Determination of Minor and Trace Elements in Biogenic Carbonate Minerals of Coccolithophores by High-Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

The sample preparation and analytical methodology are described for determining minor and trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, Sr, U, V, W, Y and Zn) in biogenic carbonate minerals of coccolithophores. Coccolith particles isolated from cultivated coccolithophores were purified by centrifugation and resuspension with 0.5 mM sodium hydrogencarbonate solutions (1 M = 1 mol L^-1). The concentrations of the elements in the final solutions were determined by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The analytical results of coccolith particles suggest that the molar ratios of the minor and trace elements in coccoliths vary with the compositions of the medium in which the coccolithophores are grown.