Direct filter vaporization with induction heating-electrothermal vaporization (IH-ETV) and a foam carbon surface

Abstract

An inductively heated electrothermal vaporizer (IH-ETV) sample introduction system was tested using a foam carbon surface with and without a standard air sampling filter employing ICP-AES excitation with a semiconductor based commercial detection system. Liquid detection limits using 10 µl injections were roughly comparable to those obtained using conventional nebulization on the same instrument. Mass detection limits ranged from 0.5 ng (Zn at 213.9 nm with a foam disk) to 20 ng (Pb at 220.4 nm with a filter). This performance suggests that IH-ETV vaporization of filters might find applicability in environmental air sampling studies.