Apatite group of minerals incorporates a large range of trace metals such as Sr, Y, U, Th, as well as the rare earth elements, that allows obtaining useful information on their genesis and could be used in several applications in geology and geochemistry. In this study, a new method for the multielement analysis of apatite using total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) was developed. The acid digestion procedure was chosen as an optimal sample preparation with the capability to analyze a low sample amount (~5-10 mg). The validation of the method passed through the combination of procedures: analysis of Durango and Otter Lake well-known apatite samples; using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry as reference analytical methods; assessment of the measurement uncertainty. The proposed TXRF method is advantageous in being fast, cheap and simple for the multielement analysis of apatite with high accuracy.
Keywords: Apatite; Method development; Rare-earth elements; TXRF.
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