Resumen de An Undergraduate Experiment for the Measurement of Trace Metals in Core Sediments by ICP-AES and GFAAS
Scott A. Mabury, Dan Mathers, David A. Ellis, Patrick A. Lee, Adam M. Marsella, Marianne Douglas
In this experiment students applied advanced instrumental methods of metals analysis to investigate the imprint of anthropogenic activities as observed in aquatic sediments. Sediments from a mid-latitude varved meromictic lake were collected using a cold finger corer and were sectioned by year; the core covered the time frame 1300 to the present. Metals were extracted by microwave digestion and analyzed by ICP-AES and GFAAS. Quality control spike and recovery, replicate, and blank analyses were all within acceptable limits. Target metal concentrations remained relatively constant until the late 19th century, when lead, manganese, and cadmium increased significantly. The concentrations of these metals then undergo a marked reduction toward the end of the 20th century, indicating a possible change in anthropogenic behavior.
