Determination of Nd isotopic composition in seawater using newly developed solid phase extraction and MC-ICP-MS

Abstract

Determination of neodymium (Nd) isotopic composition in seawater is useful for tracing water masses and geochemical cycles for lithogenic elements in the ocean. A new separation procedure for determination of the Nd isotopic composition of in seawater samples was developed that offers enhanced sample throughput and improved measurement reliability. The procedure consists of conventional Fe hydroxide coprecipitation, solid phase extraction using DGA chelating resin column chromatography, and Ln Resin column chromatography to preconcentrate samples. High selectivity in HNO3 medium and elution by low concentration HCl medium for Nd are characteristics of extraction using DGA Resin®, and they allowed an evaporation step to be omitted between the chromatographic steps. These chromatographic steps, using DGA Resin to separate REEs and Ln Resin® to remove Sm, were refined from a previous study. The procedural blank value of Nd was obtained as 2 pg (n = 6) from 3 L of water samples. Chemical yield of Nd from 3 L of seawater ranged within 90–95%. The developed procedure was combined with multiple collector-ICP-MS and applied to analysis of vertical seawater samples obtained from the western subarctic gyre of the North Pacific Ocean, where εNd ranged from −1.29 ± 0.42 at the surface to −3.80 ± 0.41 at 4000 m depth. These results were validated by comparing them with results obtained by the conventional method verified in the GEOTRACES inter-calibration program.