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Title: Detection and Classification of Individual Airborne Microparticles using Laser Ablation Mass Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis

Journal Article · · Field Analytical Chemistry
OSTI ID:6083

We are developing a method for the real-time analysis of airborne microparticles based on laser ablation mass spectroscopy. Airborne particles enter an ion trap mass spectrometer through a differentially-pumped inlet, are detected by light scattered from two CW laser beams, and sampled by a 10 ns excimer laser pulse at 308 nm as they pass through the center of the ion trap electrodes. After the laser pulse, the stored ions are separated by conventional ion trap methods. In this work thousands of positive and negative ion spectra were collected for eighteen different species: six bacteria, six pollen, and six particulate samples. The data were then averaged and analyzed using the Multivariate Patch Algorithm (MPA), a variant of traditional multivariate anal ysis. The MPA correctly identified all of the positive ion spectra and 17 of the 18 negative ion spectra. In addition, when the average positive and negative spectra were combined the MPA correctly identified all 18 species. Finally, the MPA is also able to identify the components of computer synthesized mixtures of the samples studied

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
6083
Report Number(s):
SAND99-1055J; ON: DE00006083
Journal Information:
Field Analytical Chemistry, Journal Name: Field Analytical Chemistry
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English