Determination of Trace Levels of Yttrium and Rare Earth Elements in Estuarine and Coastal Waters by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Following Preconcentration with NOBIAS-CHELATE Resin
The use of a solid-phase extraction column packed with a polyamino-polycarboxylic acid chlating resin (NOBIASCHELATE resin) for separation and concentration of trace levels of yttrium (Y) and rare earth elements (REEs) from estuarine andcoastal water samples is described. The Y and REE recoveries from the resin were pHdependent; at pH 5.7, Y and REEs were extracted from the resin with almost 100% recovery. Barium, which has the potential to interfere with the analysis of REEs by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) because of the formationof oxide complexes, was not recovered from the column at pH 5.7. In addition, the reproducibility of the results for Y and REEs was not affected by variationsin salinity or by high concentrations of heavy metals,such as Fe, Mn, and Mo. The method was verified by the analysis of a coastal water standard reference material (NRCC CASS-4). The values obtained with the present method were comparable to previously reported values obtained by standardanalytical techniques. We used this simple, quick method to determine the concentrations of Y and REEs in estuarine and coastal waters of the MabechiRiver and off Aomori, Japan
