Quantification of Seventeen Elements in Musical Drumheads and the Extractability of Arsenic, Lead and Chromium with Determination by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Seventeen elements were determined in various drumheads in order to establish the elemental composition of the samples. Eleven samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the concentrations of seventeen metals (Be, Na, Mg, Ni, Al, Pb, Fe, As, Cr, Co, Cu, Se, Cd, Ru, Pd, Sn, and Sb) were determined. Migration experiments using artificial sweat were performed for three elements (As, Cr, Pb) to evaluate their extractable fractions. Exposure via dermal route to heavy metals generally receives less attention than exposure via inhalation or oral pathways. Metal determination may be beneficial to the polymer industry since heavy metals in polymers may contribute to problems during the manufacturing process. Characterization studies were performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Be, Se, Ru, and Pd were not detected in any samples. The concentrations of the metals were from 72.84 to 354.9 mu g/g for Sb, 357.9 to 15,750 ng/g for Pb, 0.28 to 121.1 mu g/g for As, 101.9 to 501.6 ng/g for Cu, 383.1 to 1536 ng/g for Ni, 11.46 to 124.0 mu g/g for Fe, 319.7 to 1046 ng/g for Cr, 213.2 to 1035 mu g/g for Al, 1.74 to 1213 mu g/g for Mg, and 118.5 to 892.5 mu g/g for Na.