This method is from EPA's Inorganic Compendium of methods and is for the determination of metals from ambient air sources using proton induced x-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE).
The filter used for collection should have the thinnest possible backing materials made exclusively from low atomic number elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The thickness shouldn't exceed 1000ug/cm2 to keep the background low and provide the best detection limits in the analysis. A polycarbonate track etched (PCTE) filter or Teflon® or Kepton® impaction surface is recommended for sampling.
Samples are collected using a dichotomous sampler following the procedures in Compendium Method IO-2.2 or a Partisol® sampler following the procedures in Compendium Method IO-2.3. Both samplers are able to separate fine and coarse particles. Fine particles are defined those with aerodynamic diameters from 0-2.5um. Coarse particles are defined as those with aerodynamic diameters of 2.5-10.0um. The collection methods specify a low-flow collection rate of 16.7L/min.
Once the sample is collected, it placed in it's specially designed filter hold to minimize particle loss and sealed in a plastic bag. The sample is then analyzed using PIXE.
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| Hold Times, Preservatives, Preps, Collection, Analytical & Documentation | |
|---|---|
| Holding Time: | None specified in method. |
| Preservatives: | None specified in method. |
| Required Preps: | PCTE filter or Teflon/Kepton impaction surface |
| Collection Method: | Dichotomous sampler following Compendium Method IO-2.2 procedures. |
| Analytical Methodology: | PIXE |
| Documentation: | 
IO-3.6
|
| Analyte | Formula | CAS Number | Detection Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tellurium | Te |
13494-80-9 |
31 |
ng/m3 |
| Aluminum | Al |
7429-90-5 |
16.3 |
ng/m3 |
| Dysprosium | Dy |
7429-91-6 |
9.63 |
ng/m3 |
| Iridium | Ir |
7439-88-5 |
12.3 |
ng/m3 |
| Iron | Fe |
7439-89-6 |
2.71 |
ng/m3 |
| Lanthanum | La |
7439-91-0 |
20.8 |
ng/m3 |
| Lead | Pb |
7439-92-1 |
16.9 |
ng/m3 |
| Lutetium | Lu |
7439-94-3 |
10.8 |
ng/m3 |
| Magnesium | Mg |
7439-95-4 |
18.7 |
ng/m3 |
| Manganese | Mn |
7439-96-5 |
3.01 |
ng/m3 |
| Mercury | Hg |
7439-97-6 |
14.4 |
ng/m3 |
| Molybdenum | Mo |
7439-98-7 |
57.2 |
ng/m3 |
| Neodymium | Nd |
7440-00-8 |
15.1 |
ng/m3 |
| Nickel | Ni |
7440-02-0 |
2.37 |
ng/m3 |
| Niobium | Nb |
7440-03-1 |
43.6 |
ng/m3 |
| Osmium | Os |
7440-04-2 |
12.9 |
ng/m3 |
| Palladium | Pd |
7440-05-3 |
134 |
ng/m3 |
| Platinum | Pt |
7440-06-4 |
13.5 |
ng/m3 |
| Potassium | K |
7440-09-7 |
9.93 |
ng/m3 |
| Praseodymium | Pr |
