Development of determination methods for trace elements in seawater by on-line column preconcentration/ICP-MS

Abstract

An automated low-pressure flow-analysis method with on-line column preconcentration/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) was developed for the determination of trace metals and rare earth elements (REEs) in seawater. A homemade column of a commercially available imminodiacetic functional group resin, Muromac A-1, was used to separate and concentrate trace metals (Al, V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Pb and U) or REEs (Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu) from seawater. Sample solutions adjusted to the optimized pH passed through the column, after washing the column with water. The adsorbed elements were subsequently eluted into the plasma with 0.7 M nitric acid. One sample could be analyzed in 7 min using a 7 ml sample. The proposed method was verified by the analysis of two reference standard materials of seawater, CASS-3 and NASS-4. This method was applied to the determination of trace metals and REEs in seawater of Hiroshima Bay, the Seto Inland Sea, Japan.