Science & technology branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 105 McGill street, 7th floor, Montreal, Canada
Dr. Christian Gagnon is an Associate Professor works at the Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Water Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Research
Zirconium Interferences on the Detection of Silver Nanoparticles by Single Particle ICP-MS: Implications on Natural Water Analysis
Author(s): Patrice Turcotte and Christian Gagnon*
The analysis of silver nanoparticle (NP Ag) by the single particle technique with argon plasma-coupled mass spectrometry (SPICP- MS) is an increasingly used analytical approach. The sensitive technique, distinguishing particle size distribution, allows working at concentrations similar to those found in environmental samples. The two natural Ag isotopes 107 and 109, with abundances of 52 and 48% respectively, have similar sensitivity in ICP-MS detection. However, it is common to encounter isobaric interferences in mass spectrometry, and the element silver is not an exception, as much with the 107 isotope as 109. For both isotopes, zirconium oxides present isobaric interferences, either 91Zr16O, 90Zr16O1H for the isotope 107 and the 92Zr16O1H for the 109. For surface water analysis by ICP-MS in regular technique, these interferences do not generally affect the analysis of total Ag conc.. View more»