Issue 9, 2001

Abstract

Tree bark is used as a passive bio-monitor to assess the environmental impact by the use of automotive catalysts containing platinum-group elements. Pt in bark samples collected from UK, Spain, Japan and USA was determined by ICP-MS both conventionally after acid digestion and directly utilising laser ablation. An ultrasonic nebuliser equipped with a membrane desolvator was employed for digest analysis, to improve the sensitivity (limit of detection, 0.8 ng l−1) and to eliminate the potential spectral interference caused by hafnium oxide. Pt concentrations found in the remote sites were below 9 ng g−1. Similar concentrations were obtained for Spanish/UK cities with occasionally slightly elevated values. In contrast, the concentrations for bark samples in major Japanese/US cities ranged up to 38 ng g−1. The data are consistent with the usage of Pt-containing automotive catalysts in the respective sites. Spatial micro-analytical data, acquired on raw bark materials, indicate that Pt occurred in a highly dispersed particulate form and was not readily transformed/solubilised by actions of weathering. Association of Pt with Pd and/or Rh (no correlation with Pb was observed) suggests that the particles detected originated from automotive catalysts.

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Apr 2001
Accepted
26 Jul 2001
First published
20 Aug 2001

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2001,16, 1070-1075

Assessment of airborne platinum contamination via ICP-mass spectrometric analysis of tree bark

R. Ma, I. Staton, C. W. McLeod, M. B. Gomez, M. M. Gomez and M. A. Palacios, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2001, 16, 1070 DOI: 10.1039/B102940C

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