Application of Trace Element Analysis Using ICP-MS to Forensic Discrimination of Charcoal Ash

KASAMATSU Masaaki, SUZUKI Yasuhiro

doi:10.2116/bunsekikagaku.61.577

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Other Title

ICP-MSを用いる木炭灰中の微量元素の分析と法科学的異同識別への応用
アナリティカルレポート ICP-MSを用いる木炭灰中の微量元素の分析と法科学的異同識別への応用
アナリティカルレポート ICP-MS オモチイルモクタンバイチュウノビリョウゲンソノブンセキトホウカガクテキイドウシキベツエノオウヨウ

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Description

The application of trace element analysis using ICP-MS was investigated for the forensic discrimination of charcoal samples. Eleven kinds of commercially available charcoal samples were collected and used for the experiments. A small amount of each charcoal was burned in an electrical furnace to make ash. Approximately 5 mg of ash was sonicated with a mixture acid of 250 μL of nitric acid, 250 μL of hydrochloric acid and 500 μL of hydrofluoric acid, followed by heating to dryness. The residue was dissolved again in 500 μL nitric acid, and diluted to 10 mL to prepare sample solutions. Qualitative analysis of the sample solution using ICP-MS indicated that charcoal ash contained elements such as Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Pb. Four trace elements (La, Ce, Nd, Pb) were selected for the determination, and a comparison for the discrimination of different ash samples. Ash made from different charcoals tend to exhibit larger difference in the concentration of these elements than the variation within a sample. The ranges of the mean±2 SD for each element were compared for all of 55 pairs among 11 different ash samples. The combination of 4 elements allowed for the discrimination of all possible pairs, although no single element could achieve complete discrimination. The analysis and comparison of trace elements by the present method was quite effective for the forensic discrimination of charcoal ashes.

Journal

BUNSEKI KAGAKU

BUNSEKI KAGAKU 61 (7), 577-581, 2012

The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry

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