Elemental and Organometallic Analyses of Soil Using Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

✍ Scribed by Christopher M. Barshick; Stacy-Ann Barshick; Matthew L. Mohill; Phillip F. Britt; David H. Smith

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 669 KB
• Volume: 10
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0951-4198
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0231(199602)10:3<341::aid-rcm475>3.0.co;2-6

✦ Synopsis

Glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GUMS) have been evaluated as techniques for total elemental assay in soil. GDMS analysis demonstrated accurate elemental quantification for lead and tin (approximately 20% error at the 10 ppm level). Limitations were encountered, however, when the element of interest was volatile, as in the case of mercury, or when the element was not an inorganic salt but a volatile organometallic compound. GC/MS was investigated as an alternative means of providing both organometallic compound analysis and elemental quantication. A solid-phase microextraction fiber was demonstrated to be an effective sampling medium for several organometallic compounds in both water and a water/soil slurry. Quantification of inorganic mercury species was facilitated by using an alkylating reagent (methylpentacyanocobaltate (111)) to produce an organomercurial that could be analyzed by GUMS. Although the reaction proceeded as anticipated, several additional observations were made that may be exploited in future studies.