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Determination of Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in seawater by isotope dilution automatic solid-phase extraction—ICP-MS

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Abstract

A thorough understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the ocean is crucial because of the important role these elements play in regulating metabolism in marine biotas and thus, the climate. However, a precise and accurate analysis of trace metals in seawater is difficult because they are present at extremely low concentrations in a high salt matrix. In this study, we report an analytical method for the preconcentration and separation of six trace metals, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, in seawater using a seaFAST automatic solid-phase extraction device, analysis by a triple quadrupole collision/reaction technique with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and quantification by the isotope dilution technique. A small volume (10 mL) of seawater sample was mixed with a multi-element isotope spike and subjected to seaFAST procedures. The preconcentrate solution was then analyzed using the optimized collision/reaction cell mode of ICP-MS, with NH3 gas for Fe and Cd with a flow rate of 0.22 mL/min and He for Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb with a flow rate of 4.0 mL/min. The procedure blanks were 130 pmol/L, 3.0 pmol/L, 6.8 pmol/L, 37 pmol/L, 0.29 pmol/L and 0.42 pmol/L, for Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively. The method was validated using five reference materials (SLRs-6, SLEW-3, CASS-6, NASS-7 and GEOTRACE-GSC), and our results were consistent with the consensus values. The method was further validated by measuring full-water-column seawater samples from the subtropical Northwest Pacific Ocean, and our results demonstrated good oceanic consistency.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank ThermoFisher Scientific Corp. for their generosity in providing us with the ICAP TQ ICP-MS for conducting this study. This work was also supported by the Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Polar Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China

    Yuncong Ge, Ruifeng Zhang, Ziyuan Jiang, Zhan Shen & Maojun Yan

  2. Key Laboratory for Polar Science of Ministry of Natural Resources, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, 200136, China

    Ruifeng Zhang

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  1. Yuncong Ge
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  2. Ruifeng Zhang
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  3. Ziyuan Jiang
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  4. Zhan Shen
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  5. Maojun Yan
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Correspondence to Ruifeng Zhang.

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Foundation item: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41921006, 41890801 and 42076227; the Impact and Response of Antarctic Seas to Climate Change, Grant 583 under contract No. IRASCC 1-02-01B.

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Ge, Y., Zhang, R., Jiang, Z. et al. Determination of Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in seawater by isotope dilution automatic solid-phase extraction—ICP-MS. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 41, 129–136 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-022-2016-2

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