Determination of gold in geothermal water by anion exchange and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A reliable determination method of gold in geothermal water at the ng/l level was developed by a combination of selective concentration method of gold using anion exchange resin and inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). When geothermal water samples were concentrated twentyfive fold, the detection limit was 0.4 ng/l. From reproducible determinations (N = 5) using the calibration curve method, the gold concentration in a Hachobaru geothermal water, Japan, was found to be in the range of 66 to 76 ng/l, while the standard error was in the range of 9.7 to 21.4%.