Speciation of nickel in airborne particulate matter by means of sequential extraction in a micro flow system and determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A four-stage sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of nickel has been applied to ambient aerosol samples. The determination of the soluble, sulfidic, metallic and oxidic Ni fractions in particulate matter was carried out by graphite furnace (electrothermal) atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). An EDTA solution, a mixture of diammonium citrate and hydrogen peroxide, and a KCuCl3 solution were used as leaching agents for the determination of the soluble, sulfidic and metallic species, respectively, and nitric acid was used for the determination of oxidic compounds after microwave digestion of particulate matter sampled on filters.