Determination of trace metals in atmospheric aerosols with a heavy matrix of cellulose by microwave digestion-inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy

A microwave digestion method followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) analysis was developed to determine trace metal concentrations in atmospheric aerosol samples with a heavy matrix of cellulose material. A combination of HF–HNO3–H2O2–H3BO3 was used for digestion. The background spectral features contributed by the matrix elements were studied. In particular, spectral and non-spectral interference caused by B and F were investigated. Detection limits of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb and Pb were determined in the presence of various amounts of matrix elements. In general, the detection limits of most elements degraded with an increase in B and F. Vanadium (V) suffered most due to severe spectral interference from 11B40Ar+ and/or 19F16O16O. The concentrations of elements in filter paper matrix blanks were measured. An NIST standard (urban particulate matter, 1648), as well as real world atmospheric aerosol samples from Whiteface Mountain, NY, and from Mayville, NY were pressed into pellets with a great amount of cellulose filter material and digested, and the concentrations of trace metals were determined. For the NIST standard, the recoveries of V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, As, Sb and Pb were over 90%, while 77 and 70% for Cr and Se, respectively. For the atmospheric aerosol samples from Whiteface Mountain and Mayville, NY, only the values of Fe, Se, As, Sb and Zn could be compared with those obtained through instrumental neutron activation analysis, and the agreement was within ±10%.