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Using ICP-qMS to trace the uptake of nanoscale titanium dioxide by microalgae–potential disadvantages of vegetable reference material

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Abstract

As nanoscale materials have gained in economic importance over recent years, concerns about accumulation in the environment and, consequently, analysis of nanoparticles in biological material have increasingly become the focus of scientific research. A nanomaterial used in a wide range of food, consumer and household products is titanium dioxide (nTiO2). Monitoring of nTiO2 via determination of elemental titanium (Ti) can be very challenging because of a variety of possible interferences. This work describes problems during the development of a quantification method for titanium dioxide (TiO2) using inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-qMS). To evaluate the analytical method, certified vegetable reference material NCS DC 73349 was used. Interestingly, measurements of NCS DC 73349 seemed to result in acceptable recovery values—however, this was without considering interferences or conceivable differences in the natural isotopic abundance of the certified titanium calibration solution and NCS DC 73349. Actually, recoveries were lower than initially assumed. The potential interferences causing augmented recovery could be attributed to the presence of the elements sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P), which were able to form oxide ions and nitrogen-interfering species. The effect of such interfering cluster ions could be prevented by dry ashing as a sample preparation step, to evaporate S and P, before digestion with aqua regia in a high-pressure asher (HPA). Final practicability of the analysis method was proved by monitoring the uptake of nTiO2 by the microalgae Scenedesmus acutus in an environmental exposure study.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Evonik Industries for providing Aeroxide TiO2 P25 and the OECD for participation in the OECD sponsorship programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, J.W. Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Theodoros Potouridis, Heiko Alsenz & Wilhelm Püttmann

  2. Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, J.W. Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Johannes Völker & Matthias Oetken

Authors
  1. Theodoros Potouridis
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  2. Johannes Völker
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  3. Heiko Alsenz
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  4. Matthias Oetken
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  5. Wilhelm Püttmann
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Correspondence to Wilhelm Püttmann.

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Potouridis, T., Völker, J., Alsenz, H. et al. Using ICP-qMS to trace the uptake of nanoscale titanium dioxide by microalgae–potential disadvantages of vegetable reference material. Anal Bioanal Chem 406, 2495–2502 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-7666-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-7666-2

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