Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry Method Research Articles

Characterization of mineral composition of leaves and flowers of wild-growing Sambucus nigra.

The objective of this study was to determine the mineral content in the leaves and flowers of wild-grown Sambucus nigra collected from eleven different locations in Kosovo. The samples were digested in a microwave system using the wet digestion method. The minerals were determined by the application of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A total of 31 elements were determined, 15 elements by the ICP-AES method (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Sr, V, and Zn) and 16 elements by the ICP-MS method (Ag, As, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, Hg, In, Li, Ni, Pb, Rb, Tl, and U). The leaves of S. nigra show a higher content of minerals compared to the flowers, except for the flower of the sample SN-FL10, which is characterized by a high concentration of Fe, Al, Pb, Be, and Tl. The concentration of heavy metals and toxic elements (Pb, Cd, and Hg) was within the permissible concentrations according to Eur. Ph.

DEVELOPMENT OF APPROACHES TO THE ANALYSIS OF ELEMENTAL IMPURITIES IN TITANIUM DIOXIDE (BARIUM AND LEAD DEFINITION)

Relevance. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as a drug excipient (DE). Therefore, control of its content of ele-mental impurities (EI) plays an important role in ensuring the stability of quality and safety of drugs. The lack of harmonized pharmacopoeial require-ments for the content of EIs in TiO2, as well as the need for specialized validated methods of their analysis determine the actual task in the field of quality control of this substance. Research objective. This work is devoted to the development and validation of a method for the determination of barium and lead in TiO2 sub-stance. Material and Methods. The inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) method was used to determine the barium and lead content in the TiO2 substance. Acid extraction was used in the sample preparation process. All used reagents and materials were in accordance with pharmacopoeial requirements. A sample of TiO2 substance, manufactured by Venator Germany GmbH, Germany, was used as an object of study. Validation of the method was carried out in accordance with the requirements of GF RF for the following characteristics: specificity, linearity, LOQ, correctness, repeatability, intra-laboratory precision and range of the technique. Results. The method of barium and lead determination in TiO2 substance using ICP-AES demonstrates high accuracy and sensitivity. The results ob-tained during validation meet the acceptance criteria, which confirms the applicability of the technique for control of barium and lead content in TiO2 substance. Conclusions. A method for the determination of barium and lead impurities in TiO2 substance using the ICP-AES method and acid extraction during sample preparation has been developed. This approach enables the determination of barium and lead at the specification level (20 ppm and 5 ppm, re-spectively). The validation results meet the acceptance criteria for all characteristics investigated, confirming the ability to quantify barium and lead in the range of 50% to 150% of the specification level.

Establishment of an Indirect Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Method for the Detection of Heavy Metal Cadmium in Food Packaging Materials.

Heavy metals in food packaging materials have been indicated to release into the environment at slow rates. Heavy metal contamination, especially that of cadmium (Cd), is widely acknowledged as a global environment threat that leads to continuous growing pollution levels in the environment. Traditionally, the detection of the concentration of Cd relies on expensive precision instruments, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). In this study, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) based on a specific monoclonal antibody was proposed to rapidly detect Cd. The half-inhibitory concentration and detection sensitivity of the anti-cadmium monoclonal antibody of the ic-ELISA were 5.53 ng mL−1 and 0.35 ng mL−1, respectively. The anti-Cd monoclonal antibody possessed high specificity while diagnosising other heavy metal ions, including Al (III), Ca (II), Cu (II), Fe (III), Hg (II), Mg (II), Mn (II), Pb (II), Zn (II), Cr (III) and Ni (II). The average recovery rates of Cd ranged from 89.03–95.81% in the spiked samples of packing materials, with intra- and inter-board variation coefficients of 7.20% and 6.74%, respectively. The ic-ELISA for Cd detection was applied on 72 food packaging samples that consisted of three material categories—ceramic, glass and paper. Comparison of the detection results with ICP-AES verified the accuracy of the ic-ELISA. The correlation coefficient between the ic-ELISA and the ICP-AES methods was 0.9634, demonstrating that the proposed ic-ELISA approach could be a useful and effective tool for the rapid detection of Cd in food packaging materials.

