Table 1.

Pretreatment and quantification approaches for powdered samples

	Sample type	Sample preparation	Quantification	IS	Validation	Recovery	RSD	Ref.
Standard procedures	Vanilla samples	Pressed pellets	NIST SRM 1549, NIST SRM 1575a, NIST SRM 1515, NIST SRM 1547 and NIST SRM 1570a		NIST SRM 1573a	83–106 %	6.2–14.3 %	108
	Coal fly ash	Borate fusion	NIST SRM 612	Si	USGS BCR-2 or BHVO 2G			29
	Soil samples	Thin sections	NIST SRM 612	Si			<5–8 %	123
	Sahara dust samples	Adhesive tape	NIST SRMs 612 and GSD-1G	Si	USGS W-1 and BCR-2, MPI-DING T1-G and GSJ JG-1a	75–125 %	<15 %	118
	Desert varnish	Direct analysis	NIST 61X series		NIST SRM 612	80–120 %	<20 %	121
	Biomass ash	Borate fusion	NIST SRMs 610 and 612					33
	Fly ash samples	Borate fusion	NIST SRM 2691					113
	Ash related deposits	Embedded in epoxy resin	NIST SRM 2691					120
	Soil samples	Ashing, mounting in epoxy resin	NIST SRM 2691 and NIST SRM 1633b				15–40 %	116
	Coral skeletons	Glass-fused/cut into thin sections	NIST SRMs 610 and 612 and MPI-DING KL2-G	Ca	USGS MACS-1/NIST SRM 614	80–120 %	<4–15 %	125
	Forensic applications	Tape mounting and pelletization	USGS PACS-2, NIST SRM 2704, NIST SRM 2710 and NIST SRM 2710a	Sc, Lu			<15 %	110
	Furnace flue dust	Pressed pellets	Synthetic ZnO/Fe2O3 matrix	Rh	CRM 876-1, AG-6203, AG-6201, and AG-SX3705	85–115 %	<7 %	111
	Wood fibers	Pressed pellets	Pellets prepared with cellulose powder, softwood pulp					112
	Glass, silicate	Xerogel disks	NIST SRMs 610 and 612					32
	Aerosol samples	Direct analysis	Standard addition				<10–18 %	124
	Sunflower leaves	Direct analysis	Standard addition					73
	Compost samples	Pressed pellets	BCR-144R and CRM029-050 and standard addition				<10 %	109
Improved procedures	Various CRMs	Borate fusion	Isotope dilution		NIST SRM 1944, 2586, 2702, 2710a, 2711a, and 2780	95–120 %	<3 %	114
	Various CRMs	Pressed pellets, borate fusion	On-line isotope dilution		NIST SRM 610, 612, and 614, MESS-2 and PACS-2 and NIST SRM 2710a, 2711a, 1944, 2702, and 2780	85–110 %	3–21 %	107
	Oxide grains	Mounted on epoxy resin	On-line isotope dilution, ratio analysis		SRM U950a and U010 as well as natural uraninite grains		0.4–2.7 %	117
Specific approaches	Environmental samples	Borate fusion	Standard addition		NIST SRM 612	85–115 %	~10 %	115
	Carbonate	Adhesive tape	MPI-DING reference glasses		NIST SRM 610	90–110 %	1.6–24 %	119
	Soil & dust samples	Electroplating	Ratio analysis		NIST SRM 4353			122