A methods assessment and recommendations for improving calculations and reducing uncertainties in the determination of 210Po and 210Pb activities in seawater
Rigaud, S. (University of Delaware)
Puigcorbé, Viena (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Cámara Mor, Patricia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Casacuberta, N. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Física)
Roca Martí, Montserrat (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
García Orellana, Jordi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Benitez-Nelson, Claudia (University of South Carolina. Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences)
Masqué Barri, Pere (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Church, T. (University of Delaware)

Date:	2013
Abstract:	In marine systems, 210Po and 210Pb disequilibria are being increasingly used to examine oceanic particle formation and export. Here, an updated assessment of current methods for determining 210Po and 210Pb activity in marine samples is provided and includes a complete description of the vast number of calculations and uncertainties associated with Po and Pb loss, decay, and ingrowth during sample processing. First, we summarize the current methods for the determination of 210Po and 210Pb activities in dissolved and particulate seawater samples and recommend areas for improvement. Next, we detail the calculations and associated uncertainties using principles of error propagation, while also accounting for radionuclide ingrowth, decay, and recovery. A spreadsheet reporting these calculations is included as a downloadable Web Appendix. Our analysis provides insight into the contributions of the relative uncertainty for each parameter considered in the calculation of final 210Po and 210Pb activities and gives recommendations on how to obtain the most precise final values. For typical experimental conditions in open seawater, we show that our method allows calculating 210Pb activity with a relative uncertainty of about 7%. However for 210Po activities, the final relative uncertainty is more variable and depends on the 210Po/210Pb activity ratio in the initial sample and the time elapsed between sampling and sample processing. The lowest relative uncertainties on 210Po that can be obtained by this method is 6% and can only be obtained for samples with high 210Po/210Pb activity ratios (>1) that were rapidly processed.
Grants:	Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia CTM2007-31241-E European Commission 220485
Note:	ICREA Academia/Generalitat de Catalunya
Rights:	Aquest material està protegit per drets d'autor i/o drets afins. Podeu utilitzar aquest material en funció del que permet la legislació de drets d'autor i drets afins d'aplicació al vostre cas. Per a d'altres usos heu d'obtenir permís del(s) titular(s) de drets.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	SDG 14 - Life Below Water
Published in:	Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, Vol. 11, Num. 10 (October 2013) , p. 561-571, ISSN 1541-5856

DOI: 10.4319/lom.2013.11.561

Postprint 45 p, 33.9 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles