A Novel and Simple Method for Elements Determination in Aerobiological Samples by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) Analysis

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 231; no. 2
• Main Authors: Isaguirre, Andrea C., Moyano, Mario F., Gil, Raúl A., Moglia, Marta M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air sampling; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Chemical composition; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Detection; Detection limits; Dilution; Earth and Environmental Science; Emission spectroscopy; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Heavy metals; Hydrogeology; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Manganese; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Methods; Moraceae; Nitric acid; Nitric acids; Outdoor air quality; Pollen; Pollution detection; Scientific imaging; Soil Science & Conservation; Trace metals; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Aerobiological samples; Air pollution; Pollen; ICP-MS; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-020-4416-2

The identification of heavy metals in the atmosphere has increased a strong and growing interest. Thereby, monitoring of elements in aerobiological samples could be a powerful tool for detection of environmental pollution. In this work, a simple and fast method for the determination of trace metals bound to aeroparticles such as pollen was optimized. A single-step procedure for the dissolution of aerobiological samples in nitric acid and further determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with a high-efficiency sample introduction system was developed. The procedure involved low dilution and low detection limits with adequate precision and its direct introduction into the ICP-MS system. The novel method proposed was successfully applied to determine five elements in concentrations from 0.04 mg g −1 (U) to 14.1 mg g −1 (Mn) in aerobiological samples. Through this procedure, the most significant correlations between pollen of Cupressaceae, Ulmus , and Moraceae with Mn, and pollen of Moraceae with Pb were found. This methodology could be a very useful tool to assess air pollution. We are not only proposing a new strategy to analyze air samples particles but also giving new information of the elemental composition carried by pollen. Graphical Abstract Development of elements determination in aerobiological samples based on the nitric acid dissolution and its direct introduction into the ICP-MS system