“…Sixteen minor and trace elements ( 137 Ba, 111 Cd, 52 Cr, 59 Co, 65 Cu, 7 Li, 25 Mg, 55 Mn, 23 Na 60 Ni, 208 Pb, 85 Rb, 121 Sb, 82 Se, 88 Sr, and 66 Zn), plus the calcium ( 44 Ca), were analyzed with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) using an iCAP 227 TM Q 228 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany) instrument equipped with a concentric glass nebulizer, a Peltier-cooled baffled cyclonic spray chamber, a standard quartz torch, and a two-cone interface design (nickel sample and skimmer cones). Argon of high purity (99.9997%, Gasin II, Leça da Palmeira, Portugal) was used as the nebulizer and plasma gas.…”