The use of sol–gels as solid calibration standards for the analysis of soil samples by laser ablation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract

This work assesses the feasibility of preparing sol–gels from solutions containing organometallic complexes of various analytes to obtain standards for the analysis of soil samples using laser ablation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Silicon and zirconium based xerogel standards were synthesised. In both cases, good linearity was achieved in the external calibration curves; however, the zirconium-based xerogels were found to be more homogeneous, as well as easier and quicker to prepare. The zirconium and silicon xerogel standards provided accurate quantitative results for the quantification of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in xerogels made from two soil certified reference materials, SS-2 and NIST 2711. The silicon xerogels standards were also used for the analysis of NIST 610, a glass certified reference material.