Detection Limits  

Solution Analysis Lab Services

ICENS operates two main non-nuclear analytical techniques:

• Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)
• Flow Injection Analysis (FIA).

A Perkin Elmer PC5100 is used for flame and graphite furnace based AAS of liquid and digested or extracted solid samples for 21 elements. IC for anions (fluoride, chloride, nitrate, phosphate and sulphate) is carried out on mainly freshwater samples with a Dionex 8500i instrument. Saline waters or soil extracts with higher content of dissolved solids are analysed by FIA with a Lachat 8000i Automatic Ion Analyser for nitrate/nitrite, phosphate, silicate and ammonia.

The detection limits for IC and FIA techniques for selected ions are shown in the table below:

Anions/Cations

Techniques

Detection Limit mg/L

Fluoride (F^-)

IC

0.2

Nitrate (NO^-₃)

IC/FIA

0.7/7x10^-2

Silicate

FIA

2x10^-3

Chloride (Cl^-)

IC

0.7

Ammonia

FIA

1x10^-3

Phosphate (PO^3-₄)

IC

0.1

Sulphate (SO^2-₄)

IC

0.3

Sodium (Na⁺)

IC

1.5

Potassium (K⁺)

IC

0.2

Magnesium (Mg²⁺)

IC

0.6

Calcium (Ca²⁺)

IC

1.5

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 Solution Analysis Lab Detection Limits

Detection Limits

Cold Vapour AAS* (ppb)

Flame AAS* (ppm)

Flame AES** (ppm)

Graphite Furnace AAS* (ppb)

Hydride Generation AAS* (ppb)

Al

---

0.3

---

---

---

As

---

---

---

---

3

Ca

---

0.4

---

---

---

Cd

---

0.03

---

0.4

---

Co

---

---

---

1.1

---

Cr

---

0.05

---

1.6

---

Cu

---

0.05

---

2.9

---

Fe

---

0.1

---

---

---

Hg

1

---

---

---

---

K

---

0.1

---

---

---

Mg

---

0.001

---

---

---

Mn

---

0.01

---

1.0

---

Na

---

---

0.02

---

---

Pb

---

0.1

---

1.3

---

Se

---

---

---

---

1

Zn

---

0.02

---

---

---

*AAS = Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

**AES = Atomic Emission Spectrometry

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