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ALS Methods
Au-ICP21/22 The Importance
Au-AA23/24
AuME-ST43/44™
of Low Detection
Au-CN43/44™ Levels for Gold
ME-VEG41/a™
Au-PATH14L™
Low detection levels are not only
advantageous in exploration applications
where the geochemical expression of
mineralised systems may be very subtle in
mature deposits, but also when looking at
classification of ore and waste. A low
detection limit improves the ability to
detect subtle signals in exploration; and
improves precision to provide confidence
in Au grade, particularly near cut-off, which
can have large economic impacts on a
project.

ALS has developed a suite of low detection

level methods ranging from aqua regia and
cyanide leaches to fire assay fusion; and
hydrogeochemistry to meet the needs of
any project.

Low Detection Level Fire 1ppb, can be reported via sensitive instrumentation such as ICP-
AES and ICP-MS. The ability to report every sample to the same
Assay low detection limit can be important for the interpretation of
geochemical data. A consistent detection level in a database
Low detection limit fire assay methodology is versatile, with a
makes population and statistical investigation easier.
wide range of applicability from exploration to mine site
purposes. Interference Removal – The matrix removal also carries the
advantage of eliminating all potential interferences before
The origin of fire assay can be traced back to the twenty-
measurement to give the most accurate, robust gold results
fifth century BCE; and there is evidence of ancient Romans
regardless of geological type.
extensively utilising the technique for removing silver from lead.
Their cupelled, de-silvered lead has been found marked as “EX
ARG” (Forbes, 1950). This ancient technique was revived in the Detection
ALS Sample
mid-20th century, and over the past several decades Analyte Limit
Method Aliquot (g)
improvements in methodology and routine application have (ppm)
proven that it provides consistent performance across geological
Au-ICP21 30 Au 0.001
sample types. This is a well-understood and reliable method that
has notable advantages based on removing the sample matrix Au-ICP22 50 Au 0.001
during the process, leaving only the concentrated precious Au-AA23 30 Au 0.005
metals for analysis:
Au-AA24 50 Au 0.005
Consistent, ppb level detection limits – By removing all but
the precious metals, consistent low detection levels, down to
Au and Multi-Element Super
Trace ICP-MS
Exploration for many types of deposits can benefit from valuable
information gained by using groups of pathfinder elements
along with Au. These pathfinders can provide indications of
lithological changes, alteration, and different styles of
mineralisation. As well, with high contrast against relatively low
background the use of secondary pathfinders is useful in
instances where sample density or location conditions may not
result in detectable Au signatures.
Through meticulous method development, ALS has developed
a suite of methods for a variety of sample media that utilise
industry leading ICP-MS technologies to achieve super-trace
detection levels. These sub-ppb detection levels for Au and other
analytes are achieved through increasing instrument sensitivity
by reducing matrix effects, and lowering background with
innovative systems to reduce instrument carryover and
polyatomic, isobaric, and doubly charged interferences on the
ICP-MS. These methods can be an excellent alternative to fire
assay in some applications.
Au and Multi-Element
by Aqua Regia Digestion
Aqua regia translates from Latin to “royal water” and was named
as such due to its ability to dissolve gold and platinum (noble
elements). Aqua regia has been used in geochemical analysis
of exploration samples for decades and has proven to provide
high quality, consistent results for Au. It can detect a large suite
of elements to below crustal abundance making it easier to
detect subtle anomalies against background. Both gold and
mercury are often used as pathfinder elements during
exploration and are effectively digested and maintained in aqua
regia solution. This is due to the presence of an oxidising and
complexing agent plus relatively low temperature heating. Aqua
regia can be a time-saving and cost-effective exploration tool as
it provides a large suite of trace elements from the same
digestion. Although aqua regia is considered a partial digestion
as it will only dissolve certain minerals, it readily dissolves Au
with the exception of Au encapsulated in quartz.
Aqua regia will dissolve metal sulphides, most sulphates,
carbonates, phosphates, organically bound metals, Au, Pt,
Pd, tellurides, selenides and arsenides. Some silicates and
alumino-silicate minerals are partially digested, but most remain
undissolved therefore do not form part of the reported results.

AuME-ST43 (25g sample) & AuME-ST44 (50g sample)

