title: A magnesium hydroxide preconcentration/matrix reduction method for the analysis of rare earth elements in water samples using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
abstract: This paper describes a simple method for simultaneous preconcentration and matrix reduction during the analysis of rare earth elements (REEs) in water samples through laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). From a systematic investigation of the co-precipitation of REEs using magnesium hydroxide, we optimized the effects of several parameters - the pH, the amount of magnesium, the shaking time, the efficiency of Ba removal, and the sample matrix - to ensure quantitative recoveries. We employed repetitive laser ablation to remove the dried-droplet samples from the filter medium and introduce them into the ICP-MS system for determinations of REEs. The enrichment factors ranged from 8 to 88. The detection limit, at an enrichment factor of 32, ranged from 0.03 to 0.20 pg mL(-1). The relative standard deviations for the determination of REEs at a concentration of 1 ng mL(-1) when processing 40 mL sample solution were 2.0-4.8%. We applied this method to the satisfactory determination of REEs in lake water and synthetic seawater samples.
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
authors: Hui-Fang
authors: HF
authors: Hsieh
authors: Yi-Hsiang
authors: YH
authors: Chen
authors: Chu-Fang
authors: CF
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D001464:Barium / Q000737:chemistry; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007834:Lasers; D008276:Magnesium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008674:Metals, Rare Earth; D014867:Water; D001464:Barium; D008276:Magnesium Hydroxide