Direct Ultratrace Detection of Lead in a Single Hair Using Portable Electromagnetic Heating Vaporization-Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge-Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Abstract

In this paper, the first demonstration of direct ultratrace determination of lead in a single human hair by direct current-atmospheric pressure glow discharge-atomic emission spectrometry (DC-APGD-AES) coupled with electromagnetic heating vaporization (EMV) was described. Only the ultramicro mass of a human hair sample (about 0.15 mg, often a single human hair) was required during the analysis, and fast detection was implemented without tedious pretreatment processes, such as grinding and digestion. A limit of detection (LOD) of 30.8 μg kg −1 (4.8 pg) for Pb was obtained under optimized conditions, which was even equivalent to that of conventional LA-ICP-MS/ETV-ICP-MS/GFAAS. EMV-APGD-AES, meanwhile, can facilitate miniaturization and portability with low power and small size. The accuracy and practicality of the method were verified by the analysis of certified reference materials (CRMs) GBW09101b (human hair) and human hair samples from three volunteers. A simple, efficient, and low-cost method for detecting Pb in human hair has been developed.

Atomic spectrometry update: review of advances in the analysis of clinical and biological materials, foods and beverages

“…Determinations based on the atomic emission from APGDs require that samples are introduced into the discharge as a vapour. In addition to the liquid electrode procedures discussed in Section 4.2, 99,100 a procedure using electromagnetic induction heating vaporisation was described by Cai et al 101 for the determination of Pb in a single human hair. The LOD was 31 μg kg −1 .…”

“…Standard additions were needed for the fish material. Cai et al 101 determined Pb in hair with sample introduction via an induction heating furnace (see Section 4.4). For the determination of Hg species in fish oil, an integrated CV microplasma OES device has been constructed by 3D printing.…”

Atomic spectrometry update: review of advances in atomic spectrometry and related techniques

“…The direct determination of ultratrace Pb in a single human hair by DC-APGD-OES coupled electromagnetic heating vaporisation (EMV) was described by Cai et al 54 A sample mass of 0.15 mg (often a single human hair) was required for the analysis. An LOD of 30.8 μg kg −1 (4.8 pg) for Pb was obtained under optimised conditions.…”

The production of polymer reference materials for microanalysis with high homogeneity by a 3D printing method

“…Over the past few decades, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been widely used in elds like geology, environmental science, biology, materials science, and so on. 7,8 It has the advantage of direct analysis of solids, requiring little or no pre-processing work for elemental analysis at the micro-scale. 9 However, quantication of the analytical results can be a severe problem.…”