Water analysis by spark-source mass-spectrometry after preconcentration on activated carbon

For trace analyses of environmental waters, spark-source mass-spectrometry has been combined with a preconcentration procedure involving chelation of the dissolved trace elements with oxine and subsequent adsorption of the oxinates and naturally occurring organic and colloidal metal species onto activated carbon. The activated carbon is filtered off and ashed at low temperature. The residue is dissolved, an internal standard and pure graphite are added and, after drying, the electrodes are prepared. The photographically recorded mass spectrum is evaluated by a suitable computer routine. The error of the procedure is around 30%. While this preconcentration and analysis procedure is capable of measuring about 40 elements quantitatively, in practice 10-25 trace elements are determined simultaneously above the 0.1-mug/l. detection limit, as is illustrated by analyses of drinking water, surface and ground water samples. Although a sophisticated technique, SSMS can be considered for regular panoramic survey analyses.