High Spatial Resolution Quantitative Imaging by Cross-calibration Using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Synchrotron Micro-X-ray Fluorescence Technique

Authors

  • Hao A.O. Wang SCS-Metrohm Foundation Award for best oral presentation, microXAS Beamline Project, Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland; Trace Element and Micro Analysis Group, ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
  • Daniel Grolimund microXAS Beamline Project, Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland. daniel.grolimund@psi.ch
  • Luc R. Van Loon Laboratory for Waste Management, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
  • Kurt D Barmettler Soil Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zürich
  • Camelia N. Borca microXAS Beamline Project, Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
  • Beat Aeschlimann Trace Element and Micro Analysis Group, ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
  • Detlef Günther Trace Element and Micro Analysis Group, ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2012.223

Keywords:

High spatial resolution, La-icpms, Microxrf, Opalinus clay, Quantitative

Abstract

High spatial resolution, quantitative chemical imaging is of importance to various scientific communities, however high spatial resolution and robust quantification are not trivial to attain at the same time. In order to achieve microscopic chemical imaging with enhanced quantification capabilities, the current study links the independent and complementary advantages of two micro-analytical techniques – Synchrotron Radiation-based micro X-ray Fluorescence (SR-microXRF) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). A cross-calibration approach is established between these two techniques and validated by one experimental demonstration. In the presented test case, the diffusion pattern of trace level Cs migrating into a heterogeneous geological medium is imaged quantitatively with high spatial resolution. The one-dimensional line scans and the two-dimensional chemical images reveal two distinct types of geochemical domains: calcium carbonate rich domains and clay rich domains. During the diffusion, Cs shows a much higher interfacial reactivity within the clay rich domain, and turns out to be nearly non-reactive in the calcium carbonate domains. Such information obtained on the micrometer scale improves our chemical knowledge concerning reactive solute transport mechanism in heterogeneous media. Related to the chosen demonstration study, the outcome of the quantitative, microscopic chemical imaging contributes to a refined safety assessment of potential host rock materials for deep-geological nuclear waste storage repositories.

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Published

2012-04-25

How to Cite

[1]
H. A. Wang, D. Grolimund, L. R. Van Loon, K. D. Barmettler, C. N. Borca, B. Aeschlimann, D. Günther, Chimia 2012, 66, 223, DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2012.223.