RELIABILITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF A SEQUENTIAL EXTRACTION PROCEDURE FOR TRACE-METAL DETERMINATION IN MARSH SEDIMENTS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA

This work describes the rationale used to substantiate the reliability and reproducibility of results obtained from a sequential extraction procedure employed to determine trace metals in restored marsh sedimen ts originating from Calcasieu River ship channel dredge spoils in sout hwestern Louisiana. The determination was conducted using flame and gr aphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Metals determined were Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The variations in concentrations betwe en replicate samples and duplicate samples were not statistically sign ificant. Concentrations of all trace metals studied were in agreement with previous studies. (C) 1998 Academic Press.