Preparation of airborne particulate standards on PTFE-membrane filter for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

This study presents a feasible means of preparing simulated membrane-filter standards from SRM materials for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The homogeneity of the prepared standards and the accuracy and precision of determination of various elements in the prepared standards analyzed by LA-ICP-MS were also investigated. Results compared with those of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and ICP-MS after sample digestion in a high pressure bomb indicated that a standard filter prepared by the developed technique can be used to analyze for trace elements in airborne particulates by LA-ICP-MS with a high degree of sensitivity and convenience. In addition, up to sixteen elements on a single filter sample can be determined within 10 min.