Determination of matrix composition of Ge-Se-Te chalcogenide glasses using the ICP-AES method

One of the most important stages of the high-purity chalcogenide glasses’ analytical control is the determination of matrix elements’ content with the uncertainty at the levels of 0.1–0.2 mol.%. The content of the macro-components may differ from the composition of the initial charge; therefore, an important task is the macro-composition determination of the final materials. This article describes the development of the technique for determining the matrix elements of high-purity Ge-Se-Te glasses in the range of germanium content from 10 to 35 mol. %, selenium and tellurium content from 20 to 50 mol. % with the expanded uncertainty within 0.01–0.2 mol. % (P = 0.95) using the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). A simple technique for the preparation of primary calibration solutions from pure elementary Ge, Se and Te is proposed. The correctness of the analysis results is confirmed by comparing the calculated matrix composition of model glass samples, prepared by direct synthesis from high-purity simple substances in the sealed quartz glass ampoule, with the analysis results. The main advantage of the proposed analysis technique is the absence of the need for the reference samples identical to the analyzed material, which is especially important for determination of new materials’ matrix composition. The minimum sample mass for the determination of matrix elements is about 1 mg, which makes it possible to analyze not only bulk glass samples, but also fibers and expensive materials.

Analysis of Corrosion-Resistant Ruthenium-Doped Titanium Alloys by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy

A technique for analyzing new corrosion-resistant ruthenium-doped titanium alloys using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) with microwave sample preparation is reported. The composition of a mixture of acids and the temperature and time parameters of sample preparation of titanium alloys under microwave heating in an autoclave ensuring quantitative conversion of the sample into a convenient analytical form without loss of volatile components for subsequent ICP-AES analysis are substantiated. Optimal conditions for the excitation of the analytical signal have been found, and analytical lines of elements without spectral noise have been selected. Samples of experimental melts of industrial titanium alloys of various classes, volumetrically doped with ruthenium, which are under development and are not yet commercially produced in the Russian Federation (alloy PT-7M + Ru, PT-3B + Ru, 5B + Ru, 37 + Ru, VT-22 + Ru) have been studied. The alloy samples contained the following alloying elements (wt %): Al (1.8–6.3); V (1.0–5.5); Mo (0.7–5.5); Zr (0.2–3.0); Cr (0.5–1.5); Fe (0.5–1.5); Ru (0.05–0.15). The correctness of the determination of alloying elements has been confirmed by analyzing standard samples by varying their mass and, in the case of ruthenium, by the “introduced–found” method. The developed method significantly reduces the time of analysis by combining the multielement ICP-AES method with microwave sample preparation, expands the list of detectable elements in titanium alloys, and improves the precision of the results of analysis.

Analysis of surfacing materials from cast carbide alloys using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES)

A technique for analysis of surfacing materials (cast cobalt-based carbide alloys) using by ICP-AES in combination with microwave autoclave sample preparation is developed. Composition of the acid mixture, temperature and time parameters of the sample preparation under microwave heating in an autoclave are specified, thus ensuring complete quantitative transfer of the sample into a convenient analytical form without losses of volatile components for the subsequent ICP-AES analysis. Analytic lines of the elements free from spectral interference were chosen to determine all the rated components in the casting materials from cast carbide alloys. Study of surfacing materials was carried out using alloys Pr-B3K-PrH-U10Kh63B5, Pr-B3K-P-PrN-U20Kh57B10 and TsN-2-E-190K62X29B5C2, containing the alloying elements (% wt.): Co (up to 65); Cr (28.0 – 32.0); W (4.0 – 11.0); Si (1.0 to 3.0); C (1.0 – 2.0); Ni (0.1 – 2.0); Mn (0.3 – 0.6) and Fe (up to 2.0). The correctness of determining rated element was confirmed in analysis of standard samples using sample weight variation. The developed technique was tested on industrial prototypes of surfacing materials made of cobalt-based cast carbide alloys of tested grades. The method is rapid (11-fold reduction in the time of analysis) and reagent-saving (by 12.5 times) procedure compared to single-element methods by 11 times and reduction of the volume of applied reagents. Combination of the multielement ICP-AES method with microwave sample preparation provides an increase in the accuracy of Si, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, and W determination in surfacing materials of cast carbide alloys within a range of rated concentrations.

