Direct analysis of soil suspensions by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry for determination of total metals

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Soil Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-198503000-00004· OSTI ID:5271288

Dick, W A; Page, J R; Jewell, K E

A rapid and efficient method is needed for determining total concentrations of multiple elements in soils. A procedure was developed whereby a soil was finely ground (25 min in a micronizing mill), suspended in water (2 g x L/sup -1/), and analyzed directly by inductively coupled plasma-emission spectrometry (ICP) to determine total concentrations of Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Sr. The average concentrations obtained for these elements in 10 soils agreed to within 2% of values obtained for the same soils analyzed after first solubilizing the samples by sodium carbonate fusion. The concentrations of the seven elements determined in the 10 soils analyzed ranged from a low of 44 mg Sr x kg/sup -1/ soil to over 7% of the soil sample as Al. The sensitivity of the direct analysis procedure could be increased by increasing the concentration of soil in suspension to 10 g x L/sup -1/. Large variations in concentration due to particle size differences among soils were initially observed. Grinding the soil in a micronizing mill reduced the variation caused by the particle size differences. When two soils with sand compositions of 79 and 17% were ground for 25 min, particle size analysis showed that 81 and 90%, respectively, of the ground soil had a particle size of equivalent diameter less than 2 ..mu..M. The direct analysis of soil suspensions by ICP eliminates the time-consuming solubilization step required in other total analysis methods and allows for the simultaneous determination of the total concentration of multiple elements in soils.

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ., Wooster
• OSTI ID: 5271288
• Journal Information: Soil Sci.; (United States), Vol. 139:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALUMINIUM
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
BARIUM
CALCIUM
IRON
MAGNESIUM
MANGANESE
SOILS
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
STRONTIUM
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MEASURING METHODS
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
PARTICLE SIZE
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DATA
ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
METALS
NUMERICAL DATA
SIZE
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
510200* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)