DETERMINATION OF ULTRATRACE LEVELS OF HEAVY-METALS IN ARCTIC SNOW BY ELECTROTHERMAL VAPORIZATION INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY

Application of electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV-ICP-MS) to the direct determination of trace he avy metals in surface samples of Arctic snow is described. Limits of d etection by ETV-ICP-MS are in the fg range, viz., 29, 57, 86, 120, 140 , 360, 420, 470, 870 and 3200 for TI, Cs, Pb, Mn, Co, V, Cu, Ni, Cd an d Cr, respectively. Direct quantification against simple aqueous stand ards is feasible using NaCl solution as a carrier, The latter was obta ined in a high-purity form through dilution of the sea-water reference material National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) NASS-3. Assessmen t of accuracy was accomplished by analysis of the river water referenc e material SLRS-2 (NRCC) and by comparative analysis of the samples by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry.