Determination of technology-critical elements in urban plants and water using inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry

Technology-critical elements (TCEs), e.g., Ge, Nb, Sb and the rare-earth elements (REEs), represent a non-uniformly defined group of elements that have become indispensable in various high-tech applications due to their unique chemical properties. Despite their rising use and documented instances of alterations of environmental background, the exact scope of anthropogenic releases, as well as their potential effects on ecosystems and human health, remain insufficiently characterised.

Regarding the environmental analysis of TCEs, challenges are posed by their chemical diversity, low environmental abundance, limited availability of (certified) reference materials, and spectral interferences encountered in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This work addresses these challenges through the development and validation of a fast and robust measurement procedure using closed-vessel microwave-assisted acid digestion and ICP-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). This validated method was employed to analyse urban environmental samples from Vienna, Austria, including plants from green facades and water from the Wienfluss river. The resulting data offers the first comprehensive assessment of certain scarcely studied TCEs in this context.

Key findings reveal patterns in the distribution of some TCEs that correlate with factors such as plant species, seasonality, and vertical positioning within the sampled sites. This work not only delivers a novel analytical approach for assessing TCEs but also presents an extensive dataset for understanding their distribution in a central European urban environment. The generated data lays the groundwork for assessments of potential ecological and human health impacts posed by anthropogenic TCE emissions.