Development of Melting System for Measurement of Trace Elements and Ions in Ice Core

Abstract

We present a titanium (Ti) melting head divided into three zones as an improved melting system for decontaminating ice-core samples. This system was subjected to performance tests using short ice-core samples (4 × 4 cm2, ~5 cm long). The procedural blanks (PBs) and detection limits of ionic species, with the exception of NO？ 3, were comparable with published values, but for elements the experimental procedures should be refined to obtain valid Zn concentrations due to the PB of ~90.0 ± 16.2 ng/L. The improved melting system efficiently decontaminated the samples, as verified by the concentration profiles of elements and ions in the melted samples from the three melting-head zones. The recovery of trace elements in ice-core samples was ~70？120% at ~100 ng/L in artificial ice cores. Because of the memory effects between ice-core samples melted in series, the melting system should be rinsed at least 5？6 times (in a total volume of ~2.5 mL deionized water) after each melting procedure. Finally, as an application of this technique, trace elements were measured in ice-core samples recovered from the East Rongbuk Glacier, Mount Everest, (28 030N, 86 960E, 6518 m a.s.l.), and the concentrations of trace elements following mechanical chiseling and the melting method were compared.