Trace metal characterisation of marine sediment reference materials MESS-3 and PACS-2 in dilute HCl extracts

A number of extraction methods are currently used to characterise metals in marine sediments. These include total digestion involving HF, extraction with concentrated acid, partial extraction with weak acid, or a more complicated multiple stage sequential extraction scheme (e.g. BCR) (Mudroch et al., 1999). Partial extraction methods are attractive because they are simple, fast, relatively safe, and they target labile phases and reservoirs containing metals