1 Determination of As,Bi, Sb,Se and Te in Fifty Five Reference Materials by Hydride Generation ICP-MS

Analytical data are reported for As, Bi, Sb, Se and Te in fifty five geological reference materials (RM). The method used is based on hydride generation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HG-ICP-MS) following digestion of the samples in the mixed acid attack of HF-HClO₄-HNO₃-HCl. Analytes were separated from potential interferences by coprecipitation with La(OH)₃. This scheme results in method detections limits of: 1 ng g^?1 for Bi and Te; 6 ng g^?1 for Sb and Se; and 10 ng g^?1 for As. The average relative standard deviation (RSD) for three 0.5 g subsamples of each RM analysed by this method are: 3.7% for As in the range 0.35-187 μg g^?1; 5.6% for Sb in the range 0.03-22 μg g^?1; 6.8% for Bi in the range 0.002-48 μg g^?1; 7.2% for Se in the range 6-3610 ng g^?1; and 9.0% for Te in the range 2-445 ng g^?1.