Qualitative and quantitative determination of tetraethyllead in fuel usinglow pressure ICP-MS - Invited lecture

A low pressure inductively coupled plasma sustained at 6 W, with 7 ml min(- 1) of helium and 1.8 ml min(-1) of isobutane, has been optimised for the de termination of tetraethyllead, with a detection limit of 7 pg. A chromatogr am of a standard reference fuel (NBS SRM 1637 II) yielded a single peak whi ch was nominally identified as tetraethyllead. The mass spectrum was compar ed to an electron impact library spectrum, and the identity of the tetraeth yllead species in the reference material was confirmed. Quantitative analys is of the fuel yielded a tetraethyllead concentration of 13.1 +/- 0.9 mu g ml(-1) as Pb, which was within the certified range of 12.9 +/- 0.07 mu g ml (-1).