title: A new method based on low background instrumental neutron activation analysis for major, trace and ultra-trace element determination in atmospheric mineral dust from polar ice cores.
abstract: Dust found in polar ice core samples present extremely low concentrations, in addition the availability of such samples is usually strictly limited. For these reasons the chemical and physical analysis of polar ice cores is an analytical challenge. In this work a new method based on low background instrumental neutron activation analysis (LB-INAA) for the multi-elemental characterization of the insoluble fraction of dust from polar ice cores is presented. Thanks to an accurate selection of the most proper materials and procedures it was possible to reach unprecedented analytical performances, suitable for ice core analyses. The method was applied to Antarctic ice core samples. Five samples of atmospheric dust (μg size) from ice sections of the Antarctic Talos Dome ice core were prepared and analyzed. A set of 37 elements was quantified, spanning from all the major elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn and Fe) to trace ones, including 10 (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ho, Tm, Yb and Lu) of the 14 natural occurring lanthanides. The detection limits are in the range of 10(-13)-10(-6) g, improving previous results of 1-3 orders of magnitude depending on the element; uncertainties lies between 4% and 60%.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School in Polar Sciences, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy; Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milano, Italy; INFN, Section of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: giovanni.baccolo@mib.infn.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baccolo
authors.affiliation: INFN, Section of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy; Department of Physics, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clemenza
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delmonte
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Institute, Juliane Maries Vej, 30, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Niccolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffezzoli
authors.affiliation: INFN, Section of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy; Department of Physics, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nastasi
authors.affiliation: INFN, Section of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy; Department of Physics, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Previtali
authors.affiliation: LENA, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prata
authors.affiliation: LENA, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvini
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milano, Italy; INFN, Section of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maggi
keywords: Atmospheric mineral dust; Ice core; Low background neutron activation analysis; Ultra-trace analysis