Key Instruments

Three different laser sources can be used for trae element studies: an ArF excimer laser microprobe at 193 nm (Geolas200Q-Microlas); a Nd:YAG laser at 213nm (New Wave Research) or a 266nm Nd:YAG laser microprobe (Brilliant, Quantel). The LA systems can be connected to a Triple Quadrupole (8900 QQQ from Agilent) or to a quadrupole ICP-MS system (DRCe from PerkinElmer).



Short description of instruments capabilities

Determination of trace eleements (from 7Li to 238U) abundancees and ratios on natural and synthetic solid maaterials are routinely performed at the LA-ICP-MS lab of Pavia. Rock forming minerals, gem stones, carbonaate materials (e.g. otoliths, shells) and synthetic materials, such as glasses and ceramics, are commonly anaalyzed. Trace element (heavy metals) characterization of bones, teeth, and tree rings can be performed in our lab. Please, do not hesitate contact staff for particular request.
Please note thar major element composition is used as internal standard for concentration determinations. Thus, to quantify data the concentration of at least one major eleements constituent (e.g. Si, Ca or Mg for silicates) that is to be used as internaal standard must be known prior to laser analysis.


Available standards

NIST Glass SRMs 610-612-614
Norman M.D., Pearson N.J., Sharmon A. and Griffin W.L. (1996) Quantitative analysis of trace elements in geological materials by laser ablation ICP-MS: Instrumental operating conditions and calibration of NIST glasses. Geostandards Newsletter, 20, 247-261.

Pearce N.J.G., Perkins W.T., Westgate J.A., Gorton M.P., Jackson S.E., Neal C.R. and Chenery S.P. (1997) A compilation of new and published major and trace element data for NIST SRM 610 and NIST SRM 612 glass reference material. Geostandards Newsletter: The Journal of Geostandards and Geoanalysis, 21, 115-144.

Rocholl A.B.E., Simon K., Jochum K.P., Bruhn F., Gehan R., Kramar U., Luecke W., Molazan M.,
Pernicka E., Seufert M. and Stummeier, J. (1997) Chemical characteristics of NIST silicate reference material SRM 610 by ICP-MS, TIMS, LIMS, SSMS, INAA, AAS and PIXE. Geostandards Newsletter: The Journal of Geostandards and Geoanalysis, 21, 101-114.

Basalt Glass USGS BCR-2G
Wilson, S.A., 1997, The collection, preparation and testing of USGS reference material BCR-2, Columbia River, Basalt, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-00x.

MPI-DING Glass
Jochum et al., 2006 MPI-DING reference glasses for in situ microanalysis: New reference values for element concentrations and isotope ratios. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems


Sample type and dimensions
Rock thin sections (27x45mm) and epoxy resin cylinder (1 or 2 inches diameter and with a maximum thickness of 7 mm) of embedded solid material (e.g. minerals, rock fragments, glasses, bones and synthetic materials).
The surface to be analyzed should be polished.
Rock thin sections should have a thickness of at least 70 μm.

Applications

LA-ICP-MS elemental analysis of marine samples allow to access to the chemical archive of environmental changes by the analysis of shells, coral and fish otoliths.



Publications for more analytical details
Tiepolo M., Bottazzi P., Palenzona M. and Vannucci R. (2003) A laser probe coupled with ICP – double-focusing sector-field mass spectrometer for in situ analysis of geological samples and U-Pb dating of zircon. Can. Mineral. 41, 259-272. http://www.canmin.org/content/41/2/259.full.pdf+html