Trace element composition of concretions, ICP–MS measurements

In order to get a complete geochemical signature, 14 P-rich concretions, chosen among the different cores, were acid digested (Table 3a and Table 3b). In a clean laboratory, 1.7 to 36 mg of concretions were digested overnight in a concentrated mixture of Suprapur acid (3 ml HCl/2 ml HNO3/1 ml HF) at 90 °C in sealed Teflon beakers. After evaporation to dryness, the residue was dissolved in 2.5 ml of 2% HNO3 Suprapur and diluted to 12 ml with Milli-Q water. During the same procedure, we have also dissolved and analysed, for comparison, a pure vivianite from Anlua, Cameroon (tubular crystals, MRAC collection).