Simultaneous determination of suspended particulate trace metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in seawater with small volume filtration assisted by microwave digestion and flow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer

A new technique for the determination of suspended particulate trace metals (P–metals >0.2 μm), such as Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, in open ocean seawater has been developed by using microwave digestion coupled with flow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (FI-ICP-MS). Suspended particulate matter (SPM) was collected from 500 mL of seawater on a Nuclepore filter (0.2 μm) using a closed filtration system. Both the SPM and filter were completely dissolved by microwave digestion. Reagents for the digestion were evaporated using a clean evaporation system, and the metals were redissolved in 0.8 M HNO3. The solution was diluted with buffer solution to give pH 5.0 and the metals were determined by FI-ICP-MS using a chelating adsorbent of 8-hydroxyquinoline immobilized on fluorinated metal alkoxide glass (MAF-8HQ). The procedure blanks with a filter were found to be 0.048 ± 0.008, 10.3 ± 0.3, 0.27 ± 0.05, 3.3 ± 1.8, 0.02 ± 0.03 and 0.85 ± 0.09 ng L−1 for Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively (n = 14). Detection limits defined as 3 times the standard deviation of the blanks were 0.023, 0.90, 0.14, 5.3, 0.078 and 0.28 ng L−1 for Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively. Accuracy was evaluated using certified reference materials of chlorella (NES CRM No. 3) and marine sediment (HISS-1). The method was applied to the determination of vertical distributions for P–Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the Western North Pacific.