Determination of ultra-trace level Am in marine sediment and seawater by combining TK200-TK221 tandem-column extraction chromatography and SF ICP-MS.

Sound strategies for marine chemical monitoring call for measurement systems capable of producing comparable analytical results with demonstrated quality. This work presents the development and validation of a new analytical procedure for the determination of the Am mass fraction in marine sediment and seawater samples at low levels. The procedure includes a tandem-column extraction chromatography for separation of Am and sector field-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF ICP-MS) for its determination.

Determination of uranium isotopes in marine sediments and seawaters by SF ICP-MS after rapid chemical separation using TK200 resin.

This work provided a novel analytical procedure for rapid and precise uranium isotopic determination in marine sediment and seawater, using a new type of extraction resin, TK200 resin, in combination with microwave digestion (for marine sediments), Fe(OH) co-precipitation (for seawater), and single collector sector field-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF ICP-MS) measurement. The removal ability of TK200 extraction chromatography for the interfering elements (IEs) Hg, Pb, Th, Pt, Tl, and the matrix rare earth elements (REEs) was carefully investigated. High decontamination factors (DFs) were obtained for IEs and REEs.

Application of SS-CS-HR-AAS measurements for the detection of Ag nanoparticles in marine invertebrates.

The present study describes the development of a fit-for-purpose analytical procedure for the detection of Ag NPs in different marine organisms by Solid Sampling Continuous Source High Resolution Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (SS-CS-HR-AAS). The detection is based on the observation of the Ag absorption peak and its atomization delay t which is different for ionic Ag and Ag NPs. The temperature program was optimized in order to achieve the maximum difference between the t ad (Δt ).

Marine sponges as coastal bioindicators of rare earth elements bioaccumulation in the French Mediterranean Sea.

In recent years, the widespread use of rare earth elements (REEs) has raised the issue of their harmful effects on the aquatic environment. REEs are now considered as contaminants of emerging concern. Despite the increasing interest of REEs in modern industry, there is still a lack of knowledge on their potential impact on the environment and especially in the marine environment.

Rapid determination of femtomolar methylmercury in seawater using automated GC-AFS method: Optimisation of the extraction step and method validation.

Among ionic mercury species methyl mercury (MMHg) is the most toxic form present in the environment, which is known to be bio-accumulative neurotoxin in the aquatic food chain and could provide the major route of exposure for humans to mercury through consumption of marine food products. The availability of reliable analytical methods for evaluating spatial and temporal contamination trends of MMHg in the ocean is an important prerequisite for marine monitoring. Sound strategies for marine monitoring call also for measurement systems capable of producing comparable analytical results with demonstrated quality.

Comparative study on Hg bioaccumulation and biotransformation in Mediterranean and Atlantic sponge species.

In this work we present an assessment of mercury (Hg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation in different species of marine sponges collected off the Northwestern Mediterranean and Northeastern Atlantic coasts. Overall the results showed significant accumulation of Hg in sponges, with the Mediterranean sponge Chondrilla nucula exhibiting the highest total Hg content (up to 0.5 mg kg) and bio-concentration factor (BCF) up to 23.

Trace elements contamination assessment in marine sediments from different regions of the Caribbean Sea.

Trace elements (TEs), rare earth elements (REEs), and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations as well as mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) isotope compositions in sediment samples collected from strategic locations along the Caribbean Sea were determined. The analyzed sediment samples were collected at different core depths from localities in Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The evaluation of pollution assessment indices i.

Simultaneous speciation analysis of mercury in marine origin samples by high performance liquid chromatography and species - specific isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Species-specific isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry reference method and high-performance liquid chromatography were applied for simultaneous determination of mercury species in marine samples. Different extraction protocols for mercury species were tested and evaluated. It was found that after exposure to microwave energy the inorganic mercury (iHg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) can be completely extracted from marine biota sample by 4.

Cold vapour matrix-independent generation and isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for reference measurements of Hg in marine environmental samples.

The analytical procedure for reference measurements of Hg in marine environmental samples based on cold vapour generation (CVG) inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) and isotope dilution calibration strategy (ID) is described in the present study. The procedure was applied on different matrices and varying mass fractions for mercury in oyster, marine sediment and costal seawater samples. The use of CVG for sample introduction resulted in sensitivity enhancement, reduction of blank levels, minimization of matrix interferences and the elimination of memory effects.

First assessment on trace elements in sediment cores from Namibian coast and pollution sources evaluation.

Trace elements (TEs), Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Pb isotope ratios were determined in six small cores sampled along the Namibian coast and different indices, such as Enrichment Factor, Geo-accumulation Index and Pollution load index, were calculated to evaluate possible metal contamination in the area. Concentrations of Pb, Cu, As and Cd were strongly enhanced at the upper 7 cm of core C5, which is located at Walvis Bay, at the major harbor and urban/industrial center of Namibia, indicating the impact from the recent anthropogenic activities. Principal Component Analysis was applied to the data set indicating possible common sources of the contaminants.

Marine sponges as a powerful tool for trace elements biomonitoring studies in coastal environment.

