Platinum, palladium, and rhodium in fresh snow from the Aspe Valley (Pyrenees Mountains, France).

Platinum, palladium, and rhodium have been measured in fresh snow samples from 14 locations within the Aspe Valley (Pyrenees Mountains, France) during two winter seasons, February 2003 and March 2004. Ultraclean procedures were employed for the sampling, sample treatment, and analysis in order to reduce sample contamination. Possible spectral interferences on platinum group element (PGE) analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were controlled and corrected. The detection limits obtained were 0.05, 0.45, and 0.075 pg g(-1) for Pt, Pd, and Rh, respectively. PGE content in fresh snow from the Pyrenees Mountains range from 0.20 to 2.51 pg g(-1) for Pt, 1.45-14.04 pg g(-1) for Pd, and 0.24-0.66 pg g(-1) for Rh. The higher PGE concentration, generally measured in sites located close to road traffic, exhibit potential resuspension of PGE-enriched particles emitted locally from the car exhaust, although no direct relationship could be observed with the number of vehicles. Measured atmospheric synoptic conditions allowed identification of the origin of air masses reaching the Aspe Valley and therefore provided information about the possible sources of platinum group elements. Higher PGE concentrations measured in 2004 samples, compared to the ones collected in 2003, indicate the influence of atmospheric synoptic conditions on the studied area. Fresh snow samples collected in 2003 could not be linked to a specific source, whereas 2004 samples could be influenced by PGE emissions from European vehicle fleet and Russian PGE-containing mining activities.