Direct Determination of Metals in PM10 Filters by Laser Ablation-ICP-MS

Abstract

The concentration of airborne particles has dramatically increased since the onset of the industrial revolution. Exposure to airborne particles has been demonstrated to cause effects is humans and animals, including asthma, lung cancer and cardiovascular problems (Lave and Seskin 1970; Lave and Seskin 1973; Pope et al. 1995). Premature deaths have been attributed to exposure to airborne particles. Particle size is believe to be the main determinant of toxicity because only particles smaller than 10 μm penetrate into the lungs and the smaller the particles the deeper they can penetrate. The finding that exposure to PM10 may result in health effects has sparked the initiation of monitoring programs. While particle concentrations are typically determined, there is a widespread interest in the composition of particles because it may partly be linked to health effects and inhalation of airborne particles is a source of exposure to metallic and organic compounds. In addition, the composition of airborne particles provides information relevant to source apportionment.