Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence determination of major oxides in bottom and peat sediments for paleoclimatic studies

Alena A Amosova; Victor M Chubarov; Galina V Pashkova; Alexander L Finkelshtein; Elena V Bezrukova

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.11.004

Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence determination of major oxides in bottom and peat sediments for paleoclimatic studies

Appl Radiat Isot. 2019 Feb:144:118-123. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.11.004. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Authors

Alena A Amosova¹, Victor M Chubarov², Galina V Pashkova³, Alexander L Finkelshtein², Elena V Bezrukova⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of X-ray analysis, A.P. Vinogradov Institute of Geochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1A Favorsky St., 664033 Irkutsk, Russia. Electronic address: amosova@igc.irk.ru.
² Laboratory of X-ray analysis, A.P. Vinogradov Institute of Geochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1A Favorsky St., 664033 Irkutsk, Russia.
³ Center for Geodynamics and Geochronology, Institute of Earth Crust, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 128 Lermontov St., 664033 Irkutsk, Russia.
⁴ Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry and Physical and Chemical Modeling, A.P. Vinogradov Institute of Geochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1A Favorsky St., 664033 Irkutsk, Russia; Irkutsk Scientific Center of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 134 Lermontov St., 664033 Irkutsk, Russia; Federal State Budget Institution Of Higher Education, Tyumen industrial University, 38 Volodarsky St., 625000 Tyumen, Russia.

PMID: 30576942
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.11.004

Abstract

The wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence method was applied to identify the distribution of major oxides within bottom and peat sediments containing organic matter of up to 70 wt.%. Samples were prepared as glass beads by fusing with lithium metaborate. The accuracy of results was assessed by flame photometry, spectrophotometry, and flame atomic absorption techniques. The proposed technique requires a sample weighing only 110 mg, which allows to analyze each centimeter of core collected at high-mountainous sites with undisturbed environment and eventually achieve uniquely high resolution of paleoclimatic reconstructions of global and regional climatic and environmental changes.

Keywords: Bottom sediments; Paleoclimate; Peat sediments; Sediment core; Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis.