Complementary molecular and elemental detection of speciated thioarsenicals using ESI-MS in combination with a xenon-based collision-cell ICP-MS with application to fortified NIST freeze-dried urine

The simultaneous detection of arsenic and sulfur in thioarsenicals was achieved using xenon-based collision-cell inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry (MS) in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography. In an attempt to minimize the ¹⁶O¹⁶O⁺ interference at m/z 32, both sample introduction and collision-cell experimental parameters were optimized. Low flow rates (0.25 mL/min) and a high methanol concentration (8%) in the mobile phase produced a fourfold decrease in the m/z 32 background. A plasma sampling depth change from 3 to 7 mm produced a twofold decrease in background at m/z 32, with a corresponding fourfold increase in the signal associated with a high ionization surrogate for sulfur. The quadrupole bias and the octopole bias were used as a kinetic energy discriminator between background and analyte ions, but a variety of tuning conditions produced similar (less than twofold change) detection limits for sulfur (³²S). A 34-fold improvement in the ³²S detection limit was achieved using xenon instead of helium as a collision gas. The optimized xenon-based collision cell ICP mass spectrometer was then used with electrospray ionization MS to provide elemental and molecular-based information for the analysis of a fortified sample of NIST freeze-dried urine. The 3σ detection limits, based on peak height for dimethylthioarsinic acid (DMTA) and trimethylarsine sulfide (TMAS), were 15 and 12 ng/g, respectively. Finally, the peak area reproducibilities (percentage relative standard deviation) of a 5-ppm fortified sample of NIST freeze dried urine for DMTA and TMAS were 7.4 and 5.4%, respectively. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

标准参考物质贻贝和虾样中砷和硒的氢化物发生-电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定

本文对标准参考物质贻贝和虾粉中砷和硒的测定作了较详细研究。用 HNO_3-HClO_4常压、HNO_3-HClO_4-HF 常压,HNO_3-HClO_4-HF 加压和王水-HClO_4加压消解四种样品处理方法的测定结果表明,前两种方法不能将有机物完全破坏,从而使砷和硒的测定结果偏低。用加压消解方法可使样品中的有机物基本破坏完全,砷和硒的测定结果与标准值基本吻合。本文还对高价氢化物元素的预还原等问题作了讨论。     

Determination of arsenic in dinosaur skeleton fossils by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry was for the first time utilized to determine trace toxic element arsenic in the skeleton fossils of four dinosaurs unearthed in Sichuan Province of China. The instrumental limit of detection (LOD) for arsenic was 0.03 μg/L under optimal experimental conditions, which compared favorably to that by ICP-AES and ETAAS. The samples were digested with aqua regia in boiling water bath. The recoveries of standard addition were found to be from 97 to 109%, and the analytical results were found in good agreement with those by ICP-AES. It is a simple, reliable, sensitive yet relatively inexpensive analytical method, compared to ICP-AES, ICP-MS or ETAAS. Interesting analytical results were found that the arsenic concentrations were all abnormally high in the skeleton fossils. The established analytical method and the analytical results may be helpful in revealing the mystery of the mass extinction of the dinosaur fauna. The analytical results, together with other data available to date, supported the argument that the arsenic toxicosis could be a contributing factor for the mass extinction of the dinosaur fauna in Sichuan Province of China.     

Analysis and leaching characteristics of mercury and arsenic in Chinese medicinal material

The purpose of this study is to investigate the amounts and characteristics of heavy metals (As, Hg) leachable from several Chinese medicinal materials (CMM) under conditions simulating stomach and intestine digestion and absorption. Analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was compared with that by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS). Focused microwave assisted extraction (MAE) and Soxhlet extraction were carried out to compare with the conventional sequential extraction method. The CMM studied included two mineral drugs: realgar and cinnabar, and two formulated drugs containing the two minerals. The leachable amounts of the target elements into artificial stomach fluid, artificial intestinal fluid, and artificial intestinal fluid in 0.5% trypsin were compared. The last solvent gave the greatest amounts of leachable As (0.41%) from realgar and Hg (1×10⁻⁴%) from cinnabar, but otherwise no significant effect on the leachable amounts was observed upon changing the following parameters: temperature (37-60 °C), HCl concentration (0.5-6 M), and CMM sample particle size (74 and 250 μm). The low leaching efficiencies observed confirmed the presence of As and Hg as insoluble species (sulfides)in these mineral drugs. Sequential extraction schemes were used to determine the species of mercury and arsenic in formulated drugs containing the minerals. Trace amounts of organic forms of arsenic (0.43%) and mercury (2.9×10⁻⁴%) were observed which could be the transformation products derived from the original cinnabar or realgar minerals in drug formulation.     