Analytes & Detection Limits (ppm)
Au 0.0001 Cu 0.01 Nb 0.002 Ta 0.005
Ag 0.001 Fe 0.001% Ni 0.02 Te 0.001
Al 0.01% Ga 0.004 P 0.0005% Th 0.0005
As 0.01 Ge 0.005 Pb 0.005 Ti 0.0001%
B 2 Hf 0.002 Pd 0.001 Tl 0.0005
Ba 0.05 Hg 0.002 Pt 0.001 U 0.0005
Be 0.005 In 0.005 Rb 0.005 V 0.05
Bi 0.0005 K 0.01% Re 0.0002 W 0.001
Ca 0.01% La 0.002 S 0.002% Y 0.001
Cd 0.001 Li 0.1 Sb 0.002 Zn 0.1
Ce 0.001 Mg 0.01% Sc 0.005 Zr 0.01
Co 0.001 Mn 0.1 Se 0.002
Cr 0.01 Mo 0.002 Sn 0.01
Cs 0.001 Na 0.001% Sr 0.01
Au by Cyanide Leach Au in Vegetation
Cyanide leaching was first applied to extract gold from pyritic Plants provide a uniform sampling medium capable of indicating
ore, which prior to the discovery of gold cyanidation could not the presence of mineralisation. With specifically designed
be extracted. This led to heavy investment in mining in the methods for vegetation, a wide range of economic and
1890s and the opening of larger gold mines. Leaching gold pathfinder elements that are absorbed by plant systems can be
with cyanide is still a widely used hydrometallurgical process in reported. Analysis can be completed on milled vegetation or
today’s mining industry. ashed vegetation samples. Ashing is the process of controlled
burning of samples and is effectively a pre-concentration step
For gold exploration, cyanide leaches can be used to analyse
prior to analysis. By ashing vegetation samples, the detection
soils and sediments to levels below crustal abundance. Cyanide
limit is effectively lowered for most elements including Au.
leach provides ALS’s lowest Au detection limit which is possible
The results can be reported as a raw result and also calculated
due to the stability of Au-CN complexes coupled with ICP-MS
concentration based on the pre and post-ash weights.
instrumentation optimised for Au sensitivity. Cyanide leaches
have lower matrix effects and lower dilution factors compared to As concentrations of elements of interest are generally low in
aqua regia digestion, which enables detection levels for Au to be biological materials, the ability to provide super low detection
five times lower. limits increases the number of samples reporting above
background and provides confidence in anomalies.
While cyanide methods can achieve lower detection limits than
aqua regia, they are susceptible to preg-robbing behaviour by ME-VEG41™ (unashed) & ME-VEG41a™ (ashed)
organic matter and sulphide minerals. Preg-robbing is the ability Analytes & Detection Limits (ppm)
of carbonaceous material to adsorb gold cyanide from leach Au 0.0002 Cu 0.01 Nb 0.002 Ta 0.001
solutions which results in lower Au values than measured by
Ag 0.001 Fe 1 Ni 0.04 Te 0.005
other total extraction methods such as fire assay.
Al 0.01% Ga 0.004 P 0.001% Th 0.002
ALS’s low detection limit cyanide leach methods have been
used successfully in exploration stream sediment surveys. The As 0.01 Ge 0.005 Pb 0.01 Ti 0.001%
identified anomalies have been used to develop Au targets B 1 Hf 0.002 Pd 0.001 Tl 0.002
in multiple mineralisation system styles. In one example the
Ba 0.1 Hg 0.001 Pt 0.002 U 0.005
method was able to identify anomalies that were in the order
of five times the background Au, Ag and Cu level in a porphyry Be 0.01 In 0.005 Rb 0.01 V 0.05
system. Bi 0.001 K 0.01% Re 0.001 W 0.01
Ca 0.01% La 0.002 S 0.01% Y 0.003
Detection Cd 0.001 Li 0.1 Sb 0.01 Zn 0.1
ALS Sample Analyte Limit
Method Size (g) (ppm)
Ce 0.003 Mg 0.001% Sc 0.01 Zr 0.02
Co 0.002 Mn 0.1 Se 0.005
Au-CN43™ 30 Au 0.00002
Cr 0.01 Mo 0.01 Sn 0.01
Au-CN44™ 50 Au 0.00002 Cs 0.005 Na 0.001% Sr 0.02

Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) VEG41a-FAC™ - Detection limits when back-calculated
Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) was developed in the 1980s to original pre-ash sample weight
to reduce the impact of nuggety Au. Today, it can be used in Au 0.00001 Cu 0.0005 Nb 0.0001 Ta 0.00005
exploration for trace gold determinations to provide robust,
Ag 0.00005 Fe 0.05 Ni 0.002 Te 0.0003
consistent results. The large sample size utilised can help
decrease the influence of nuggety gold making results more Al 0.0005% Ga 0.0002 P 0.00005% Th 0.0001
reproducible. Samples from areas with coarse gold, can use BLEG As 0.0005 Ge 0.0003 Pb 0.0005 Ti 0.00005%
paired with ICP-MS finish to report reproducible low-level results B 0.05 Hf 0.0001 Pd 0.00005 Tl 0.0001
Ba 0.005 Hg 0.00005 Pt 0.0001 U 0.0003
Detection Be 0.0005 In 0.0003 Rb 0.0005 V 0.003
ALS Sample
Analyte Limit Bi 0.00005 K 0.0005% Re 0.00005 W 0.0005
Method Size
(ppm)
Ca 0.0005% La 0.0001 S 0.0005% Y 0.0002
Au-CN11 Up to 1kg Au 0.001 Cd 0.00005 Li 0.005 Sb 0.0005 Zn 0.005
Au-CN12 Up to 1kg Au 0.0001 Ce 0.0002 Mg 0.00005% Sc 0.0005 Zr 0.001
Co 0.0001 Mn 0.005 Se 0.0003
Cr 0.0005 Mo 0.0005 Sn 0.0005
Cs 0.0003 Na 0.00005% Sr 0.001
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spaced sampling, which is particularly powerful for regional exploration.

ALS has developed a method specifically for Au and a select suite of Chile — Santiago
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Au-PATH14L™ is suitable for samples with low total dissolved solid (TDS
<1%). Europe — Loughrea
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Detection limit E alsgeo.loughrea@alsglobal.com
Method Analyte
(µg/L)
Europe — Seville
Au 0.0002
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Pd 0.005 E alsgeo.seville@alsglobal.com
Pt 0.01
Mexico — Hermosillo
Ag 0.005
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Au-PATH14L™ As 0.2 E alsgeo.hermosillo@alsglobal.com
Co 0.005
Peru — Lima
Sb 0.02
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Tl 0.005
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W 0.02
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