N. Daskalova

Spectral interferences in the determination of trace elements in environmental materials by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract This paper deals with spectral interferences in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) encountered with environmental materials. These samples normally contain high concentrations of aluminium, calcium, magnesium, iron, titanium, potassium and sodium. The investigations cover: (a) spectral data for Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Ti, K and Na as interferents for 200 pm wide windows centred (±100 pm) around the prominent lines of As, B, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, U and Zn; (b) a data base of Q-values for line interference [QIj(λa)] and Q-values for wing background interference [QWj(Δλa)] for two values of the excitation temperature 6200 K and 7200 K. The lines free or negligibly influenced by line interference were selected for analyte determination. Q-values were used for calculation of correction factors under a spectral line without the measurement of a reference blank at the wavelength of the prominent analysis lines. The accuracy of ICP-AES with the Q-concept as a basic methodology is checked by the analysis of a certified reference material IAEA/Sediment SD-N-1/2/. The precision of the method is characterised by an RSD of 0.6–1.7%. Extraction of trace elements soluble in aqua regia was used as a decomposition method. This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), a section of Spectrochimica Acta, Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by an electronic archive, stored on the SAE homepage at http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/sabe. The archive contains the tabular material of this article in electronic form.

Spectral interferences in the determination of traces of scandium, yttrium and rare earth elements in pure rare earth matrices by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Part III. Europium

Abstract This paper is the third part of a series of papers dealing with spectral interferences of rare earth elements (REEs) in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The present article shows: (a) the spectral data of europium interferent for 200 pm wide windows centred (±100 pm) about prominent lines of scandium, yttrium and REEs; (b) the database of Q values for line interference ( Q l ) and Q values for (wing) background interference ( Q w ); (c) the detection limits measured by using the “true detection limit” criterion as proposed by P.W.J.M. Boumans and J.J.A.M. Vrakking (Spectrochim. Acta Part B, 42 (1987) 819; 43 (1988) 69). Different possibilities for improvement of the true detection limits are discussed: the use of equipment of high resolving power, the application of multicomponent analysis (MCA) techniques and preliminary separation of the matrix component combined with preconcentration of trace REEs. This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), the electronic section of Spectrochimica Acta Part B (SAB). The hard copy text is accompanied by a disk with data and text files. The data files comprise in particular the tabular material of this article in electronic form.

Spectral interferences in the determination of traces of scandium, yttrium and rare earth elements in “pure” rare earth matrices by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry-I. Cerium, neodymium and lanthanum matrices

Abstract This paper is the second part of a series of papers dealing with mutual spectral interferences of rare earth elements (REEs) in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The present article covers: (a) the spectral data of praseodymium and samarium interferents for 200 pm wide windows centred (± 100 pm) about prominent lines of scandium, yttrium and REEs; (b) the data base of Q values for line interference (Q1) and Q values for (wing) background interference (Qw); and (c) the detection limits measured by using the “true detection limit” criterion as proposed by Boumans and vrakking [Spectrochim. Acta 42B, 819 (1987); 43B, 69 (1988)]. The lines with the lowest values of true detection limits for praseodymium and samarium matrices were chosen for analysis. This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), the electronic section of Spectrochimica Acta Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by a disk with data and text files. The data files comprise in particular the tabular material of this article in electronic form.

Application of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry in analytical control of single crystals of potassium titanylphosphate: spectral interferences, line selection, detection limits and trace element determination

Abstract The present paper is a new application of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) to the determination of Na, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Al, Mg, Rh, W, Pt, Ge, Rb, Zr, Nb, Ce, Nd, Eu, Tb, Er and Yb, present as dopants or impurities in single crystals of potassium titanylphosphate (KTP). The investigations cover: (a) spectral data for potassium, titanium and phosphorus as interferents for 400 pm wide windows centred (± 200 pm) around the prominent lines of the analytes; (b) a data base of Q-values for line interference (QI) and Q-values for wing (background) interference (QW) for two values of the excitation temperature—6200 K and 7200 K; and (c) detection limits for the dopants and impurities in the presence of 8 mg ml−1 KTP in solution, measured by using the “true detection limit” criterion as proposed by Boumans and Vrakking [Spectrochim. Acta, 42B (1987) 819; 43B (1988) 69]. The lines with the lowest values of true detection limits were selected for analyte determination. Using the ICP-AES method, data were obtained for the average dopant content in the single crystals of KTP, the dopant distribution along the growth axis of the crystals and the impurity content. The precision of the method is characterised by an RSD of 2–6%, the accuracy of the method was assessed by comparison with a flame AAS method. This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), the electronic section of Spectrochimica Acta, Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by a disc with data and text files. The data files comprise in particular the tabular material of this article in electronic form.