On‐Line Determination of Arsenic Species in Sea Water by Selective Hydride Generation Coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma — Mass Spectrometry

A method for direct de termination of total in organic arsenic (III+V), arsenic (III) and dimethylarsinate (DMA) in sea water was developed by combining continuous‐flow selective hydride generation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) is presented. The principle underlying selective hydride generation is based on proper control of the reaction conditions for achieving separation of the respective arsenic species. The effects of pH and composition of reaction media on mutual interference between the arsenic species were investigated in detail. The results indicate that the appropriate media for the selective determination of total in organic arsenic, DMA and As(III) are 6 M HNO₃, acetate buffer at pH = 4.63 and citrate buffer at pH = 6.54, respectively. The concentrations of total inorganic arsenic species, As(III+V), and As(III) were respectively deter mined and that of As(V) was obtained by the difference between them. As to the concentration of DMA, it was obtained after correction from the interference caused by As(III) and As(V). By following the established procedure, the detection lim its (as based on 3‐sigma criterion) for As(III+V), As(III) and DMA were 0.050, 0.009, and 0.002 ng/mL, respectively. There liability of the pro posed method was evaluated in terms of precision and spike addition. The results indicated that the precision of better than 3% and spike recovery of 95 to 105% for all the arsenic species tested in the natural sea water samples can be obtained.     

Determination of trace lead by hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

A newly developed hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HG-ICP-MS) system was employed to determine trace amounts of lead in geological and biological samples. Laboratory-made single-stage and double-stage gas-liquid separators (GLSs) were investigated in order to replace the consumable membrane-GLS. Possible reasons were given why double-stage GLSs were superior over the single-stage ones according to the factors such as GLS volume and configuration, carrier gas inlet mode and flow rate. Interferences in liquid and vapor phase from concomitant ions and their products were investigated employing different flow mani-folds. Memory effects contributed to the blank values, but could be reduced employing a special wash protocol. Internal and external standardization were combined to improve the accuracy of the method, with bismuth as the internal standard according to its similarity with lead in the HG-ICP-MS system. Compared with ICP-MS and hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) methods, the system performance of HG-ICP-MS was characterized with improved detection limit to 0.002 ng/ml and acceptable short- and long-term stabilities. The linear dynamic range of this method was up to 50 ng/ml lead. Three Chinese national certified reference materials: poplar leaves, human hair and copper ore, were analyzed for method validation, and the results agreed well with the certified values. At last, the method was also employed to determine wide range of lead concentrations in lightweight limestone and nervous tissue samples from infants of albino rats with recoveries between 95 and 105% (n=10).     

氢化物发生-电感耦合等离子体质谱联用技术研究

运用自制的接口，实现了氢化物发生与电感耦合等离子体质谱的联用。考察了连续流动氢化物发生器、气动型断流式氢化物发生器及气动型流动注射氢化物发生器与电感耦合等离子体质谱仪的联用性能。确定了仪器的最佳参数，研究了系统的分析性能，实现了能生成氢化物的8种元素的定量测定。     

Oxidation State Specific Generation of Arsines from Methylated Arsenicals Based on L- Cysteine Treatment in Buffered Media for Speciation Analysis by Hydride Generation - Automated Cryotrapping - Gas Chromatography-Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with the Multiatomizer

An automated system for hydride generation - cryotrapping- gas chromatography - atomic absorption spectrometry with the multiatomizer is described. Arsines are preconcentrated and separated in a Chromosorb filled U-tube. An automated cryotrapping unit, employing nitrogen gas formed upon heating in the detection phase for the displacement of the cooling liquid nitrogen, has been developed. The conditions for separation of arsines in a Chromosorb filled U-tube have been optimized. A complete separation of signals from arsine, methylarsine, dimethylarsine, and trimethylarsine has been achieved within a 60 s reading window. The limits of detection for methylated arsenicals tested were 4 ng l(-1). Selective hydride generation is applied for the oxidation state specific speciation analysis of inorganic and methylated arsenicals. The arsines are generated either exclusively from trivalent or from both tri- and pentavalent inorganic and methylated arsenicals depending on the presence of L-cysteine as a prereductant and/or reaction modifier. A TRIS buffer reaction medium is proposed to overcome narrow optimum concentration range observed for the L-cysteine modified reaction in HCl medium. The system provides uniform peak area sensitivity for all As species. Consequently, the calibration with a single form of As is possible. This method permits a high-throughput speciation analysis of metabolites of inorganic arsenic in relatively complex biological matrices such as cell culture systems without sample pretreatment, thus preserving the distribution of tri- and pentavalent species.     