7440-10-0 |
16 |
ng/m3 |
| Promethium | Pm |
7440-12-2 |
12.6 |
ng/m3 |
| Rhenium | Re |
7440-15-5 |
13.2 |
ng/m3 |
| Rhodium | Rh |
7440-16-6 |
105 |
ng/m3 |
| Rubidium | Rb |
7440-17-7 |
17.8 |
ng/m3 |
| Ruthenium | Ru |
7440-18-8 |
89.4 |
ng/m3 |
| Samarium | Sm |
7440-19-9 |
12 |
ng/m3 |
| Scandium | Sc |
7440-20-2 |
7.82 |
ng/m3 |
| Silicon | Si |
7440-21-3 |
14.1 |
ng/m3 |
| Silver | Ag |
7440-22-4 |
166 |
ng/m3 |
| Sodium | Na |
7440-23-5 |
28.3 |
ng/m3 |
| Strontium | Sr |
7440-24-6 |
23.2 |
ng/m3 |
| Tantalum | Ta |
7440-25-7 |
10.8 |
ng/m3 |
| Technetium | Tc |
7440-26-8 |
73.1 |
ng/m3 |
| Terbium | Tb |
7440-27-9 |
9.34 |
ng/m3 |
| Thallium | Tl |
7440-28-0 |
16.6 |
ng/m3 |
| Thorium | Th |
7440-29-1 |
33.7 |
ng/m3 |
| Thulium | Tm |
7440-30-4 |
10.2 |
ng/m3 |
| Tin | Sn |
7440-31-5 |
273 |
ng/m3 |
| Titanium | Ti |
7440-32-6 |
6.62 |
ng/m3 |
| Tungsten | W |
7440-33-7 |
12 |
ng/m3 |
| Antimony | Sb |
7440-36-0 |
376 |
ng/m3 |
| Arsenic | As |
7440-38-2 |
5.42 |
ng/m3 |
| Barium | Ba |
7440-39-3 |
22.6 |
ng/m3 |
| Cadmium | Cd |
7440-43-9 |
202 |
ng/m3 |
| Cerium | Ce |
7440-45-1 |
18.1 |
ng/m3 |
| Cesium | Cs |
7440-46-2 |
25.3 |
ng/m3 |
| Chromium | Cr |
7440-47-3 |
3.91 |
ng/m3 |
| Cobalt | Co |
7440-48-4 |
2.37 |
ng/m3 |
| Copper | Cu |
7440-50-8 |
2.71 |
ng/m3 |
| Erbium | Er |
7440-52-0 |
8.73 |
ng/m3 |
| Europium | Eu |
7440-53-1 |
10.5 |
ng/m3 |
| Gadolinium | Gd |
7440-54-2 |
10.2 |
ng/m3 |
| Gallium | Ga |
7440-55-3 |
3.61 |
ng/m3 |
| Germanium | Ge |
7440-56-4 |
4.21 |
ng/m3 |
| Gold | Au |
7440-57-5 |
14.4 |
ng/m3 |
| Hafnium | Hf |
7440-58-6 |
10.5 |
ng/m3 |
| Holmium | Ho |
7440-60-0 |
9.34 |
ng/m3 |
| Uranium | U |
7440-61-1 |
43.9 |
ng/m3 |
| Vanadium | V |
7440-62-2 |
5.42 |
ng/m3 |
| Ytterbium | Yb |
7440-64-4 |
10.5 |
ng/m3 |
| Yttrium | Y |
7440-65-5 |
29 |
ng/m3 |
| Zinc | Zn |
7440-66-6 |
3.61 |
ng/m3 |
| Zirconium | Zr |
7440-67-7 |
35.5 |
ng/m3 |
| Bismuth | Bi |
7440-69-9 |
16.9 |
ng/m3 |
| Calcium | Ca |
7440-70-2 |
8.12 |
ng/m3 |
| Indium | In |
7440-74-6 |
240 |
ng/m3 |
| Iodine | I2 |
7553-56-2 |
29.2 |
ng/m3 |
| Sulfur | S |
7704-34-9 |
12.9 |
ng/m3 |
| Phosphorus | P |
7723-14-0 |
14.4 |
ng/m3 |
| Bromine | Br2 |
7726-95-6 |
12.3 |
ng/m3 |
| Selenium | Se |
7782-49-2 |
6.32 |
ng/m3 |
| Chlorine | Cl2 |
7782-50-5 |
12.3 |
ng/m3 |
* The analytes and detection limits listed for each method represent the typical detection limits and analytes reported for that particular method. Keep in mind that analyte lists may vary from laboratory to laboratory. Detection limits may also vary from lab to lab and are dependent upon the sample size, matrix, and any interferences that may be present in the sample.