On the possibilities of ICP-AES for analysis of archaeological bones

Abstract

The possibility of using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) to determine the elemental composition of archaeological bones elements was evaluated and discussed. The interferences of the major elements (Ca, P, K, Na, Al and Fe) on the microelements (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn) were investigated and the appropriate analytical lines were selected. The role of different nebulizers (cross-flow, Babington and Meinhard) on detection limits were investigated. The applicability of the proposed procedure was demonstrated analyzing IAEA-SRM-H-5 (Animal bone); and authentic bone sample dating back to the 4th century BC. These results were compared to ETAAS and ICP-MS.