Determination of trace and major elemental profiles in street dust samples by fast miniaturized ultrasonic probe extraction and ICP-MS

A simple, fast and miniaturized ultrasonic probe assisted protocol for acid extraction of trace and major elements from street dust samples, prior to final determination by ICP-MS, has been optimized and validated by standard reference materials and applied during an urban air quality monitoring campaign. 15 mg samples were treated for 3 min with 1 mL concentrated HNO3–HCl (1:3, v/v) extracting solution, by a 1 mm diameter titanium sonotrode connected to a 200 W and 24 kHz ultrasonic device at 80% amplitude. After centrifugation, the extracts were assayed by ICP-MS with good recoveries for the certified elements. Statistical analysis of real sample results by cluster analysis allowed the correct grouping of the samples according to the influence of traffic and construction/demolition activities. Correlation of street dust and PM10 elemental profiles showed the potential applicability of the proposed analytical protocol as a simple and effective way for urban air quality monitoring.