Measuring total antimony in geothermal waters by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

R. E. Stauffer

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USGS · 70233520

Measuring total antimony in geothermal waters by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

R. E. Stauffer

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Abstract

A flame atomic absorption procedure utilizing an electrodeless discharge lamp is described for determining total solute antimony in silica-rich geothermal waters. Following NaNO 2 oxidation of Sb +3 , SbCl 5 is extracted from 6 N HCl solution by using MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone) ; silica in the organic layer is removed by centrifugation. The analytical detection limit for antimony is about 6 micrograms per liter in the original sample; the coefficient of variation is 4 percent at the 250 μ g/L Sb level. Comparable total antimony levels were found in sample splits which had been either filtered and acidified (to pH less than 1.5) with HNO 3 or left untreated at the time of sample collection.

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R. E. Stauffer. 1977. Measuring total antimony in geothermal waters by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70233520

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