Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a suitable tool for multi-element analysis at low concentration levels. Rare earth element (REE) determinations in standard reference materials and small volumes of molten ice core samples from Antarctica have been performed with an ICP-time of flight-MS (ICP-TOF-MS) system. Recovery rates for REE in e.g. SPS-SW1 amounted to approximately...

Bismuth is a heavy metal whose biogeochemical behaviour in the marine environment is poorly defined. In this study, we exposed three different species of macroalga (the chlorophyte, Ulva lactuca, the phaeophyte, Fucus vesiculosus, and the rhodophyte, Chondrus crispus) to different concentrations of Bi (up to 50 μg L(-1)) under controlled, laboratory conditions. After a period of 48-h, the phyto...

In this study, inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) is employed for the evaluation of soil pollution for selected metals in the Vanderbijlpark area of South Africa. Soil samples investigated were collected from five different sites in the city based on their proximity to the industrial areas of Vanderbijlpark. Soil samples were collected from close to traffic robots,...

This study provides a baseline from which changes in the chemistry of the atmosphere over Antarctica can be monitored under expected warming scenarios and continued intensification of industrial activities in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the first study to measure more than 25 chemical constituents in the surface snow and firn across extensive regions of Antarctica. We present major ion, trac...

International reference materials representing a diverse suite of sulfide ores and related lithologies have been analyzed for major and trace element concentrations by XRF, solution ICP–MS, and laser-ablation ICP–MS (LA–ICP–MS) after fusion of the sample to a lithium borate glass. Reference materials analyzed for this study include a wide variety of bulk compositions, including ores of Pb–Zn su...

Thirteen arsenous acid samples of known origins and refining methods were collected. Each sample was subjected to quantitative analysis of any impurity elements present using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (SR-XRF) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The trace elements selected were Sn, Sb and Bi for the reasons that they were considered...

We quantified leaching and mass fractions of trace elements in melted acidified ice core samples measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). This assessment was conducted using nine ice core sections retrieved from various high-altitude drilling sites in South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Twenty trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, M...

industrial activities lead to an increase in heavy metal burden in rivers. sediment and algae (spirogyra sp.) samples were collected from the shoor river to investigate their heavy metal concentrations. dry and ashed samples of algae and sediment were digested using concentrated nitric acid. heavy metals (as, fe, zn and cr) concentration measured using an icp-oes instrument (perkinelmer, usa). ...