APPLICATION OF AGCL AS A THERMOCHEMICAL ADDITIVE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF REFRACTORY ELEMENTS IN SOLID SEDIMENT SAMPLES BY DIRECT SAMPLE INSERTION INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA ATOMIC EMISSION-SPECTROMETRY

Trace levels of refractory elements have been determined in a solid sediment reference material (PACS-1) by direct insertion into an inductively coupled plasma (DSI-ICP-AES), using AgCl as a volatilization enhancing thermochemical additive. The method of standard additions was used for calibration. It was found that powdered metal oxide standards (SPEX g-standards) were adequate spiking standards for Co, Cr, Ni and V in PACS-1. The reproducibility of the measurements was between 10 and 25% RSD. The accuracy of the determinations is fair below 50 mug g-1, with typical errors falling below 10%, but it degrades at the higher concentrations to errors of approximately 20%.