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This bibliographic review gives an outline of publications in 2019 focusing on reference materials (RMs) used in geochemistry and related fields, such as palaeoclimate and environmental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homogeneity, mass fractions of about forty trace elements and Sr isotope composition of Ca carbonate reference materials (RMs) between original and nano‐powdered pellets are compared. Our results using nanosecond and femtosecond LA‐(MC)‐ICP‐MS show that the nano‐pellets of the RMs MACS‐3NP, JCp‐1NP and JCt‐1NP are about a factor of 2–3 more homogeneous than the original samples MACS‐3, JCp‐1 and JCt‐1, and are therefore much more suitable for microanalytical purposes. With the exception of Si, the mass fractions of the synthetic RM MACS‐3 agree with its fine‐grained analogue MACS‐3NP. Very small, but significant, differences between original and nano‐pellets are observed in the RMs JCp‐1 and JCt‐1 for some trace elements with very low contents, indicating the need for re‐certification. Strontium mass fractions in the analysed RMs are high (1500–7000 mg kg−1), and their isotope compositions determined by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS in the original and the nano‐pellets agree within uncertainty limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three synthetic reference glasses were prepared by directly fusing and stirring 3.8 kg of high‐purity oxide powders to provide reference materials for microanalytical work. These glasses have andesitic major compositions and are doped with fifty‐four trace elements in nearly identical abundance (500, 50, 5 µg g−1) using oxide powders or element solutions, and are named ARM‐1, 2 and 3, respectively. We further document that sector‐field (SF) ICP‐MS (Element 2 or Element XR) is capable of sweeping seventy‐seven isotopes (from 7Li to 238U, a total of sixty‐eight elements) in 1 s and, thus, is able to quantify up to sixty‐eight elements by laser sampling. Micro‐ and bulk analyses indicate that the glasses are homogeneous with respect to major and trace elements. This paper provides preliminary data for the ARM glasses using a variety of analytical techniques (EPMA, XRF, ICP‐OES, ICP‐MS, LA‐Q‐ICP‐MS and LA‐SF‐ICP‐MS) performed in ten laboratories. Discrepancies in the data of V, Cr, Ni and Tl exist, mainly caused by analytical limitations. Preliminary reference and information values for fifty‐six elements were calculated with uncertainties [2 relative standard error (RSE)] estimated in the range of 1–20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This GGR biennial critical review covers developments and innovations in key analytical methods published since January 2014, relevant to the chemical, isotopic and crystallographic characterisation of geological and environmental materials. In nine selected analytical fields, publications considered to be of wide significance are summarised, background information is provided and their importance evaluated. In addition to instrumental technologies, this review also presents a summary of new developments in the preparation and characterisation of rock, microanalytical and isotopic reference materials, including a précis of recent changes and revisions to ISO guidelines for reference material characterisation and reporting. Selected reports are provided of isotope ratio determinations by both solution nebulisation MC-ICP-MS and laser ablation-ICP-MS, as well as of radioactive isotope geochronology by LA-ICP-MS. Most of the analytical techniques elaborated continue to provide new applications for geochemical analysis; however, it is noted that instrumental neutron activation analysis has become less popular in recent years, mostly due to the reduced availability of nuclear reactors to act as a neutron source. Many of the newer applications reported here provide analysis at increasingly finer resolution. Examples include atom probe tomography, a very sensitive method providing atomic scale information, nanoscale SIMS, for isotopic imaging of geological and biological samples, and micro-XRF, which has a spatial resolution many orders of magnitude smaller than conventional XRF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese- and iron-rich materials are of major geoscientific and economic interest, many of which contain microscopic features that provide valuable information. To obtain accurate results, a homogeneous microanalytical reference material for calibration is needed. Several researchers have used the Mn- and Fe-rich RMs, JMn-1, NOD-A-1, NOD-P-1 and FeMn-1, for this purpose; therefore, they were tested in this study to determine their suitability for microanalysis. Their homogeneity was investigated by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) with two different types of lasers (nano- and femtosecond), with spot and line scan analyses and with different operating parameters, such as spot size, pulse repetition rate and fluence. As the established manganese nodule RMs revealed inhomogeneities for picogram to microgram test portions, we also investigated the new synthetic Fe- and Mn-rich RM, FeMnOx-1. FeMnOx-1 was found to be homogeneous for large (ø 40 μm: 2% RSD repeatability) and small (ø 8-10 μm: 10% RSD repeatability) spot sizes. This homogeneity is in the range of the homogeneous NIST SRM 610 and GSE-1G reference glasses. Furthermore, FeMnOx-1 revealed a large-scale homogeneity within uncertainties of a few per cent, using test portions in the ng range, when measuring four individual mounts of this material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in the chemical and isotopic characterisation