Spectral interferences in the determination of traces of scandium, yttrium and rare earth elements in ‘pure’ rare earth matrices by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Part V — gadolinium and erbium☆

Abstract The present article is the fifth part of a series of papers discussing the spectral interferences of rare earth elements (REEs) in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) The spectral interferences in the presence of gadolinium or erbium as interferents for 200-pm wide windows centered (±100 pm) around the prominent lines of scandium, yttrium and REEs were investigated. The quantification of the interferences in terms of Q -value for line interference Q I (λ a ) and Q values for wing background interference Q W (Δλ a ) was used in accordance with Boumans and Vrakking [Spectrochim. Acta Part B 42 (1987) 819; 43 (1188) 69]. The excitation temperature, T exc =6200 K was chosen as the optimal in the determination of traces of RREs in Gd 2 O 3 ad Er 2 O 3 , respectively.

Spectral interferences in the determination of traces of scandium, yttrium and rare earth elements in ‘pure’ rare earth matrices by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry: ☆: Part VI—Ytterbium

Abstract The present article is the sixth part in a series of papers discussing the spectral interferences of rare earth elements (REEs) in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The spectral interferences in the presence of ytterbium as interferent for 200-pm-wide windows centered (±100 pm) around the prominent lines of scandium, yttrium and REEs were investigated. The quantification of the interferences in terms of Q -value for line interference Q I (λ a ) and Q -values for wing background interference Q W (Δλ a ) was used in accordance with Boumans and Vrakking [Spectrochim. Acta Part B 42 (1987) 819; Spectrochim. Acta Part B 43 (1988) 69]. The excitation temperature, T exc =7200 K was chosen as the optimal in the determination of traces of REEs in Yb 2 O 3 .

Analytical control of the preparation of single crystal materials by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract The present paper shows that inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and the Q concept, in accordance with Boumans and Vrakking [Spectrochim. Acta Part B 43 (1988) 69] can be used in the determination of a large number of dopants with different characteristics (charge and ionic radius) in the single crystals of potassium titanylphosphate [KTiOPO4], some of its structural analogues and potassium gadolinium tungstate [KGd (WO4)2]. The basic conclusion from the analytical data obtained in this work is that the incorporation of Me+, Me2+, Me3+, Me4+ and Me5+ ions in the crystal lattice depend on its ionic radii. The effect of the ionic charge of the dopant ions is negligible. The light on the regularities of dopant incorporation in the crystal lattice was thrown and hence on the possibilities of modifying the properties of the single crystal materials.

Analysis of single crystals based on strontium–lithium–titanium oxides by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract The content of the major components Sr, Li, Ti, Fe and Nb in single crystals, based on strontium–lithium–titanium oxides has been determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The single crystals have been grown from high temperature solutions of the oxide systems SrO–TiO 2 –LiBO 2 or SrO–TiO 2 –Fe 2 O 3 –Nb 2 O 5 –LiBO 2 . Hydrofluoric and boric acids have been used for sample decomposition. Both the inter-element spectral interferences and multiplicative interferences were studied. The adverse effects of spectral interferences on analytical results were removed by the selection of analysis lines free of line and wing background interferences. Addition of boric acid (0.04–0.08%) did not change appreciably the slope of the calibration graphs for Li, Sr, Ti, Fe and Nb. No significant statistical differences were found between the results obtained by both ICP-AES and electron-probe microanalysis for the above-mentioned single crystals. On the basis of the analytical information the composition of the crystallized phase SrLi 2 Ti 5.16 Nb 0.58 Fe 0.26 O 14.16 was established.

Application of Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry in Forensic Science

ICP-AES was applied to the determination of trace amounts of toxic elements in animal tissues, and also a large number of trace elements in bullet lead and silver. The analysis of these materials is important in forensic science applications.

Determination of dopants and impurities in optical crystals of β-barium borate by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and flame atomic absorption spectrometry were applied to the determination of dopants (Ce, Nd, Eu and Er) and impurities (Fe, Na, Mg and Al) in the optical crystals of β-barium borate dissolved in hydrochloric acid. The matrix interferences occurring in analyses carried out by means of ICP-AES and FAAS were studied. The detection limits of the analytes in a 0.8% solution of β-barium borate in 2 mol l–1 hydrochloric acid were determined. The relative standard deviation of the obtained results lies within 2–6%.