СТАН ОБМІНУ МІНЕРАЛЬНИХ РЕЧОВИН В ОРГАНІЗМІ КОРІВ У ГОСПОДАРСТВАХ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЇ БІОГЕОХІМІЧНОЇ ЗОНИ УКРАЇНИ

Due to constant changes in biogeocenozes caused by anthropogenic influence, monitoring of chemical elements in the organism of productive animals using modern diagnostic methods is an actual direction of scientific research. The research was carried out in the farms of the Kirovohrad and Kyiv regions, which are located in the central biogeochemical zone of Ukraine. The content of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Co, Al, and Fe in blood, hair and saliva was investigated by means of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) on the Optima 2100 DV device. It was found out that in the cow blood with symptoms of microelementosis the content of zinc is 1.7 times lower, ferum is 2.2 times lower, cobalt is 5.8 times lower, aluminium is 2 times lower, nickel is 2.1 times lower, and chrome is 9.7 times lower, in comparison with the corresponding indexes of clinically healthy animals. It was defined that in saliva cows with microelementosis the concentration of chrome is 2.4 times lower and ferum is 3.9 times higher in comparison with clinically healthy cows of the same area. In hair of cows with symptoms of disbolism of mineral elements the significantly lower content of zinc in 2.2 times has been found, ferum is 2.1 times lower, and cobalt is 4.2 times lower compared to the corresponding indices of clinically healthy animals. A significantly higher concentration of nickel in 7 times was found in red hair samples in comparison with black ones. A promising direction of veterinary medicine is the development of non-invasive methods for diagnosis of mineral disbolism in productive animals. Key words: lactation cows, blood, saliva, hair, microelementosis, ICP-OES method, trace elements

Comparison of analytical performances of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry for trace analysis of bismuth and bismuth oxide

The paper presents а comparison of analytical performances of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for trace analysis of high purity bismuth and bismuth oxide. Matrix effects in the ICP-MS and ICP-AES methods were studied as a function of Bi concentration, ICP power and nebulizer flow rate. For ICP-MS the strong dependence of the matrix effects versus the atomic mass of analytes was observed. For ICP-AES the minimal matrix effects were achieved for spectral lines of analytes with low excitation potentials. The optimum degree of sample dilution providing minimum values of the limits of detection (LODs) was chosen. Both methods let us to reach LODs from n·10−7 to n·10−4wt% for more than 50 trace elements. For most elements the LODs of ICP-MS were lower in comparison to ICP-AES. Validation of accuracy of the developed techniques was performed by “added-found” experiments and by comparison of the results of ICP-MS and ICP-AES analysis of high-purity bismuth oxide.

Analysis of Iron in Copper, Copper Oxide and Copper Nitrate by Solid-Phase Extraction ICP-AES Method

The reasearch shows that when the mass ratio of copper to iron is equal or greater than 100, the influence of copper on the determination of trace iron can not be ignored. To eliminate the interference, the polypropylene radical strong base anion ion exchange fiber was taken as the solid phase extraction solvent. Extraction and separation of trace iron (Ⅲ) from solution copper (Ⅱ) by the extraction solvent was studied. The extraction conditions including of adsorption and elution were optimized. The strong base anion ion exchange fiber was put into the analysis solution with the medium of 6mol/L HCl. After adsorption 1h by vibration on the oscillator, adsorptive iron(Ⅲ) was eluted with the 1mol/L HCl. The concentration of iron (Ⅲ) in the eluate solution was mesured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The results showed that the residual Cu (Ⅱ) in the eluate solution did not affected the accurate determination of iron. The iron in metal copper, copper oxide and copper nitrate were separated and determinated, and the RSDs(n=3) were between 2.3% and 4.2%, the recoveries were between 96% and 103%, the detection limit of the method was 0.011μg/mL.

