Determination of selenium in glacial ice by radioactivation

✍ Scribed by Herbert V. Weiss

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1971
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 424 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-2670
• DOI: 10.1016/s0003-2670(01)80117-3

✦ Synopsis

Determination of selenium in glacial ice by radioactivation

Information on the selenium content of a Greenland ice sheet was desired'. In anticipation of finding only minute quantities of this element in glacial ice, the analysis was performed through radioactivation.

The basic method of Bowen and Cawse' which measures neutron-induced al Se was adopted. However, exclusive of a 3-min ashing step unnecessary in the present work, 33 min would have been required to process samples. Since 81Se decays with a half-life of 18.6 min, it was desirable to reduce the processing time.

This report describes the modified procedure devised, which permits the counting of samples within 12-14 min after irradiation and thereby effects a two-fold increase in sensitivity. The method of preparing the glacial ices for analysis and the results of their analysis are also given.

Experimental

Samples. The samples were collected by Dr. C. C. Patterson of the California Institute of Technology in connection with his work on lead3. Most samples were taken within the vicinity of Camp Century on the Greenland ice sheet and they were melted and stored in sealed polyethylene containers.