Trace analysis and leaching dynamics of volcanic ash using NAA and ICP-MS
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Trace analysis and leaching dynamics of volcanic ash using NAA and ICP-MS B. Canion • S. Landsberger
Received: 22 July 2012 / Published online: 15 August 2012 Ó Akade´miai Kiado´, Budapest, Hungary 2012
Keywords Neutron activation analysis Leaching Trace elements Volcanic ash Mount Merapi
Indonesia are very relevant. Other areas with high levels of volcanism have been concerned by increased levels of heavy metals in their water systems due to leaching of volcanic ash. In Argentina, the levels of arsenic in the ground water reached highly toxic levels of 743 lg/L due to acidic ground water leaching arsenic from volcanic ash in the soil [3]. In a previous study, we investigated the trace elements present in samples of volcanic ash from the 2010 Mt. Merapi eruption using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) [4]. The goal of this research is to investigate how well those elements leach out of the volcanic ash into simulated rain water, using a modified US Environmental Protection Agency Toxicity Characterization Leaching Procedure (TCLP) to leach the volcanic ash, and ICP-MS to analyze the leachate. Both INAA and leaching analysis followed by spectroscopy are common methods of characterizing arrays of elements in environmental samples [5–7].
Introduction
Experimental
In October of 2010, Mt. Merapi in Central Java, Indonesia had a major eruption, which released approximately 160 million tonnes of ash, roughly 75 % of which fell on or near Indonesia [1]. Mt. Merapi is only one out of sixty volcanoes that have erupted in the past century in Indonesia [2]. With this level of volcanism, the elements present in the ash which may have an effect on the ecosystem of
In a previous study [4], we found a wide range of elements using various INAA techniques, such as long and short irradiation and decay times, irradiation by thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes, and the use of a Compton suppression system, when appropriate. A summary of the methods used to find the elements relevant to this study can be see in Table 1. All samples were irradiated at the University of Texas at Austin in a 1 MW TRIGA reactor and counted with a Gamma-X germanium detector with an efficiency of 32.7 % and FWHM of 2.0 keV at 1.33 MeV Co-60 source, and a Na(I) detector used for the Compton suppression system.
Abstract In 2010, Mt Merapi in Indonesia erupted releasing approximately 160 million tonnes of ash, roughly 75 % of which fell on or near Indonesia. With this extreme amount of a substance, even tract elements can become relevant. We have identified a variety of trace and major elements in this ash using instrumental neutron activation analysis. We have used a variety of techniques to improve our measurements, such as the use of epithermal neutrons and a Compton suppression system that resulted in accurate measurements of a wide range of trace elements including heavy metals. In order to better understand the leaching dynamics at which various elements can enter the local waters and have either enriching or toxic effects on t
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