Analysis of air particulate matter and fly ash by spark source mass spectrometry

Summary A procedure is described for the spark source mass spectrometric analysis of a large number of trace constituents in airborne particulate matter and fly-ash. A simple sample preparation procedure and a fully automatic photoplate analysis allows determination of ca. 50 elements with a precision of 20% within 4–5 h.

---

Analyse von Luftstaub und Flugasche mit der Funken-Massenspektrometrie

Zusammenfassung Es wird ein Verfahren zur Bestimmung einer großen Zahl von Spurenbestandteilen in Luftstaub und Flugasche mit Hilfe der Funken-Massenspektrometrie beschrieben. Eine einfache Probenvorbereitung und eine vollautomatische Photoplattenauswertung erlaubt die Bestimmung von etwa 50 Elementen mit einer Genauigkeit von 20% innerhalb von 4–5h.

     

Determination of trace impurities in cobalt by spark source mass spectrometry

An analytical method, SSMS, for the determination of trace impurities in cobalt is described. This element is used as raw material for the production of⁶⁰Co in Embalse Nuclear Power Station. Tin, aluminum, lead, silicon, molybdenum, calcium, vanadium, boron, chromium, zirconium, tungsten, nickel, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper were determined. Manganese, analyzed by AAS, was used as an internal standard. The measurements were semiquantitative. The accuracy of the results was compared with that of emission spectrography and atomic absorption spectrometry, the agreement was found to be satisfactory.     

Determination of sulfur in coal and ash slurry by high-resolution continuum source electrothermal molecular absorption spectrometry

We propose a procedure for the determination of sulfur in coal slurries by high resolution continuum source electrothermal molecular absorption spectrometry. The slurry, whose concentration is 1 mg mL^− 1, was prepared by mixing 50 mg of the sample with 5% v/v nitric acid and 0.04% m/v Triton X-100 and was homogenized manually. It sustained good stability. The determination was performed via CS molecular absorption at 257.592 nm, and the optimized vaporization temperature was 2500 °C. The accuracy of the method was ensured by analysis of certified reference materials SRM 1632b (trace elements in coal) and SRM 1633b (coal fly ash) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, using external calibration with aqueous standards prepared in the same medium and used as slurry. We achieved good agreement with the certified reference materials within 95% confidence interval, LOD of 0.01% w/w, and RSD of 6%, which confirms the potential of the proposed method.     

Determination of trace impurities in zircaloy-2 and tellurium by spark source mass spectrometry

Determination of trace impurities in zircaloy-2 and tellurium by Spark Source Mass Spectrometry (SSMS) is reported. The advantage of SSMS lies in the fact that along with metallic trace constituents even the nonmetallic impurities and gases including hydrogen can also be determined.     

Determination of trace constituents in high purity germanium tetrachloride by spark source mass spectrometry

Summary A procedure was developed for the determination of trace constituents at sub-ppm levels in high purity germanium tetrachloride (GeCl₄) by spark source mass spectrometry using the photoplate detection system. Experiments were conducted to study the loss of various elements present in the chloride form in GeCl₄ by using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Relative sensitivity factors for various elements were determined using synthetically prepared samples. Blanks were determined for graphite powder and for quartz bi-distilled water. Intensities of the doubly charged ions for a number of elements were also determined and used for confirming the semi-quantitative results. The paper presents typical results obtained in the analysis of high purity GeCl₄ obtained from a commercial source. For a number of elements results were compared with those obtained with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

---

Bestimmung von Spurenbestandteilen in hochreinem Germaniumtetrachlorid mit Hilfe der Funkenionen-Massenspektrometrie

Zusammenfassung Ein Verfahren zur Bestimmung von Spurenbestandteilen in hochreinem GeCl₄ im sub-ppm-Bereich mit Hilfe der Funkenionen-MS mit Photoplattendetektion wurde ausgearbeitet. Untersuchungen über den Verlust verschiedener Elemente als Chloride wurden mit energiedispersiver Röntgenfluorescenz durchgeführt. Relative Empfindlichkeitsfaktoren wurden anhand synthetischer Proben bestimmt. Für Graphitpulver und bidestilliertes Wasser wurden Blindwerte bestimmt. IntensitÄten für zweifach geladene Ionen verschiedener Elemente wurden gemessen und zur BestÄtigung halbquantitativer Ergebnisse herangezogen. Typische Resultate für eine handelsübliche Probe werden angegeben. In einigen FÄllen wurden Vergleiche mit den Ergebnissen aus der Graphitofen-AAS angestellt.

