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A novel and simple method was developed for the preconcentration and determination of mercury(II) from hydrochloric acid solutions through their adsorption on Aliquat 336 (tri‐octylmethylammonium chloride)‐activated carbon. The determinations were made directly on the solid by X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry, which had the advantage of eliminating the step of elution of the mercury retained. This preconcentration system enabled the determination of Hg(II) in drinking water samples at µg l−1 levels. A 1700‐fold enrichment factor was obtained. The described methodology showed excellent reproducibility, accuracy, and detection limits improvement by eliminating the step of elution of the analyte, replacing those methods based on cold vapor generation, reducing reagent consumption, and handling of samples. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The lines of the emission spectra originating from vacancies in deep atomic shells change if the elements are in different oxidation states. These changes are shown in this paper, and also the influence that they may have on the calibration of wavelength-dispersive spectrometers and, in consequence, on quantitative analysis by XRF or EPMA. Also, these changes prove to be useful in identifying and, in some cases, quantifying phases in different oxidation states.

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The geochemistry of K-feldspar for K, P, Sr, Ba, Rb, Cs, Ga, and of muscovite for the same elements plus Nb and Ta, was used for proving the parental relationships of S-type granites and LCT (Li, Cs, Ta) rare-element pegmatites in the southernmost pegmatitic field of the Pampean pegmatite province in Argentina. The variation of K/Rb-Cs, K/Cs-Rb, K/Rb-Rb/Sr, K/Rb-Ba in K-feldspar from the granites and pegmatites show that they form an association with the evolutional sequence: granites → barren-to transitional pegmatites → beryl type, beryl-columbite-phosphate pegmatites → complex type of spodumene subtype pegmatites → albitespodumene type → albite type pegmatites. This sequence reflects the regional distribution of the different magmatic units. The Ta-Cs diagram for muscovite reveals that none of the studied pegmatites exceed the threshold established in previous studies for being considered with important tantalum oxide mineralization. The granites and pegmatites constitute a rare-element pegmatitic field in which different magmatic units form a continuous fractionation trend, extended from the less evolved granitic facies to the most geochemically specialized pegmatites