Trace element

In analytical chemistry, a trace element is an element in a sample that has an average concentration of less than 100 parts per million measured in atomic count or less than 100 micrograms per gram.

In biochemistry, a trace element is a dietary element that is needed in very minute quantities for the proper growth, development, and physiology of the organism.[1]

In geochemistry, a trace element is a chemical element whose concentration is less than 1000 ppm or 0.1% of a rock's composition. The term is used mainly in igneous petrology. Trace elements will either prefer liquid or solid phase. If compatible with a mineral, it will prefer a solid phase (e.g., Ni compatible with Olivine). If it is incompatible with an element it will prefer a liquid phase. The measurement of this ratio is known as the partition coefficient. Trace elements can be substituted for network-forming cations in mineral structures. Minerals do not have to contain trace elements, i.e., they do not have to appear in the mineral's chemical formula.

See also

References

  1. ↑ H. J. M. Bowen, Trace Elements in Biochemistry. Academic Press, 1966. (2nd edition, 1976.) See also List of micronutrients.
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