     

Determination of rare earths in selected rare earth matrices by spark source mass spectrometry

Three methods of preparing rare earth samples for mass spectrographic analysis are presented. Techniques for adding appropriate internal standards are described and relative sensitivity factors for rare earth impurities in rare earths, lanthanum, yttrium and scandium matrices are presented. Although indium has some value as an internal standard in rare earth samples, best analytical results are obtained when selected rare earths are used as internal standards.     

Determination of human toluene metabolites by mass spectrometry using a silicone membrane source

The toluene metabolite p-cresol was rapidly detected and determined using a silicone membrane source adapted for a VG ZAB-2F mass spectrometer. This compound came from hydrolysed urine, extracted with an organic solvent and dissolved in 1-propanol, giving an average value of 11 ± 1 μg ml^?1 for unexposed workers.     

Analysis of tellurium by spark source mass spectrometry

Summary Three tellurium standards were analyzed by both spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFAAS). From these results relative sensitivity coefficients (RSC) for spark source mass spectrometry were derived for 24 elements.With these RSC's SSMS results within a factor 1.5 from the GFAAS values could be obtained for the determination of various impurities in tellurium. A comparison is made between SSMS, GFAAS and glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS) for the analysis of 4–6 N tellurium samples.

---

Analyse von Tellurium mit Hilfe der Funkenionisations-Massenspektrometrie

---

Dedicated to Prof, Dr. G. Tölg on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Determination of micelle mass by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

By electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry, micelle solutions of sodium cholate were investigated in detail in the presence and absence of ethanol. The average aggregation number could be evaluated from the spectra acquired under conditions where soft collisions adequate to measure the micelle solution were induced, and the value agreed well with that obtained previously by other methods. From the dependence on ethanol content, it was also found that the average aggregation number in aqueous solution without organic solvent could be reliably estimated. The ESI method proved to be a useful tool for determining the micelle mass in the original aqueous phase.     

Determination of Mo, U and B in waters by electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of Mo, U and B in waters by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, using an electrothermal vaporizer for sample introduction, is described. For Mo and U, NH(4)F was chosen as modifier and for B, synthetic sea water plus mannitol were used. The modifier effect was verified and the optimized pyrolysis and vaporization temperatures were obtained from pyrolysis and vaporization curves, together with the transient signals of the analytes. The masses of the modifiers added to the tube were also optimized. The detection limits were 0.018 or 0.30 ng ml(-1) for Mo, 0.03 ng ml(-1) for U and 0.68 ng ml(-1) for B. The analytes were determined in certified waters and the obtained results agree with the certified or recommended values or, in the case of B in sea waters, with the values obtained by other methods. Uranium could not be measured in the sea water samples due to strong memory effect.     

Analysis of radioactive metals by spark source mass spectrometry

A spark source mass spectrograph with photographic plate recording has been adapted for the analysis of plutonium and americium metals. Over seventy elements can be determined simultaneously in these metals. A comparison has been made between results obtained by mass spectrography and by conventional methods for impurity elements. The operations involved in handling radioactive materials in the mass spectrograph are also discussed.     

Determination of U and Th in tungsten by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

A radiochemical separation method using an anion exchange resin has been applied to 4N grade tungsten for determining U, Th and 4 other elements. While tungsten remained in the resin, Na, K and As were separated with 0.05M HCl and 1M HF and then U, Th and Cr were eluted with 1M HCl and 1M HF. The separation yield of neptunium (U) was influenced largely by the amount of thorium, but this influence could be neglected as the concentration of the thorium was below 0.5g/ml. The content of these elements were calculated by a single comparator method using monitors, gold and cobalt. The detection limits of U and Th are 4.0 and 1.2 ppb, respectively.     

