PREPARATION OF AIRBORNE PARTICULATE STANDARDS ON PTFE-MEMBRANE FILTERFOR LASER-ABLATION INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY

This study presents a feasible means of preparing simulated membrane-f ilter standards from SRM materials for laser ablation inductively coup led plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The homogeneity of the prepa red standards and the accuracy and precision of determination of vario us elements in the prepared standards analyzed by LA-ICP-MS were also investigated. Results compared with those of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and ICP-MS after sample digestion in a high pressure bomb indicated that a standard filter prepared by the developed technique can be used to analyze for trace elements in airborne particulates by LA-ICP-MS with a high degree of sensitivity and convenience. In additi on, up to sixteen elements on a single filter sample can be determined within 10 min. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.