The application of direct current plasma spectrometry to the study of the fractionation of iron and phosphorus in surface waters.
By use of a direct-current plasma as the excitation source for atomic-emission measurements, samples containing various amounts of particulate matter can be analysed with precisions of better than +/- 10% relative standard deviation provided that particle agglomeration is controlled by acidification and/or filtration. Sample acidification and filtration can have profound effects on the determination of elemental fractionation and distribution in surface waters. By application of a controlled acidification and filtration process, the fraction of an element that is particle-bound and that which is soluble in water can be estimated. The magnitudes of the particle-bound and water-soluble fractions are influenced by a number of factors, including the concentration and average size of the solids in the water, the position of the sample in the water column, and the type of sediment underlying the water column.
Urasa
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Department of Chemistry, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia 23668, U.S.A.
O'Reilly
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