Multielement Analysis of Suspended Particulates Collected with a Beta-Gauge Monitoring System by ICP Atomic Emission Spectrometry and Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

This work presents a two-step HNO₃+HClO₄/HF(1:2:1, v/v) acid mixture microwave digestion method for determining the elemental concentrations in suspended particulates collected on glass fiber filters by a beta-gauge monitoring system. Eighteen elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, S, Sb, V and Zn) were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The interference from the glass fiber filters and the variations of the detection limits of the major elements with total suspended particulates (TSP) were thoroughly examined. According to these results, the concentrations of most of the elements in suspended particulates can be determined via the proposed method. On the other hand, determining Na is relatively difficult owing to significant interference from glass fiber filters of the beta-gauge monitoring system. In addition, real samples collected from an air-pollution episode in Taiwan during the spring of 1995 were analyzed, in which the proposed method’s effectiveness was confirmed. The analysis results also indicate that “Kosa” aerosols, having originated in China, might have been the culprit of that episode.