In this work, we performed a comparative study on six marine sponge species collected along the French Mediterranean and Irish coasts for their TEs accumulation. Intra and inter-species variabilities were examined. Among the Mediterranean species, Cymbaxinella damicornis accumulates significantly more As and Cu than others sponge species; Chondrilla nucula more Ni and Mo and Acanthella acuta more Ag.

Baseline study on trace and rare earth elements in marine sediments collected along the Namibian coast.

Namibia is a fast-growing country with extensive mineral extraction activities used in diamond, fluorspar, uranium, and metals production. To assess the impact of land based human activities on the Namibian coastal marine environment, 25 elements were analyzed in 22 surface sediments samples collected along the coast. After applying a variety of pollution assessment indices (Enrichment Factor, Igeo and Pollution Load Indexes) was concluded that As, Cd and Sb were considerably enriched in the sediments from several sites, while Cu, Pb and Zn showed very high enrichment near the Walvis Bay harbor.

Determination of ultra-trace level of Th in seawater by ICP-SFMS after matrix separation and preconcentration.

This article describes the development and validation of an analytical procedure for the matrix separation, preconcentration and determination of sub-ng kg levels Th in a small volume (20 mL) of seawater samples. The matrix separation and Th preconcentration was carried out using a commercially available ion-chelation system seaFAST-pico. The acidified to pH < 2 seawater samples were mixed on-line with the ammonium acetate buffer (pH of 6.

Reference measurements for total mercury and methyl mercury content in marine biota samples using direct or species-specific isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

The analytical procedures for reference measurements of the total Hg and methyl mercury (MeHg) mass fractions at various concentration levels in marine biota samples, candidates for certified reference materials (oyster and clam Gafrarium tumidum), were evaluated. Two modes of application of isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method (ID ICP-MS), namely direct isotope dilution and species-specific isotope dilution analysis with the use of two different quantification mass spectrometry techniques were compared. The entire ID ICP-MS measurement procedure was described by mathematical modelling and the combined uncertainty of measurement results was estimated.

Determination of low-level plutonium in seawater by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: method validation.

Sources of plutonium isotopes to the marine environment are well defined, both spatially and temporally which makes plutonium (Pu) a potential tracer for oceanic processes. This paper presents the optimisation and validation of an analytical procedure for ultra-trace determination of Pu isotopes (Pu and Pu) in seawater based on the external calibration and sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF ICP-MS) determination. Additionally, method for Pu isotope ratio (Pu/Pu) in marine samples is also discussed.

Determination of methylmercury in marine biota samples with advanced mercury analyzer: method validation.

In this paper, we present a simple, fast and cost-effective method for determination of methyl mercury (MeHg) in marine samples. All important parameters influencing the sample preparation process were investigated and optimized. Full validation of the method was performed in accordance to the ISO-17025 (ISO/IEC, 2005) and Eurachem guidelines.

Determination of methylmercury in marine sediment samples: method validation and occurrence data.

The determination of methylmercury (MeHg) in sediment samples is a difficult task due to the extremely low MeHg/THg (total mercury) ratio and species interconversion. Here, we present the method validation of a cost-effective fit-for-purpose analytical procedure for the measurement of MeHg in sediments, which is based on aqueous phase ethylation, followed by purge and trap and hyphenated gas chromatography-pyrolysis-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (GC-Py-AFS) separation and detection. Four different extraction techniques, namely acid and alkaline leaching followed by solvent extraction and evaporation, microwave-assisted extraction with 2-mercaptoethanol, and acid leaching, solvent extraction and back extraction into sodium thiosulfate, were examined regarding their potential to selectively extract MeHg from estuarine sediment IAEA-405 certified reference material (CRM).

Determination of methylmercury in marine biota samples: method validation.

Regulatory authorities are expected to measure concentration of contaminants in foodstuffs, but the simple determination of total amount cannot be sufficient for fully judging its impact on the human health. In particular, the methylation of metals generally increases their toxicity; therefore validated analytical methods producing reliable results for the assessment of methylated species are highly needed. Nowadays, there is no legal limit for methylmercury (MeHg) in food matrices.

Cadmium determination in natural waters at the limit imposed by European legislation by isotope dilution and TiO2 solid-phase extraction.

The cadmium content in surface water is regulated by the last European Water Framework Directive to a maximum between 0.08 and 0.25 μg L(-1) depending on the water type and hardness.

Determination of the total and extractable mass fractions of cadmium and lead in mineral feed by using isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

This paper describes the determination of the total and extractable mass fractions of Cd and Pb in mineral feed test sample distributed by the Community Reference Laboratory for Heavy Metals in Feed and Food (CRL-HM), in the frame of the fifth interlaboratory comparison for the European Union National Reference Laboratories (NRL). The developed in this study protocol for the total and extractable mass fractions of Pb and Cd in mineral feed sample is based on isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID ICP-MS). The applied dual spiking approach reduced by 50% the number of analytical steps.

First results on Fe solid-phase extraction from coastal seawater using anatase TiO2 nano-particles.

This paper describes the application of TiO(2) nano-particles (anatase form) for the solid-phase extraction of iron from coastal seawater samples. We investigated the adsorption processes by infra-red spectroscopy. We compared in batch and on-(mini)column extraction approaches (0.