As wood decays the ionic composition changes, with increases often being seen in the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and sometimes K. The concentration of eight cations in red spruce sapwood and heartwood samples was determined independently by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) and by neutron activation analysis (NAA) as part of an effort to standardize our analytical procedures and create a uniform wood standard for use by multiple researchers. Preliminary studies indicate a difference in the values of Ca and K as estimated by ICP and NAA, possibly due to a loss of these elements due to volatilization during ashing.

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