Rapid detection of tri-n-butyl phosphate on environmental surfaces using static SIMS

Static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is an analytical method that can be used to detect the presence of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) on environmental surfaces including minerals (e.g., basalts, quartz) and vegetation. Static SIMS instrumentation equipped with pulsed secondary ion extraction and a ReO₄^- primary ion gun permits the rapid acquisition of cation and anion mass spectra of samples surfaces with virtually no sample preparation: samples are merely attached to a sample holder using double-stick tape. SIM spectra were demonstrated to be sensitive to the mode of TBP adsorption to mineral surfaces: TBP adsorbed to Fe(II)-bearing phases, Fe(III)-bearing phases, silicate, and vegetation surfaces could be distinguished from one another. These results indicate that SIMS has broad applicability for the rapid characterization of environmental surfaces, and in some cases, is capable of identifying the mode of contaminant-surface interactions. The technique is also attractive because it can analyze milligram-size samples, and no waste is generated during analysis.