DETERMINATION OF TRACE-LEVEL VANADIUM IN MARINE BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES BY CHEMICAL NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

A pre-irradiation chemistry neutron activation analysis procedure employing cation-exchange chromatography is described for the determination of trace-level vanadium in marine biological specimens. The procedure, utilizing a low-power nuclear reactor (~1X1011 n/cm2-s), consists of wet digestion of the sample, cation-exchange chromatography employing nitric acid wash to remove the major radioactivatable contaminants (sodium and chloride ions), ammonium hydroxide elution to remove vanadium from the resin, neutron irradiation and radioassay for 52V. The limit of detection of the method is 30 ppb. The determinations of the vanadium content of NBS Standard Reference Material 1571 Orchard Leaves resulted in a value of 0.60 ± 0.02 ppm. Determinations of the vanadium content in shrimp, crab, oyster (RSD ≤ 5%) from four sites off and near Galveston Island, Texas, showed that the vanadium content is greater in samples taken in the industrialized areas as compared to a non-industrialized section. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.