ICP-MS测定土壤中铅同位素比值及地域差异性比较

建立用HNO_3-H_2O_2-HF体系微波消解前处理样品,利用电感耦合等离子体质谱测定土壤中铅同住素比值的方法,探讨并优化了影响测试结果的两种干扰因素.该方法中~(207)Pb/~(206)Pb和~(208)Pb/~(206)Pb的短期测量稳定性RSD分别达到0.12%和0.13%,长期测量的偏差分别在0.002和0.01以内,样品测量的最佳范围是10～40μg/L.采用标样-样品交叉法测定了湖南、湖北、云南、贵州、河南、福建、辽宁7个省的48个地区土壤中的铅同位素比值,结合聚类分析和主成分分析比较了各省土壤中同位素分布的差异,初步探讨了利用~(207)Pb/~(206)Pb和~(208)Pb/~(206)Pb比较烟叶产区的可能性.     

Analysis of geothermal waters by spark source mass spectrometry

Summary Although the analysis of thermal water by spark-source mass spectrometry (SSMS) is rather timeconsuming, it allows the detection of about 20 elements of geochemical interest down to the ppb-level. A physical preconcentration is proposed in order to collect elements having quite different chemical properties, e.g. alkalis, transition elements, and elements occurring in anionic form. The relative sensitivity factors appear to be rather independent of the salt content of the graphite electrodes. Contrary to neutron activation analysis, SSMS has a quite uniform elemental sensitivity, and allows to determine elements for which neutron activation is not suitable, e.g. Sn and Pb. The precision of SSMS is however by a factor of about 2 worse than that obtained for neutron activation.

---

Analyse von geothermalen Wässern mittels Funken-Massenspektrometrie

Zusammenfassung Die Analyse von Thermalwasser mittels Funken-Massenspektrometrie ist zwar zeitraubend, sie gestattet aber die Bestimmung von etwa 20 geochemisch interessanten Spurenelementen im ppb-Bereich. Es wird eine physikalische Anreicherung vorgeschlagen, um Elemente mit ganz verschiedenen chemischen Eigenschaften erfassen zu können, z. B. die Alkaligruppe, die Elemente der Übergangsreihe und anionische Verbindungen. Die relativen Empfindlichkeitsfaktoren sind vom Salzgehalt in den Graphitelektroden ziemlich unabhängig. Wegen ihrer gleichmäßigen Elementempfindlichkeit liefert die Funken-Massenspektrometrie Auskunft über den Gehalt von Elementen, die mit Neutronenaktivierung nicht erfaßt werden können, wie z. B. Sn und Pb. Ihre Reproduzierbarkeit ist aber etwa zweimal schlechter.

     

Determination of mercury by extraction and isotope-dilution mass spectrometry

The use of halides for determination of metals by stable-isotope mass spectrometry is suggested, and is illustrated by the use of mercury iodide for mercury determination.     

Developments in plasma source/mass spectrometry

The field of plasma source/mass spectrometry is critically reviewed and its current status assessed. An overview of PS/MS applications is provided and a discussion is offered of key problem areas that currently exist in the field. Areas that are now receiving strong research attention are outlined and a view is offered for future prospects of plasma source/mass spectrometry as a technique for the determination of elements.     

Determination of selected non-authorized insecticides in peppers by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry

In this work, two analytical methods based on liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-TOFMS) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) are described for the identification, confirmation and quantitation of three insecticides non-authorized in the European Union (nitenpyram, isocarbophos and isofenphos-methyl) but detected in recent monitoring programmes in pepper samples. The proposed methodologies involved a sample extraction procedure using liquid-liquid partition with acetonitrile followed by a cleanup step based on dispersive solid-phase extraction. Recovery studies performed on peppers spiked at different fortification levels (10 and 50 microg kg(-1)) yielded average recoveries in the range 76-100% with relative standard deviation (RSD) (%) values below 10%. Identification, confirmation and quantitation were carried out by LC/TOFMS and LC/MS/MS using a hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap (QqLIT) instrument in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The obtained limits of quantitation (LOQs) were in the range 0.1-5 microg kg(-1), depending on each individual technique. Finally, the proposed methods were successfully applied to the analysis of suspected pepper samples.