Issue 2, 2017

Microanalysis of arsenic in solid samples by laser ablation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Abstract

A spot mode-LA-AFS method has been developed for localised microanalysis of arsenic in biological tissues. The cool argon–hydrogen–air diffusion flame in the detector is able to effectively decompose LA-generated aerosol particles and atomise arsenic for fluorescence detection. After optimisation of the critical LA-AFS parameters through ablation of standards based on cellulose-based filters loaded with various arsenic species, the method was validated by comparison with LA-ICP-MS through measurement of arsenic in the leaflets of the arsenic-hyperaccumulating Chinese ladder brake fern Pteris vittata L. Both methods yielded very similar arsenic concentrations associated with parts of the leaflets. The performance characteristics of the LA-AFS method were as follows: sensitivity, 0.01 mV μg−1 g; detection limit (3× standard deviation of the noise), 11 μg g−1, or, in absolute terms, 30 pg of ablated arsenic; analysis time, ca. 1 min per spot; linearity, 0–40 mg g−1.

Graphical abstract: Microanalysis of arsenic in solid samples by laser ablation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Sept. 2016
Accepted
22 Nov. 2016
First published
22 Nov. 2016

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017,32, 299-304

Microanalysis of arsenic in solid samples by laser ablation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Z. Šlejkovec, J. T. van Elteren, V. S. Šelih, M. Šala and W. T. Corns, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017, 32, 299 DOI: 10.1039/C6JA00344C

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