Mass Spectrometry Applied to Studies of Lead in the Atmosphere

THE PAPER SUMMARIZE WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT LEAD IN THE ATMOSPHERE, IN PARTICULAR THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND DISPERSION, TRANSPORT AND REMO- VAL MECHANISMS. SPECIAL ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO SAMPLING AND ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES. METHODS OF PREPARATION REQUIRING ONLY A FEW STEPS SHOULD BE PREFER-RED AND ULTRA-CLEAN LABORATORIES SHOULD BE USED MORE WIDELY IN ORDER TO KEEP BACKGROUND LEVELS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE AND TO REDUCE THEIR VARIATIONS. IN THIS CONTEXT MASS SPECTROMETRIC TECHNIQUES THROUGH THE USE OF THE ISOTOPE DILUTION METHOD CAN ENSURE MEASUREMENTS OF HIGH ACCURACY AND SENSITIVITY, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT IN DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE CERTIFICATION OF REFERENCE MATE- RIALS OR THE ELEMENTAL AND ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS OF INORGANIC LEAD IN KEY SAMPLES. THE POSSIBILITIES OFFERED BY DESORPTION IONISATION TECHNIQUES IN TRACE ANALYS- IS OF ORGANOMETALLIC AND COORDINATION COMPOUNDS ENLARGE TO A GREATER EXTENT THE RANGE OF APPLICATION OF MASS SPECTROMETRY IN LEAD ANALYSIS. IF THEN THE CAPABILITY OF MASS SPECTROMETRY IN TRACING A LEAD SOURCE IS CONSIDERED, A MORE IMPORTANT ROLE OF MASS SPECTROMETRIC TECHNIQUES CAN BE EXPECTED NOT ONLY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES BUT ALSO IN FIELD SUCH AS BIOMEDICAL, REGULATORY ACTIVITIES OR CRITERIA, ASSESSMENT, NOT LIMITED TO LEAD BUT CAPABLE OF BEING APPLIED TO NEARLY ALL ELEMENTS

FACCHETTI Sergio; 

1995-03-15

JRC5479

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC5479,