of geological and environmental materials can often be ascribed to technological improvements in analytical hardware. Equally, the creation of novel methods of data acquisition and interpretation, including access to better reference materials, can also be crucial components enabling important breakthroughs. This biennial review highlights key advances in either instrumentation or data acquisition and treatment, which have appeared since January 2010. This review is based on the assessments by scientists prominent in each of the given analytical fields; it is not intended as an exhaustive summary, but rather provides insight from experts of the most significant advances and trends in their given field of expertise. In contrast to earlier reviews, this presentation has been formulated into a unified work, providing a single source covering a broad spectrum of geoanalytical techniques. Additionally, some themes that were not previously emphasised, in particular thermal ionisation mass spectrometry, accelerator-based methods and vibrational spectroscopy, are also presented in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test whether the silicate reference glasses BAM-S005-A and BAM-S005-B from BAM (The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Germany) are suitable materials for microanalysis, we investigated the homogeneity of these reference glasses using the microanalytical techniques EPMA, LA-ICP-MS and SIMS. Our study indicated that all major and most trace elements are homogeneously distributed at micrometre sampling scale in both types of glass. However, some trace elements (e.g., Cs, Cl, Cr, Mo and Ni) seem to be inhomogeneously distributed. We also determined the composition of BAM-S005-A and BAM-S005-B. The EPMA data of major elements confirmed the information values specified by the certificate. With the exception of Sr, Ba, Ce and Pb, our trace element data by LA-ICP-MS were also in agreement with the certified values within the stated uncertainty limits. The reasons for the discrepancy in these four elements are still unclear. In addition, we report new data for twenty-two further trace elements, for which the concentrations were not certified. Based on our investigation, we suggest that both of these materials are suitable for many microanalytical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The high spatial resolution of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) microanalysis of speleothems and biogenic calcium carbonates makes it possible to improve our understanding of past climatic conditions. However, there are analytical problems associated with this method, such as molecular interferences, elemental fractionation, and mass-load-dependent matrix effects, when using NIST silicate reference glasses for calibration. Our study with a sector-field ICP-MS shows that many masses are affected by interferences, such as 24Mg+ by 48Ca++ or 31P+ by 15N16O+. Elemental fractionation and mass-load-dependent matrix effects have been detected for both 213 and 193nm Nd:YAG lasers. They are small for refractory lithophile elements, in particular for the 193nm laser (<5%). For chalcophile/siderophile trace elements with low boiling points, however, these effects are large (up to 40% and 20% for the 213 and 193nm lasers, respectively), and variable for the NIST glasses and carbonates. In this paper, a protocol for precise and accurate LA-ICP-MS analysis of calcium carbonates is established. Isotopes for interference-free measurements at low (M/ΔM ~300) and medium (M/ΔM ~4000) mass resolution have been identified. The NIST glasses are suitable for calibration of refractory lithophile element concentrations. However, matrix-matched calibration with carbonate reference materials, such as USGS MACS-1 or MACS-3, is necessary for accurate analysis of chalcophile/siderophile elements with low boiling points. Analytical reproducibility (RSD) is a factor of ~2 better using the 193nm laser than the 213nm laser. As shown by the analysis of MACS-1 and MACS-3, LA-ICP-MS analyses yield results that agree with the reference values within relative uncertainties of ca. 5–10% at the 95% confidence level. We have applied LA-ICP-MS for the determination of trace element concentrations in calcite and aragonite layers of a stalagmite and found large variations for Mg, Zn, Sr, and U. In ostracod shells, the concentrations of some trace elements (e.g., Sr and Ba) vary significantly, indicating the potential for paleoclimate research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This review surveys the literature on reference materials for geological and environmental research for the two year period 2006–2007. In this time ca. 1200 publications appeared containing analytical data on reference materials, indicating that their importance for analytical work has been recognised by geochemists and environmental scientists. Although many reference materials exist, there remains a pressing need for further samples, especially for certified rock reference materials, homogeneous reference glasses, mineral reference materials and so-called delta-zero materials for normalisation purposes of stable isotopes. This review focuses on six topics: rock reference materials, reference materials for platinum-group elements, reference glasses, mineral reference materials, environmental reference materials (seawater, soil) and isotopic reference materials (radiogenic, stable isotopes). In addition, a short description is given of the GeoReM database for reference materials of geological and environmental interest, which contains analytical data from the publications discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]