Heavy metals accumulation effect in rabbit body fluids after smoking

Concentration of heavy metals in blood and urine of rabbit after inhaling three different kinds of cigarette was studied through the animal passive smoking pattern. The samples were prepared by nitric acid solution digestion and determination of seven kinds of heavy metals including Hg, Se, Sn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr was performed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The ICP-AES method was established with good precision and accuracy, relative standard deviation (n=6) was between 2.9% and 5.9%, and the recovery was in the range of 95.0%–104.2%. Concentration of six heavy metals increases in some extent in blood and urine after period of smoking and the increasing of heavy metals in blood and urine all shows time dependence. Significantly higher heavy metal levels are observed in the blood and urine of the cigarette inhaling rabbits in the exposed group. The concentration of six kinds of heavy metals in the blood of the rabbit increases after 16 weeks exposing to cigarette smoking. Three times of Hg, ten times of Se and trace amount of Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr are detected in the blood after 16 weeks of smoking. For urine samples, about three times of Hg, two times of Se, five times of Pb and trace amount of Cd are detected after 16 weeks of inhalation of cigarette. Comparatively, higher concentration of heavy metals are detected after inhaling of Nise cigarette.

Analysis of harmful heavy metals, sulfur and main trace elements from Paeoniae Radix Alba before and after sulfur-fumigated process by ICP-AES method

To analyze the contents of harmful heavy metals, sulfur and trace elements from Paeoniae Radix Alba before and after sulfur-fumigated process. Samples were pretreated by wet digestion and then subjected to elements analysis by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The contents of Cu and S elements were increased, while the content of Zn element was decreased in Paeoniae Radix Alba after sulfur-fumigated process compared with the samples dried in the sun. Moreover, heavy metallic elements, such as As and Hg, were detected in Paeoniae Radix Alba after sulfur-fumigated process. Sulfur fumigated process may cause residual of heavy metals and sulfur which are harmful to human body and change the contents of some trace elements.

Component analyses of silver brazing filler metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry: a collaborative study for standardization

A collaborative determination of the major components of silver brazing filler metals (Ag–Cu–Zn–Cd, Ag–Cu–Zn–Ni, and Ag–Cu–Zn–Sn alloys) by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was conducted. The classical wet methods of gravimetry and titrimetry were also investigated for comparison, most of which are provided by Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). Results of instrumental and classical analyses using a simple dissolution procedure with nitric acid showed excellent trueness and precision amongst all laboratories and for all alloys except those containing tin. The tin-containing alloy had to be dissolved, suppressing precipitation of the sparingly soluble hydrous tin(IV) oxide. Dissolution with mixtures of nitric and sulfuric acid gave the most satisfactory results without precipitation, thus enabling an accurate determination that favourably compared to the classical wet results. Finally we have evaluated the ICP-AES method and a hybrid method with gravimetry and ICP-AES according to the precision required, and found them to be suitable for standardization.

Study of heavy metal pollution in seawater of Kepez harbor of Canakkale (Turkey)

In this work, the heavy metals cadmium and lead in Kepez harbor were studied with regard to the determination of the environmental pollution levels. Seawater samples of the Dardanelles (Canakkale Strait) were collected from the nearest station to Kepez harbor in July 2007. Then, the concentrations of these metals were determined after simple pretreatment of samples by the proposed inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) method. The analysis of a given sample is completed in about 15 min by the ICP-AES method, and the concentrations of Cd and Pb were found to be 73.80 mg L(-1) (relative standard deviation [RSD], 1.07%) and 9.39 mg L(-1) (RSD, 0.70%), respectively. The accuracy of the applied ICP technique was checked by recovery studies, and good recoveries were obtained. The pollution levels of Cd and Pb recorded in this study were compared with those in other studies to analyze the water sample in Kepez harbor.

Nutrients apparent digestibility coefficients of selected protein sources for juvenile Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeriiBrandt), compared by two chromic oxide analyses methods

Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of dry matter (ADCd), crude protein (ADCp), energy (ADCe) and amino acids in selected feedstuffs were determined for juvenile Siberian sturgeon (8.38 ± 0.20 g). The tested feedstuffs were fishmeal (FM), meat and bone meal (MBM), poultry by-product meal, hydrolysed feather meal, fermented feather meal solvent-extracted cottonseed meal and soybean meal. ADCs were determined using a reference diet and test diets at 7 : 3 ratios with 5 g kg−1 chromic oxide (Cr2O3) as an inert marker. Fish were reared in a recirculating system and fed to apparent satiation five times daily. Cr2O3 in diets and faeces samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and acid-digestion colorimetry (AC) methods, respectively. The results showed that ICP-AES method was more accurate for Cr2O3 determination than AC method, and the results determined by ICP-AES method were used in this study. ADCd and ADCp of seven tested ingredients were lowest for MBM (59.1 and 84.5%) and highest for FM (79.9 and 94.5%); ADCe of tested ingredients were from 71.8% for SECM to 93.2% for FM. ADCs of amino acid in test ingredients followed similar trend to the ADCp. The ADCs of individual amino acids varied from 61.6% (histidine in MBM) to 98.8% (valine in FM).

Metallic profiles of Sherry wines using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry methods (ICP-AES)

Douze elements metalliques (aluminium, calcium, cuivre, fer, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, zinc, strontium, baryum et phosphore) ont ete determines par plasma a couplage inductif couple a la spectrometrie d'emission atomique (ICP-AES), dans cent echantillons provenant de l'Appellation Jerez-Xeres-Sherry et Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda. Ces echantillons sont traites par mineralisation humide avec H 2 O 2 /HNO 3 et chauffage. Les resultats montrent la normalite des distributions des elements metalliques. L'application de la statistique non parametrique (median, intervalle interquantil) a ete etudie. Les valeurs moyennes (medians) pour ces elements trouvees dans les echantillons sont les suivants, exprimees en mg/L : 1.66 (Al) ; 0.03 (Ba) ; 68.46 (Ca) ; 0.14 (Cu) ; 1.83 (Fe) ; 465.58 (K) ; 58.34 (Mg) ; 0.57 (Mn) ; 29.92 (Na) ; 61.27 (P) ; 0.93 (Sr) ; 0.47 (Zn). La correlation parmi les divers elements metalliques est donnee en utilisant la methode non parametrique de Spearman. La teneur des metaux dans les vins analyse est plus elevee que pour les brandies de xeres, excepte pour le Cu et le Na. En raison de cette etude des profils metalliques des vins de xeres, et en raison de sa consommation, nous pouvons proposer qu'ils apportent a minimum contribution aux limites de securite (par semaine) de ces elements pour les buveurs normaux, entre 0,2 % pour le Al et 10,2 % pour le Mg.

Comparison of different sampling heads applied for investigation of welding fume

Welding fume samples were collected in two Hungarian welding plants, where different types of steels were welded with metal active gas (MAG) welding. Welding fumes were sampled with “fixed point” and personal sampling techniques applying different sampling heads: Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler and conical inhalable sampler (CIS) for the inhalable aerosol fraction and the Higgins-Dewell (HD) cyclone for the respirable fraction. When sampled, the welding fume samples were digested with the mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in a closed vessel microwave digestion system. The Cr, Mn, Ni and Co contents of the solutions were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Iron was analysed only by the ICP-AES method. Metal concentrations of the workplace air were calculated for the three samplers, and the results were compared to each other. The differences of the metal concentrations determined by the different inhalable sampling heads, which were paired during the sampling, proved not to be significant. Therefore, the IOM and CIS heads can be equally used for the sampling of welding fume. Finally, the distributions of metals were determined between the inhalable and respirable fractions. Metal concentrations in the respirable aerosol fraction were 57–98% of the concentrations in the inhalable fraction. These high rates of metals in the respirable aerosol call the attention to the increased health risk of the welding fume.

