Potential of laser ablation and laser desorption mass spectrometry to characterize organic and inorganic environmental pollutants on dust particles.
Stainless steel factories are known to release particles into the atmosphere. Such particulate matter contains significant amounts of heavy metals or toxic inorganic compounds and organic pollutants such as, for example, Cr(VI) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The investigation of Cr(VI) and PAHs is often complicated by the associated matrix. Organic and inorganic pollutants present in stainless steel dust particles have been investigated with the same laser microprobe mass spectrometer according to two original methodologies. These analytical methods do not require time-consuming pretreatment (extraction, solubilization) or preconcentration steps. More specifically, experiments are conducted with a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer coupled to an ArF (193 nm) or a tripled frequency Nd-YAG (355 nm) laser. Experiments at 355 nm allow the nature of the most frequently occurring Cr(III)/Cr(VI) compounds in dust particles to be identified. Examination of PAHs at 193 nm is assisted by the formation of pi-complexes with 7,7',8,8'-tetracyanoquinodimethane to prevent their evaporation in the mass spectrometer during analysis and to ensure an increase in sensitivity.
Carré
Vincent
V
Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse et de Chimie Laser, Université Paul Verlaine-Metz, 1 Boulevard Arago, F-57078 Metz Technopole 2000 Cedex 03, France.
Aubriet
Frédéric
F
Scheepers
Paul T
PT
Krier
Gabriel
G
Muller
Jean-François
JF
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008669:Metallurgy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000032:analysis*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D002857:Chromium; D013193:Stainless Steel; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion