Abstract: Folding aerosol loaded filters in two with the loaded side inwards during the X-ray analysis not only reduces possible filter heterogeneity effects and improves sample protection, but also increases the sensitivity and renders filter paper absorption corrections simple and more accurate in many instances. It is shown that folding an aerosol loaded Whatman filter paper during Kα X-rays counting leads to an increased sensitivity for all elements up from calcium, scandium or titanium (depending on the sensitivity definition and on the aerosol load) and for all elements up from phosphorus, sulphur or chlorine in the case of the Nuclepore filter. Although the absorption by the filter, into which the aerosol penetrates to some extent, is always more important in the sandwich than in the usual geometry, the dependence of the absorption correction on the usually unknown average deposition depth is less pronounced. Assuming all the aerosol material to be collected at the very surface of the filter and hence being present in the centre of the sandwich to be analysed, leads to an extremely simple filter paper absorption correction which is less prone to uncertainties than more sophisticated corrections in the usual geometry requiring additional measurements. This is the case for all elements up from potassium on Whatman filters and up from phosphorus on Nuclepore filters.

Abstract: Automated electron probe X-ray microanalysis was used to characterize some 15 000 individual suspension particles from 50 samples of suspended matter collected from different depths at 18 stations throughout the Baltic Sea and the transient area to the North Sea. For each particle, 14 minor and major elements were determined and size information data were obtained. To process this huge amount of results, multivariate analysis techniques were invoked: the particles were classified into specific types and the abundance variations of these groups were studied. It appeared that 80% of all investigated particles contained mostly silicon, and seemed to consist of quartz, and K-rich and Fe-rich aluminosilicates. The abundance of BaSO4 particles averaged 5% throughout the Baltic Sea, but amounted to up to 44% at some stations. The abundance of the Fe-rich particles varied significantly with location and depth, and averaged ∼ 4%. They were often found to be associated with significant amounts of P. Both of these particle types and the Mn-rich particles are thought to be mainly authigenic. Calcium carbonate particles are more abundant towards the North Sea (which seems to act as a source). Principal component analysis of the data revealed that most of the compositional variability can be explained by differences between deep and surface waters and by the influences of inflowing North Sea waters. Additional information about the types and sources of the suspended matter in the Baltic Sea was gained from the comparison and correlation of the single particle results with different fractions of the bulk concentrations of elements such as Al, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn and Ba.

Abstract: Laser microprobe mass spectrometry is used to identify intrarenal microliths; they appear to consist of either oxalate, urate or phosphate. Crystalline and amorphous deposits in rat and human kidney are pin-pointed by the laser beam and their chemical composition determined by mass spectrometry. The method has the potential for wide application in the identification of single organic, inorganic or combination crystals in histological sections.

Abstract: The rate of iron(II) oxidation in North Sea water of pH 5.510 in the range 1025°C has been studied. The oxygenation rate depends linearly on the iron(II) and dissolved oxygen concentrations. The second-order dependence on [OH−], found by several investigators for synthetic solutions, was confirmed in seawater, but only for pOH > 6.9. For pOH < 5.9 the rate appeared to be independent of the pOH. In the intermediate range, pOH 5.96.9, corresponding to the natural pH of seawater, a first-order dependence on the pOH is obeyed. The important discrepancy in the literature between the second-order rate constant for NaCHO3 solutions and for seawater can be attributed predominantly to the incorrect assumption of a second-order pOH dependence in natural seawater. The results can be useful, for example, in predicting the effect of dumping acidic iron waste from the titanium-dioxide industry into the ocean.

Abstract: Triammonium aurin tricarboxylate (aluminon) has been used to localize aluminum in 2 μm sections of undecalcified, methyl methacrylate embedded bone obtained from patients with terminal chronic renal failure. Aluminum appeared in four cases as bright red lines at the mineralized-bone boundary. In two cases, however, purplish lines were found and one patient showed red as well as purplish lines. Laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA) identified aluminum at the location of the red lines and both aluminum and iron at the purplish lines. Furthermore, both iron and aluminum were found in histiocytic bone marrow cells, which showed brownish aluminon staining. It appears that when aluminum and iron occur together, aluminon staining may yield aberrant results. This study shows that LAMMA can be used for the identification of elements sought by histochemical methods and thus permits the evaluation of their staining effects.