Determination of Arsenic in Airborne Particulate Matter by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

An optimized sample digestion procedure was developed for determining As in airborne particulate matter by ICP-MS and applied to real sample analysis. A two-step high-pressure bomb digestion procedure, entailing the digestion of airborne particulates with HNO ₃ –HClO ₄ and then digestion with HClO ₄ –HF after the removal of the intact filter membrane, appears to be the most effective pre-treatment procedure for determining As by ICP-MS. The direct determination of As in airborne particulate matter by laser ablation ICP-MS was also investigated. Standard filters prepared in the laboratory and real samples were both analyzed, and the results agreed with the certified concentrations and data obtained from the conventional acid digestion–ICP-MS method. Finally, the capabilities of various analytical techniques applied to real sample analysis were compared.