Thick-target PIXE analysis of chromium, copper and arsenic impregnated lumber

Chromium, copper and arsenic (CCA) have for decades been used for wood preservation. Of these elements especially arsenic is very toxic. As CCA impregnated wood is still today used for many construction purposes, a monitoring of these metal ions is of great environmental importance, Thick-target PIXE is a powerful method for the determination of trace metals in wood. The TTPIXE method enabled study of variations of the elemental concentrations in lumber treated with CCA impregnation solution. Distribution patterns were obtained for both naturally occurring elements and elements, introduced in the treatment process, During the impregnation process a desorption of e.g. alkali metal ions takes place from the wood. The sensitivity of the method is, improved by dry ashing of the samples prior to PIXE analysis. The TTPIXE method was calibrated and validated using international certified reference materials (CRM) based on wood material. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.