Optimization of selenium determination in plant samples by hydride generation and axial view inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

The use of hydride generation coupled with axial view inductively couple plasma atomic emission spectrometry was presented for the determination of selenium in plant samples. The chemical factors affecting potentially the hydride generation efficiency (hydrochloric acid, sodium borohydride and sodium hydroxide concentrations) were assessed through investigation of chemical interference, accuracy and repeatability. The accuracy of measurements was not affected by elements present in high concentration in the plant matrix (K, Ca, Mg, and P). No interference was also observed with transition metals. Using a real sample (maize) with standard additions, decreases of recoveries were sometimes observed for 0.1% (m/v) NaOH, and attained 13.8% in the most unfavourable case. The final accuracy of the method was verified by using two certified reference materials: CRM 402 (white clover) and CRM 279 (sea lettuce). No statistically significant differences were obtained between the measured concentrations and the certified values. The optimized method was found sensitive (detection limit 0.15 μg l⁻¹), reliable and repeatable (R.S.D. between 1.3% and 4.0%).     

Determination of tin in soil by continuous hydride generation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method was investigated for the determination of Sn in soil samples by KOH fusion followed by continuous hydride generation coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HG-ICP-MS). Sample solutions in 3.0 M HCl were mixed in line with a solution of 2.4% NaBH₄ and 0.25 M KOH to generate stannane gas. The mixture was delivered continuously to a gas/liquid separator and the stannane gas was introduced into a Perkin-Elmer Sciex Elan 6000 ICP-MS for concentration measurements. A method detection limit of 0.45 mg/kg was sufficient for Sn levels commonly found in soil samples. Sn concentrations as low as 2.5 mg/kg were reproducibly measured in soil samples. Sample results by HG-ICP-MS agreed within ±17% relative difference to results by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and within ±6% relative difference to results by KOH fusion followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES).     

Possibilities and limits of the simultaneous determination of As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, and Sn by flow injection-hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (FI-HG-ICP-TOFMS)

A simultaneous multi-elemental measurement of As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, and Sn was performed in this study by flow injection-hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (FI-HG-ICP-TOFMS). An off-line pre-reduction treatment using a solution of 5% (m/v) KI and ascorbic acid for 15 min at 80 °C is described by presenting its advantages and disadvantages and compared with the results achieved without pre-reduction. Using optimised conditions the following figures of merit were achieved: limits of detection in the 0.08-0.54 ng ml⁻¹ range and relative standard deviations (RSD) of 1.7-6.7%, respectively. Applying the presented method, two certified reference materials (NIST 1643d freshwater and PACS-2 marine sediment) were analysed to demonstrate the suitability of the method for analysis of real samples. Results obtained from treated samples showed good agreement with certified values while the untreated ones considerably departed from them.     

Complementary chromatography separation combined with hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for arsenic speciation in human urine

This study aimed to establish complementary high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods including three modes of separation: ion pairing, cation exchange, and anion exchange chromatography, with detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The ion pairing mode enabled the separation of inorganic arsenate (As(V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)). However, the ion pair mode was unable to differentiate inorganic arsenite (As(III)) from arsenobetaine (AsB); instead, cation exchange chromatography was used to isolate and quantify AsB. Anion exchange chromatography was able to speciate all of the aforementioned arsenic species. Potential inaccurate quantification problem with urine sample containing elevated concentration of AsB, which eluted immediately after As(III) in anion exchange or ion pairing mode, was overcame by introducing a post-column hydride generation (HG) derivatization step. Incorporating HG between HPLC and ICPMS improved sensitivity and specificity by differentiating AsB from hydride-forming arsenic species. This paper emphasizes the usefulness of complementary chromatographic separations in combination with HG-ICPMS to quantitatively determine concentrations of As(III), DMA(V), MMA(V), As(V), and AsB in the sub-microgram per liter range in human urine.     

