DETERMINATION OF TRACE-METALS IN SEAWATER BY INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS-SPECTROMETRY WITH PRECONCENTRATION ON SILICA-IMMOBILIZED 8-HYDROXYQUINOLINE

The application of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to the determination of eight trace metals in a coastal seawater reference material is described. Accurate calibration has been achieved for Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb by standard additions techniques, while stable isotope dilution has been applied for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb. In both cases the trace metals were separated from the seawater and concentrated 50-fold by adsorption on silica-immobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline prior to instrumental determination. Detection limits are in the range from 0. 2 to 2 ng L** minus **1, low enough to permit the analysis of even open ocean samples.