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Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Woods Hole Field Center

Geochemical Sediment Analysis Procedures, Open-File Report 02-371


ACID WASHING PROCEDURE

ACID WASHING
Materials Required:
  • Acid Washing System (see description below)
  • Gloves
  • Lab Coat
  • Safety Glasses
Acid washing system; link to larger image

Acid Washing System consists of 5 baths:
Initial tap water rinse, 5% Nitric Acid rinse, Milli-Q rinse (1), Milli-Q rinse (2), and a Methanol rinse.
*Milli-Q is Deionized Water (18.2 megohm - cm at 25°C)

For new plastic vials:
Rinse item being acid washed with Milli-Q water.

For items dirtied with sediment:
Scrub with a brush in soapy tap water
to remove particles before starting acid washing steps that follow.

Rinse with soapy water

Place item being washed in each bath:
Water, nitric acid, Milli-Q (1), Milli-Q (2), methanol.

Place item into acid bath
Remove item from last bath (methanol) and move item into laminar flow hood or into designated oven to dry. Clean items to hood to dry

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