DETERMINATION OF RARE-EARTH AND OTHER ELEMENTS IN ALGAE BY ICP-MS ANDNEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

Several rare earth elements (REEs) and other elements in algae were in vestigated by ICP-MS and INAA. Algae materials were supplied from an I AEA Intercomparison Study: Chlorella vulg. grown under reduced levels of toxic elements (IAEA-391) and IAEA-393 algae was grown in a medium to which certain toxic elements were added. 34-691 mg of algae samples were dissolved in cone, nitric acid using a microwave sample-preparat ion system. REEs could be detected in the order of magnitude of 10(-3) ng/g by ICP-MS. Activation analysis failed to detect any REEs because of a strong interference due mainly to Na-24 and P-32. The distributi on patterns of these REEs in algae slightly differed from those of Car ya sp. and tobacco leaves, and differed significantly from that of fer n leaves. The distribution pattern was rather similar to that found in the North American shale composite (NASC).