Columbia Analytical Services’ Kelso laboratory has continued the development of analytical techniques for pre-concentration and chemical separation of trace metals in saline aqueous samples using reductive precipitation followed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). This technique replaces conventional techniques for the analysis of trace metals in complex aqueous matrices such as sea water where matrix problems prevent the ability to achieve desired low levels of detection. Detection limits for various metals of interest using these techniques are displayed in the table to the right. Details of this procedure were presented at the recent National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC) held July 21-24 in Arlington, Virginia. The full abstract follows.

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