engleski

Determination of trace metals in porewater from the Adriatic Sea coastal sediments by HR ICPMS

Knowledge of the distribution of trace metals in porewaters is needed in order to understand the biogeochemical behaviour of trace metals in aquatic sediments as well as various processes which are taking place both in sediment and at the sediment/water interface. However, measuring trace metals concentration in porewater is not an easy task, especially in the marine environment, since concentrations of most metals are very low and the chemical composition of porewater creates a complex matrix which can interfere with metals determination. In addition, small sample volume usually prevents improving of the detection limits of the used analytical method by preconcentration so that direct determination of metals in the original sample is required. The method of choice for metals determination in porewater is than ICPMS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) which offers very low detection limits in combination with multielemental approach. In this work application of high resolution (sector field) ICPMS for determination of various metals in porewaters from coastal sediments is described. Several sediment cores from the Kastela Bay and the saline Rogoznica Lake (central part of the eastern Adriatic Coast) were sampled by scuba diving. Cores were cut under inert atmosphere and porewater was isolated by centrifugation and filtered. Twenty metals (Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Ti, Tl, U, V, Zn) were determined in these porewater samples by HR ICPMS. For comparison, some analyses were also made by ICPAES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) and by quadrupole ICPMS. Optimum analytical conditions for determination of particular metals and obtained detection limits will be discussed. The behavior of analyzed metals in porewaters from different sediment environments, characterized with different degree of anoxia, will be also discussed.

porewater ; metals ; HR ICPMS

nije evidentirano