Determination of major elements in Antarctic snow by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry using a total-consumption sample introduction system

A new procedure for the determination of Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na and Sr in snow samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) has been developed. The analytes were 100-fold preconcentrated by sample volume reduction and quantified by ICP-OES using the heated torch-integrated sample introduction system (hTISIS). After multivariate optimization of the hTISIS/ICP-OES operating parameters for maximum sensitivity and plasma robustness, fit-for-purpose performances were achieved, requiring only 20 mL of sample (as water equivalent). The analytical recovery was quantitative (except for Ba at low concentration, ≈80%) and the precision of the procedure was better than 5%. The limits of detection (Al: 0.10 ng g−1; Ba: 0.013 ng g−1; Ca: 0.52 ng g−1; Fe: 0.13 ng g−1; K: 0.38 ng g−1; Mg: 0.04 ng g−1; Na: 0.39 ng g−1; Sr: 0.003 ng g−1) were suitable for the analysis of Antarctic snow, with some limitation for Ba. The accuracy of the method was assessed by the analysis of the certified reference water NIST SRM 1640a. The application of the analytical method to sixty snow samples collected at Dome C, on the East Antarctic Plateau, provided self-consistent results, in good agreement with literature data.