Publication details
Diode laser thermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for determination of trace elements in microsamples
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2012 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | A new method for determination of trace elements in submicroliter sample volumes using diode laser thermal vaporization inductively coupled mass spectrometry (DLTV ICP MS) is presented.(1) Common laser-based sample introduction methods use an expensive high-energy pulse laser, whereas DLTV employs a low-cost near infrared continuous-wave diode laser. The diode laser energy is sufficient to induce pyrolysis of the preprinted paper with depositing micro-volume samples and the generated aerosol is carried out into the ICP MS and tested. The limits of detection of Co, Ni, Zn, Mo, Cd, Sn and Pb deposited on the preprinted paper were found to be in the range of 4 – 300 pg. The technique was applied to determination of lead in whole blood and tin in canned food without any sample treatment. Selection of optimal conditions, experimental arrangement, raster, scan speed etc. will be discussed. Moreover, a simple laboratory-built tubular laser ablation chamber equipped with a more powerful NIR diode laser was constructed. Prototype chamber placed on a common syringe pump produced rapid line scans across samples (~ 8 s/sample) and the least dead volume minimizing aerosol diffusion and providing very fast wash-out. Analysis of Pb in blood samples using a prearranged calibration set on preprinted filter paper in the laboratory-built chamber will be demonstrated. Combination of low-cost instrumentation and a common filter paper with simple sample preparation provides alternatives to conventional analysis of metals in liquid samples. The advantages of LDTV are also very low consumption of sample solution, easy sample archiving and transportation and option of prearranged multi-elemental calibration sets. |
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