Open AccessComparative study of infrared techniques for fast biogeochemical sediment analyses
Author(s) -
Hahn A.,
Rosén P.,
Kliem P.,
Ohlendorf C.,
Zolitschka B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2011gc003686
Subject(s) - biogeochemical cycle , attenuated total reflection , total organic carbon , sediment , diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform , mineralogy , geology , spectroscopy , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , infrared spectroscopy , infrared , limiting , biogenic silica , organic matter , analytical chemistry (journal) , environmental chemistry , chemistry , optics , geomorphology , physics , mechanical engineering , biochemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , photocatalysis , quantum mechanics , catalysis
Analysis of sediment samples in the visible to mid infrared (IR) region requires small amounts of sample material and enables rapid and cost efficient geochemical analysis of mineral and organic sediment components. Here we use geochemical properties (total organic and inorganic carbon, biogenic silica, total nitrogen) from the ICDP deep drilling project PASADO to compare three different IR spectroscopy techniques: Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform IR Spectrometry (DRIFTS), Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform IR Spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIRS) and Visible Near IR Spectroscopy (VNIRS). ATR‐FTIRS and VNIRS are more rapid techniques compared to DRIFTS. Results show that calibration models developed using DRIFTS are most robust (correlation coefficient: R = 0.92 for TIC, R = 0.84 for BSi, R = 0.97 for TOC, R = 0.95 for TN). However, good statistical performance was also obtained by using ATR‐FTIRS and VNIRS. When time and costs are limiting factors, these tools may be given preference for rapid biogeochemical screening.