Geochemical analysis method ICP-AES

Preparation

Each sample was air-dried at ambient temperature, disaggregated, and sieved to <2 millimeters (mm). The <2-mm material was then crushed to <150 micrometers (µm) prior to chemical analysis. The sample was decomposed using a near-total four-acid (hydrochloric, nitric, hydrofluoric, and perchloric) digestion at a temperature between 125 and 150 °C.

Bibliographic reference

Briggs, P.H., 2002, The determination of forty elements in geological and botanical samples by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, chap. G of Taggart, J.E., Jr., ed., Analytical methods for chemical analysis of geologic and other materials, U.S. Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-223, 18 p.

[http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/ofr-02-0223/G01fortyelementICP-AESsolid_M.pdf]

Database fields pertinent to ICP-AES

al_pct

Element:	Al
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Aluminum (Al) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

ba_ppm

Element:	Ba
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Barium (Ba) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one unit.
Lower limit:	5 mg/kg

ti_pct

Element:	Ti
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Titanium (Ti) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

ca_pct

Element:	Ca
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Calcium (Ca) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

fe_pct

Element:	Fe
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Iron (Fe) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

k_pct

Element:	K
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Potassium (K) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

mg_pct

Element:	Mg
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Magnesium (Mg) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

na_pct

Element:	Na
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Sodium (Na) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

s_pct

Element:	S
Units:	wt. %
Description:	Sulfur (S) concentration, in percent by weight (wt.%), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of two decimal places.
Lower limit:	0.01 wt. %

cr_ppm

Element:	Cr
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Chromium (Cr) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one unit.
Lower limit:	1 mg/kg

cu_ppm

Element:	Cu
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Copper (Cu) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one decimal place.
Lower limit:	0.5 mg/kg

li_ppm

Element:	Li
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Lithium (Li) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one unit.
Lower limit:	1 mg/kg

mn_ppm

Element:	Mn
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Manganese (Mn) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one unit.
Lower limit:	5 mg/kg

ni_ppm

Element:	Ni
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Nickel (Ni) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one decimal place.
Lower limit:	0.5 mg/kg

p_ppm

Element:	P
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Phosphorus (P) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one unit.
Lower limit:	50 mg/kg

sr_ppm

Element:	Sr
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Strontium (Sr) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one decimal place.
Lower limit:	0.5 mg/kg

v_ppm

Element:	V
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Vanadium (V) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one unit.
Lower limit:	1 mg/kg

zn_ppm

Element:	Zn
Units:	mg/kg
Description:	Zinc (Zn) concentration, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Precision of one unit.
Lower limit:	1 mg/kg