The goal of this study was to explore the use of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for a variety of human hair analyses. / Optimization of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operating parameters, radiofrequency (RF) power and carrier gas flowrate, for solid sample introduction showed more than one operating condition can (1) produce a statistically similar maximum elemental signal and (2) have statistically similar optimum signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios. The use of an internal standard was shown to increase the number of operating conditions with statistically similar optimum S/N ratios, and the value of S/N ratios. The high degree of precision exhibited by 34S along hair strands from the same individual (2 - 3 % hair strand to hair strand RSDs) suggests that sulphur may be a suitable internal standard for elements in hair. / The single and multi ablation detection limits (DLs) obtained for elements in powdered hair certified reference materials (CRMs) were similar to what was expected for biological materials using LA-ICP-MS. / The possibility of using LA-ICP-MS to depth profile elements in a hair strand was explored. With the correct operating conditions, LA-ICP-MS may be an effective analytical tool for depth profiling elements in a hair strand. / LA-ICP-MS was used to construct mercury calibration plots using powdered hair CRMs and calibrated hair strands having R2 values of 0.9775 and 0.9522, respectively. / Exogenous deposits lead to confusion in the interpretation of findings from hair. LA-ICP-MS was used to remove an artificial exogenous deposit from a hair strand.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.97907 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Bemben, Kevin J. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Chemistry.) |
| Rights | © Kevin J. Bemben, 2006 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002482549, proquestno: AAIMR24617, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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