DMA as a gas converter from aerosol to Argonsol for real-time chemical analysis using ICP-MS

In this study, Argonsol is defined as an assembly of liquid or solid particles suspended in argon, just as an aerosol is a suspension in air. Argonsol can be generated by a nebulizer and fed into a plasma torch for measurement by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We have developed a new gas-conversion method, by means of a DMA, from normal aerosol to size-classified Argonsol for a chemical analysis using ICP-MS. A test aerosol containing lead as a typical toxic heavy metal was introduced into this system. With this system the size-related elemental concentration of lead nitrate particles in the range of 30 to 140 nm was measured. The sensitivity of this system is better than fg (10(15) g) of lead in the total mass of particles introduced into ICP-MS. In principle, it is possible for our system to analyze all the elements that ICP-MS and/or ICP-AES can analyze.