Determination of Sb(III), Sb(V) and identification of Sb-containing nanoparticles in airborne particulate matter

A reliable method able to separate and quantify Sb(III) and Sb(V) species by ion chromatography - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) was applied to PM samples from brakes, major source of antimony in coarse particles, and to atmospheric PM10 and size segregated samples. For brake samples we obtained recovery percentages of the IC-ICP-MS vs. ICP-MS analysis close to 100%. In PM samples the two inorganic species were detected only in the coarse fraction. The low recovery percentages obtained for fine particles suggest the presence of nano-particles aggregates in the analysed solutions, which are retained by the chromatographic column.