma operating conditions on analyte and internal standard signals and the influence of common blood plasma electrolytes, added as salts of alkaline or alkaline earth elements. The pneumatic injection systems tested were a standard cross-flow nebulizer with a Scott type spray chamber and a concentric Meinhard type device coupled to a glass cyclonic spray chamber. The change from standard (i.e. medium RF power and relatively high aerosol carrier gas flow rate) to robust (i.e. higher RF power and lower carrier gas flow rate) conditions contributed to large, non-correlated variations in boron intensities and in some of the analyte/internal standard ratios. Significant memory effects were observed for injection of boron solutions prepared with boric acid and containing small amounts of acid, but those effects were negligible when the boron carrier compound was boronophenylalanyne. The injection of titanium solutions did not produce analyte carry-over effects. When internal standards were employed, a less effective signal compensation was consistently observed for boron at higher albumin concentrations when the difference in energies of the lines was between 4.5 and 6 eV. This effect was enhanced for some line pairs when robust conditions are employed. Differences in the response between nebulizers were minor, with a slight advantage in sensitivity for the cross-flow/Scott system. Yttrium was found to be useful for signal compensation in the determination of boron and titanium in blood and human plasma provided that the equivalent concentration of albumin in the nebulized sample dilutions was kept below 0.2% w/v. Simultaneous measurement of a reference strontium line was found to be useful as an additional verification of the response of yttrium as internal standard.     

The use of sample additives in flame emission spectrometry

New kinds of sample additives were investigated to increase the efficiencies of desolvation and atomization in flame spectrometry. Hydrazine and nigrosin were chosen as chemical and dye additives, respectively; an enhancement in the flame-emission signal was obtained in both cases. With nigrosin, it was possible to eliminate completely the interference of phosphate on a calcium emission signal. The increase in the signal for both additives was believed initially to be due to the more rapid evaporation of droplets in the sample aerosol. Further evidence, however, suggested that enhanced vaporization is responsible for the observed signal increase. It is suggested that similar sample additives might be useful also in inductively-coupled plasma emission spectrometry.     

Gas-phase ionization/desolvation processes and their effect on protein charge state distribution under matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization conditions

The charge state distribution of proteins was studied as a function of experimental conditions, to improve the understanding of the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mechanisms. The relative abundances of the multiply-charged ions appear to be a function of the matrix chosen, the laser fluence and the matrix-to-analyte molar ratio. A correlation is found between the matrix proton affinity and the yield of singly- versus multiply-charged ions. These results are in good agreement with a model in which gas-phase intracluster reactions play a significant role in analyte ion formation. A new model for endothermic desolvation processes in ultraviolet/MALDI is presented and discussed. It is based upon the existence of highly-charged precursor clusters and, complementary to the ion survivor model of Karas et al., assumes that two energy-dependent processes exist: (i) a soft desolvation involving consecutive losses of neutral matrix molecules, leading to a multiply-charged analyte and (ii) hard desolvation leading to a low charge state analyte, by consecutive losses of charged matrix molecules. These desolvations pathways are discussed in terms of kinetically limited processes. The efficiency of the two competitive desolvation processes seems related to the internal energy carried away by clusters during ablation.     

A Study on the Determination of Copper by Microwave Induced Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (MIP-AES)

The determination of copper by MIP-AES was investigated in detail. Aqueous samples were introduced from an ultrasonic nebulizer and the solvent was removed by a desolvation device before introduction of the aerosol into the MIP. The desolvation system consisted of a condenser associated with a concentrated H2SO4 absorption cell. Various experimental conditions and interferences from easily ionised elements (EIEs) were also studied and some practical samples were analyzed.