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Assessment of trace elements directly from archived total suspended particulate filters by laser ablation ICP-MS: A case study of South Carolina

Published

Author(s)

Sarah Commodore, Steven J. Christopher, Bethany Wolf, Erik Svendsen

Abstract

Abstract Background: Exposure to particulate air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risk factors for adverse human health outcomes. However, the constituents responsible for such adverse health effects have not been fully studied. Current methods for particulate air pollution speciation analysis can be laborious and expensive. Objective: Demonstrate the utility of a new time- and cost-effective analytical technique to directly analyze inorganic elemental species in particulate matter from air pollution filters. Methods: Total suspended particulates (TSP) filters collected every 6 days in 2011 from three South Carolina locations were used in this proof-of-concept study. The sites represented the Northern (n=56), Middle (n=56) and Southern regions (n=53) of the state. TSP filters were cut and mounted onto 38mm diameter glass discs. The samples were analyzed using an automated laser ablation system equipped with a 20-position sample carousel (NWR Auto 266 Macro, Elemental Scientific Lasers, Bozeman, MT) coupled to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (Model 8800, Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA). Signals from the ICP-MS were converted to mass fractions (hereafter concentrations) using NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRM) 2584 and 1649a.
Citation
Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology

Keywords

Air quality, Exposure assessment, Particulates, Spatio-temporal patterns, Speciation

Citation

Commodore, S. , Christopher, S. , Wolf, B. and Svendsen, E. (2022), Assessment of trace elements directly from archived total suspended particulate filters by laser ablation ICP-MS: A case study of South Carolina, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemin.2022.100041, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=933965 (Accessed March 29, 2024)
Created December 9, 2022, Updated January 4, 2023