Multielement determination of major-to-ultratrace elements in river and marine sediment reference materials by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The multielement determination of major-to-ultratrace elements in river sed iment reference material (NIES No.16) and marine sediment reference materia l (NIES No.12) was investigated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emissi on spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The sediment samples were decomposed by alkali fusion with lithiu m metaborate (LiBO2) in a platinum crucible, and the residues were dissolve d in 1 M nitric acid. The digested sample solutions were subjected to the a nalysis by ICP-AES and ICP-MS after appropriate dilution. In consequence, 4 2 elements were determined over a wide concentration range, for example, fr om Si 23.8% to Lu 0.29 mu g g(-1) in the case of marine sediment reference material.