Samarium Detection Method Measures Trace Levels in Water and Sediment With Filter-Paper Fluorescence

Highlights

• A team from Argentina's National University of San Luis created a fluorescence-based method to detect samarium in water and sediment using cellulose filter paper instead of costly ICP-MS equipment.
• The method achieved a detection limit of 0.39 ng/L, found measurable samarium in six of ten water samples, and measured acid-extractable samarium in all ten sediments tested.
• Water recoveries ranged from 92.71%–105.42% and sediment recoveries from 99.50%–100.43%, with sediments containing 509.76–1,218.68 µg/kg acid-extractable samarium.
• Independent ICP-MS validation and certified reference material comparison have not yet been completed, meaning the technique remains a screening tool rather than a replacement for established methods.
• The approach could democratize rare-earth environmental monitoring for universities, regulators, and smaller labs as mining and recycling operations expand outside China.