Direct Determination of Heavy Metals at Picogram per Gram Levels in Greenland and Antarctic Snow by Double Focusing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

The potential of a double focusing ICP-MS instrument in terms of high sensitivity, sample throughput and low volume of sample consumed was investigated for the direct, simultaneous determination of Co, Cu, Zn, Mo, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sb, Pt, Pb, Bi and U at the low and sub-pg g^-1 level in polar snow. The entire analytical procedure, including cleaning of material, field sampling, sample handling, determination of the blanks and instrumental analysis, is described. The mean concentrations detected in snow samples collected in Central Greenland (2.7 m deep pit) are (in pg g^-1): Co 5.8, Cu 4.6, Zn 47, Mo 1.6, Pd 1.1, Ag 0.60, Sb 0.86, Pt 0.61, Bi 2.5 and U 1.8. The Cd, Pb and U concentrations in a snow core section collected in East Antarctica are: Cd 0.39, Pb 5.0, U 0.04 pg g^-1. Repeatability of measurements ranges between 8 and 25% depending on the element considered. For some of the elements investigated these results constitute the first available for polar snow. The results of direct analysis by double focusing ICP-MS on Cd and Pb in the Antarctic snow samples and on Zn and Cu in Greenland samples are consistent with those obtained by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), respectively.

References

1. D. A. Peel, in The Environmental Record in Glaciers and Ice Sheets, eds. Oeschger, H., and Langway, C. C., Jr, Wiley, New York, 1989, pp. 207–223.
2. E. W. Wolff, Antarc. Sci., 1990, 2, 189.
3. C. F. Boutron, Environ. Rev., 1995, 3, 1.
4. F. Batifol, C. Boutron and M. de Angelis, Nature, 1989, 337, 544.
5. C. F. Boutron and C. C. Patterson, Nature, 1986, 323, 222.
6. J. Savarino, C. F. Boutron and J.-L. Jaffrezo, Atmos. Environ., 1994, 28, 1731.
7. V. M. Apatin, B. V. Arkhangelskii, M. A. Bolshov, V. V. Ermolov, V. G. Koloshnikov, O. N. Kompanetz, N. L. Kuznetsov, E. L. Mikheilov, V. S. Shishkovskii and C. F. Boutron, Spectrochim. Acta, Part B, 1989, 44, 253.
8. M. A. Bolshov, C. F. Boutron and A. V. Zybin, Anal. Chem., 1989, 61, 1758.
9. M. A. Bolshov, S. N. Rudniev, J.-P. Candelone, C. F. Boutron and S. Hong, Spectrochim. Acta, Part B, 1994, 49, 1445.
10. M. A. Bolshov, C. F. Boutron, F. M. Ducroz, U. Görlach, O. M. Kompanetz, S. M. Rudniev and B. Hutch, Anal. Chim. Acta, 1991, 251, 169.
11. M. A. Bolshov, V. G. Koloshnikov, S. N. Rudnev, C. F. Boutron, U. Görlach and C. C. Patterson, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 1992, 7, 99.
12. A. Ng and C. C. Patterson, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 1981, 45, 2109.
13. W. Chisholm, K. J. R. Rosman, C. F. Boutron, J.-P. Candelone and S. Hong, Anal. Chim. Acta, 1995, 311, 141.
14. K. J. R. Rosman, W. Chisholm, C. F. Boutron, J.-P. Candelone and U. Görlach, Nature, 1993, 362, 333.
15. K. J. R. Rosman, W. Chisholm, C. F. Boutron, J.-P. Candelone and C. C. Patterson, Geophys. Res. Lett., 1994, 21, 2669.
16. M. Murozumi, T. J. Chow and C. C. Patterson, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 1969, 33, 1247.
17. C. F. Boutron, M. Leclerc and N. Risler, Atmos. Environ., 1984, 18, 1947.
18. C. F. Boutron, C. C. Patterson and N. I. Barkov, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 1990, 101, 248.
19. C. F. Boutron, U. Görlach, J.-P. Candelone, M. A. Bolshov and R. J. Delmas, Nature, 1991, 353, 153.
20. E. W. Wolff and E. D. Suttie, Geophys. Res. Lett., 1994, 21, 781.
21. L. Mart, Tellus, 1983, 35B, 131.
22. J. Volkening and K. G. Heumann, Fresenius' J. Anal. Chem., 1988, 331, 174.
23. G. Scarponi, C. Barbante and P. Cescon, Analusis, 1994, 22, M47.
24. G. Scarponi, C. Barbante, C. Turetta, A. Gambaro and P. Cescon, Microchem. J., 1997, 55, 24.
25. C. Barbante, C. Turetta, G. Capodaglio and G. Scarponi, Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem., 1997, in the press.
26. G. M. Vandal, W. F. Fitzgerald, C. F. Boutron and J.-P. Candelone, Nature, 1993, 362, 621.
27. G. M. Vandal, W. F. Fitzgerald, C. F. Boutron and J.-P. Candelone, in Ice Core Studies of Global Biogeochemical Cycles, eds. Delmas, R. J., Hammer, C., Kley, D., and Mayewski, P., Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1995, pp. 401–415.
28. T. D. Davies, M. Tranter, T. D. Jickells, P. W. Abrahams, S. Landsberger, K. Jarvis and C. E. Pierce, Atmos. Environ., 1992, 26A, 95.
29. T. D. Jickells, T. D. Davies, M. Tranter, S. Landsberger, K. Jarvis and P. W. Abrahams, Atmos. Environ., 1992, 26A, 393.
30. R. E. Sturgeon, S. N. Willie, J. Zheng, A. Kudo and D. C. Grégoire, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 1993, 8, 1053.
31. U. Görlach and C. F. Boutron, Anal. Chim. Acta, 1990, 236, 391.
32. E. D. Suttie and E. W. Wolff, Anal. Chim. Acta, 1992, 258, 229.
33. C. F. Boutron, Fresenius' J. Anal. Chem., 1990, 337, 482.
34. P. J. Paulsen, E. S. Beary, D. S. Bushee and J. R. Moody, Anal. Chem., 1988, 60, 971.
35. J. E. Dibb and J.-L. Jaffrezo, J. Geophys. Res, 1996, in the press.
36. E. Barbolani, M. Dini, V. Maggi, G. Piccardi, F. Serra, B. Stenni and R. Udisti, Terra Antarct., 1997, in the press.
37. J.-P. Candelone, S. Hong and C. F. Boutron, Anal. Chim. Acta, 1994, 299, 9.
38. I. Feldmann, W. Tittes, N. Jakubowski, D. Stuewer and U. Giessmann, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 1994, 9, 1007.
39. U. Giessmann and U. Greb, Fresenius' J. Anal. Chem., 1994, 350, 186.
40. L. Moens, F. Vanhaecke, J. Riondato and R. Dams, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 1995, 10, 569.
41. G. L. Long and J. D. Winefordner, Anal. Chem., 1983, 55, 712A.
42. U. Görlach and C. F. Boutron, J. Atmos. Chem., 1992, 14, 205.
43. S. R. Taylor and S. M. McLennan, The Continental Crust: its Composition and Evolution. An Examination of the Geochemical Record Preserved in Sedimentary Rocks, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, U.K., 1985, pp. 1–300.
44. J.-P. Candelone, J.-L. Jaffrezo, S. Hong, C. I. Davidson and C. F. Boutron, Sci. Total Environ., 1996, 193, 101.
45. M. Koide and E. D. Goldberg, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 1983, 65, 245.
46. B. Mason, Principles of Geochemistry, Wiley, New York, 3rd edition, 1978, pp. 1–300.