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A comparative study of the principal approaches for the estimation of measurement uncertainty for the ICP-OES determination of the light rare earth elements, yttrium and uranium in rock samples

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Abstract

Measurement uncertainty (MU) associated with the determination of the light rare earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu), yttrium and uranium in different types of rock samples by an ICP-OES method has been evaluated by the three principal approaches: the GUM modelling approach, the Nordtest single laboratory approach and the Horwitz equation. A within-laboratory validation data for specificity, linearity, range, accuracy and precision was used for the MU calculations. Procedures have been described for the MU calculations by the three approaches and MU results for an in-house rock sample by the three approaches have been compared. MU results by the GUM approach were in good agreement with those obtained using the Horwitz equation, but were lower than those obtained by the Nordtest approach.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Director, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Hyderabad, India for the kind permission to publish this work and the Additional Director (R & D), AMD for the support. The authors also thank the different uranium exploration groups of AMD for providing the samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Group, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Civil Lines, Nagpur, 440001, India

    V. Padmasubashini

  2. Chemistry Group, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Begumpet, Hyderabad, 500016, India

    Beena Sunilkumar, M. Krishnakumar & Johnson George

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  1. V. Padmasubashini
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  2. Beena Sunilkumar
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  3. M. Krishnakumar
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  4. Johnson George
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Correspondence to V. Padmasubashini.

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Padmasubashini, V., Sunilkumar, B., Krishnakumar, M. et al. A comparative study of the principal approaches for the estimation of measurement uncertainty for the ICP-OES determination of the light rare earth elements, yttrium and uranium in rock samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 325, 229–236 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07214-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07214-5

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