1Determination 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.