Issue 10, 2021

An investigation into LA-spICP-ToF-MS uses for in situ measurement of environmental multi-elemental nanoparticles

Abstract

Characterization and investigation into complex nano-fraction particle samples have traditionally been done using nebulizer single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (neb-spICP-MS). Here a method was developed and tested for the direct analysis of multi-elemental particles (MEPs) in sediment samples using laser ablation (LA-spICP-ToF-MS). A comparison between the neb-spICP-ToF-MS and LA-spICP-ToF-MS was made to determine possible differences and advantages of the techniques using standard AgAu core–shell particles and environmental samples obtained via cloud point extraction procedures of a road runoff sedimentation basin. Using the results obtained by this method comparison, comparison metrics were then used to test the usability of LA-spICP-ToF-MS on unextracted sediment. Three main groups of signals were identified, overly abundant signals which cannot be used for single-particle analysis at the chosen measurement parameters, highly abundant signals that when compared with the two previous methods produced comparable results for elemental ratios and single-particle fingerprinting. Lastly, low abundant well-defined elements such as the platinum group elements (PGEs) were ideally suited for measurement from unextracted sediment. The introduced LA-spICP-ToF-MS is likely suitable for the analysis of MEPs for groups 2 and 3 in sediment samples with minimal sample preparation (sediment homogenization, drying, and distribution of sediment on tape) and capable of MEP source allocation for the reported element groups.

Graphical abstract: An investigation into LA-spICP-ToF-MS uses for in situ measurement of environmental multi-elemental nanoparticles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Apr 2021
Accepted
10 Aug 2021
First published
14 Aug 2021

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2021,36, 2107-2115

An investigation into LA-spICP-ToF-MS uses for in situ measurement of environmental multi-elemental nanoparticles

T. R. Holbrook, D. Gallot-Duval, T. Reemtsma and S. Wagner, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2021, 36, 2107 DOI: 10.1039/D1JA00112D

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