Ultra-sensitive Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) determination of calcium in ice cores at ppt level Original Research Article

A Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) spectrofluorimetric method for calcium determination in ice cores was optimised in order to achieve better analytical performances which would make it suitable for reliable calcium measurements at ppt level. The method here optimised is based on the formation of a fluorescent compound between Ca and Quin-2 in buffered environment. A careful evaluation of operative parameters (reagent concentration, buffer composition and concentration, pH), influence of interfering species possibly present in real samples and potential favourable effect of surfactant addition was carried out. The obtained detection limit is around 15 ppt, which is one order of magnitude lower than the most sensitive Flow Analysis method for Ca determination currently available in literature and reproducibility is better than 4% for Ca concentrations of 0.2 ppb. The method was validated through measurements performed in parallel with Ion Chromatography on 200 samples from an alpine ice core (Lys Glacier) revealing an excellent fit between the two chemical series. Calcium stratigraphy in Lys ice core was discussed in terms of seasonal pattern and occurrence of Saharan dust events.