Determinations of uranium and other trace elements in seawater via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry requires significant reduction or elimination of the seawater salt matrix for reliable determinations at natural seawater levels. We investigated three different approaches for the determination of uranium in seawater by ICPMS : (1) the method of standard addition calibrations, (2) sample preconcentration and matrix elimination using sodium borohydride reductive precipitation from a mixture of ammonium pyrrolidine-dithio-carbamate, iron and palladium; and (3) use of the seaFAST sample introduction system (Elemental Scientific) in both sample preconcentration and direct sample introduction (with sample dilution) modes. All of these approaches have been used successfully for the determination of a broad group of trace elements in seawater at natural concentration levels, but their efficacy for use in the determination of uranium in seawater is not well documented.

Matrix elimination for the determination of uranium in seawater using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

249th National Meeting (2015)

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