Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies a procedure for the use of quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) for analysing test solutions prepared from samples of airborne particulate matter collected as specified in ISO 15202-1. Method development, performance checks, and a routine analysis method are specified.

The procedure in this document is for quadrupole ICP-MS, including single-quadrupole instruments and tandem ICP-MS/MS. Other types of ICP-MS (e.g., magnetic sector) are outside of the scope of this document.

Test solutions for analysis by this document are prepared as specified in ISO 15202-2.

This document is applicable to the assessment of workplace exposure to metals and metalloids for comparison with limit values (see e.g. EN 689,[10] ASTM E1370[8]).

This document is not applicable to determination of elemental mercury, since mercury vapour is not collected using the sampling method specified in ISO 15202-1.

The procedure is suitable for assessment of exposure against the long-term exposure limits for most of the metals and metalloids listed above when sampling at a typical flow rate of at least 2 l min-1 for sampling times in the range 0,25 h to 8 h and for assessment of exposure against the short-term exposure limits, where applicable.

The procedure is subject to no significant spectral interferences (see A.3), provided that suitable analytical isotopes are used. However, inadequate matrix-matching can adversely affect results.