Which method of analysis is best suited for determining the chemical composition of a seashell sample.
Hello,
it will be necessary to state what the intention is to find out. This can be the content of risk elements in the shell or in the muscle, the content of the main components, the organic content, etc. The analysis procedure will vary accordingly. For analysis of metals in their own shells, it will probably be ICP-MS after mineralization in acids.
I think Micro-probe Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Micro-LIBS) is best suitable for seashell analysis.
Hello, Anwana Ukpong
It heavily depends on what type of analytes do you want to investigate; elemental analysis would likely require sample preparation by dissolving in acid and ICP-MS or ICP-OES for analysis. Other than that mineralogical composition of the sample can be determined using XRD analysis according to Barbachi et al. (https://doi.org/10.48422/IMIST.PRSM/ajees-v5i2.16422). Similar analysis was also performed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry analysis (Article Characterization of Calcium Carbonate Obtained from Oyster a...
,Article A Micro-XRF Study of the Element Distribution on the Growth ...
). Pollutants are also have been analyzed by XRF (Article Rapid detection of toxic metals in non-crushed oyster shells...
).
@Aset Muratuly. Thanks so much for your prompt and decisive response. I needed to confirm if XRF analysis will suffice..
@Anwana Ukpong, Chemical Composition of a Seashell can be analyzed in different ways depending on the area of interest :, is it in soil replacement or stabilization or in partial replacement of cement in concrete or as corrosion inhibitor. I hope your area of interest will give room for proper evaluation of needed analysis.
@Charles Kennedy. I'm looking at partial replacement of cement in concrete as CaCO3 can be gotten from any seashell
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