流动注射-氢化物发生-电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定矿石中的砷、锑、铋

本文将流动注射-氢化物-ICP/AES 技术应用于矿石中痕量砷、锑、铋的测定。结果表明,本法具有分析速度快(60样/小时),灵敏度高(As、Sb、Bi 的测定下限达μg/g 级),精度好及操作简便等优点。     

氢化物发生与ICP/AES联用后等离子体的性质研究

本文通过测量电子密度ｎｅ,电子温度Ｔｅ,激发温度Ｔｅｘｃ及谱线强度,将氢化物进样同水溶液常规气动雾化进样对比,研究了氢化物进入ＩＣＰ后,对等离子体性质的影响。结果表明,由于氢化物的引入,ＩＣＰ的激性能得到了改善。     

氢化物发生ICP-AES测定各种形态砷

本文研究了用萃取分离环境样品中的有机砷和无机砷,用氢化物发生ICP-AES法测定的方法。As(Ⅲ)、As(Ⅴ)、DMA、MMA检测限在0.6～0.8ppb之间。各形态砷的浓度在1ppb～10ppm之间时工作曲线呈良好线性关系,相对标准偏差为1.4～2.2%。     

硝酸-过氧化氢敞口消解/ICP-MS测定植物样品砷含量

选取了玉米秸秆与籽粒、小麦秸秆与籽粒、烟草等5种不同的植物样品,加入硝酸-过氧化氢,进行敞口消解,消解液中As(⁷⁵As)采用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪He碰撞模式测定,以⁷²Ge为内标元素。结果表明：2个国家生物成分分析标准物质GBW10011(GSB-2,小麦)和GBW10020(GSB-11,柑橘叶)砷的测定值在标准确认值范围内;在植物样品中加入砷标准溶液,加标回收率在87%~104%之间;方法检出限为0.0055 μg/g,灵敏度较高;对4个植物样品分别重复测定5次,相对标准偏差均小于10%。本文结论认为电感耦合等离子体质谱仪He碰撞模式可以用于测定硝酸-过氧化氢敞口消解植物样品中砷含量,该方法测定结果准确可靠,重现性好,灵敏度高。     

A simple method using on-line continuous leaching and ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic in rice

A simple method for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic (As) in rice was developed using a continuous on-line leaching method to release the bio-accessible fraction. The continuous on-line leaching method has several advantages over commonly used batch methods including quicker and easier sample preparation, reduced risk of contamination and access to real time leaching data. The bio-accessibility of As in the samples was monitored using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results from a certified reference material as well as cooked and uncooked white rice showed that the majority of As was leached by saliva. Results obtained using the continuous on-line leaching method were comparable to those obtained using a batch method. Speciation analysis of the saliva leachate was performed using ion exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. The four most toxic forms of As (As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and As(V)) were clearly separated within 5 min in a single chromatographic run. Over 92% of bio-accessible As in the certified reference material and uncooked white rice sample was in the form of DMA and As(V), whereas it was present as DMA and As(III) in the cooked white rice.     

HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC-ES-MS/MS characterization of synthetic seleno-arsenic compounds

Various toxicological and metabolic interactions have been reported to exist between arsenic and selenium. In the present study, synthetic seleno-arsenic compounds, potentially suitable for probing metabolic interactions between these two elements, were prepared and tentatively characterized by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and HPLC–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In analogy to the recently identified thio-arsenic species, which can be prepared from their corresponding oxo-arsenic species via reaction with H₂S, the seleno-arsenic compounds were also derived from oxo-arsenic compounds via reaction with H₂Se. Figure H₂Se bubbled into solutions containing oxo‐arsenosugars converts them into their seleno‐arsenosugar analogues.     

等离子体光谱法同时测定羟基磷灰石中的As,Hg方法研究

等离子体光谱法同时测定羟基磷灰石中的Ａｓ、Ｈｇ方法研究胡明芬童式国（四川大学分析测试中心成都６１００６４）关键词砷汞等离子体光谱法氢化物发生羟基磷灰石［Ｃａ５（ＰＯ４）３（ＯＨ），简称ＨＡ］是一种优良的生物活性材料，在医学上主要是制备各种人工骨制品，...     

氢化物发生－缝管原子捕集－原子吸收法测定钢铁和地质试样中的砷

介绍简易的氢化物发生原子吸收测砷的方法。喷雾器负压将ＫＢＨ_４吸入反应器，并将生成的ＡｓＨ_３吸入乙炔－空气焰原子化。石英缝管使灵敏度提高３．５倍。方法的检测限（３σ）为１．８ｎｇ／ｍＬ（５ｍＬ试样）。２０ｎｇ／ｍＬＡｓ（Ⅲ）标准液１０次测定的ＲＳＤ为３．８％。本法成功地应用于钢铁和地质标样中微量砷的测定。