Direct determination of impurities in arsenic by atomic spectrometry

The present paper describes development of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) and Electrothermal Atomization-Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (ETA-AAS) for the direct determination of fifteen common metallic and semi-conducting elements in high purity arsenic without prior separation of the major matrix. With a view to improving determination of Cd in arsenic matrix and for providing independent check on determination of few representative elements such as Cu, Cr, Mn and Ni by ICP-AES method, ETA-AAS technique also has been developed for direct determination of these elements in arsenic matrix. A number of synthetic samples have been prepared and analysed by both the techniques to validate the analytical procedures adopted here.

Analysis of yttrium aluminium borate crystals by solution-based methods: inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Comparative analysis of yttrium aluminium borate (YAB) /YAl 3(BO 3) 4/ optical single crystals was performed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) methods for Cr, Dy, Er, Yb, Y, Al, B and Mo. The dopant element, Ce, could be determined only by the ICP-AES method at the required concentration level. The powdered crystal samples were fused with lithium metaborate (LiBO 2) at 950 °C in a platinum crucible and then dissolved in 6 mol l −1 HCl. Although this fusion-dissolution procedure proved to be simple and effective, the quantitative determination of B—as the matrix element in samples—was handicapped by the B content of the fusing reagent. For the FAAS method, with the use of nitrous oxide–acetylene flame, cesium chloride ionization buffer and lanthanum chloride releasing agent [0.1+0.2% (m/v), respectively] were applied. These agents enhanced the atomic absorption signals of Cr, Dy, Er, Mo, Yb and Y, whereas no change of sensitivity was resulted in for Al and B. A fairly good agreement was found between the results of the two alternative spectrochemical methods. The predicted stoichiometry of the crystals was also well approximated indicating the reliability of the crystal growth technology applied.

A System for the Direct Determination of the Nonvolatile Organic Carbon, Dissolved Organic Carbon, and Inorganic Carbon in Water Samples through Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

A new system has been developed for the determination of total organic carbon (TOC) and inorganic carbon (IC) or total inorganic carbon (TIC) in waters. Only nonvolatile organic compounds can be detected through the present method. The system presented in this work is based on the measurement of the carbon atomic emission intensity in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). This way, the organic matter does not undergo any preoxidation step. A semiautomatic accessory connected to the spectrometer separates the different carbon fractions (i.e., organic and inorganic). Because most of the solutions used in the present work did not contain suspended solid particles, the actual parameter that was determined was the dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The present system exhibits good sensitivities compared to those provided by conventional TOC and IC determination methods. The limits of detection obtained in the present work have been 0.07 and 0.0007 mg/L C in terms of TOC and IC, respectively. Furthermore, the system is able to handle high-salt-content solutions. This fact suggests that it would be possible to analyze seawater samples, avoiding some of the problems encountered with conventional methods, such as system blocking or interferences. The TOC and IC values found for natural samples are very close to those measured using conventional methods. The ICP-AES method has been successfully used in two interesting applications: (i) monitoring the efficiency of a water treatment plant and (ii) determining the contents of dissolved carbon dioxide, on one hand, and that of carbonate and bicarbonate, on the other, in the same sample.

COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF SILICA GLASS PRODUCTION USING ICP-MS AND ICP-AES METHODS

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) methods were used for determination of aluminium, iron and titanium in silica glass and quartz samples. Results gave by these methods are compared with those obtained for iron and titanium by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) and for aluminium by spectrophotometry. Comparison of the usefulness of ICP-MS and ICP-AES methods for control of silica glass production is shown. A decomposition procedure for silica glass and quartz samples which can be applied to spectrometry as well as electrochemistry is proposed. This procedure relies on using nitric and hydrofluoric acids mixture with subsequent removal of fluoride ions by evaporation to dryness. The sedimenting dust was found to be a possible contamination source of iron during the silica glass production. Iron in sedimenting dust was measured using spectrophotometry and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Obtained results were validated using certified reference materials (CRM): high purity quartz (BSiO2) and fine fly ash (CTA-FFA-1).