Determination of iron and copper in old manuscripts by slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and laser ablation inductivelycoupled plasma mass spectrometry
B. Wagner et al., Determination of iron and copper in old manuscripts by slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and laser ablation inductivelycoupled plasma mass spectrometry, SPECT ACT B, 54(5), 1999, pp. 797-804
The analytical strategy for the evaluation of iron and copper distribution
in ancient manuscript by slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption
spectrometry (GFAAS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass sp
ectrometry (LA ICP-MS) is presented. The aim of the study was the investiga
tion of ink corrosion in the written area of the ancient manuscript. GFAAS
was used to determine the amount of both metals in micro-samples of paper.
Determination is based on aqueous standards and the precision using slurry
sampling varies in the range from 0.8 to 10.0% R.S.D. for iron and from 0.3
to 7.6% R.S.D. for copper. The content of iron and copper varies significa
ntly between written (32.8 +/- 0.9 mg g(-1) of iron, 15.2 +/- 0.5 mg g(-1)
of copper) and non-written (3.3 +/- 1.3 mg g(-1) of iron, 1.6 +/- 0.8 mg g(
-1) of copper) areas of the investigated manuscript. LA ICP-MS was used to
define the distribution patterns of iron and copper on the surface of the m
anuscript. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.