Speciation of selenite and selenate using living bacteria

In this work, a reliable method is described for speciation of soluble inorganic selenium ions, Se(IV) and Se(VI), which combines an uptake process by using living bacterial cells and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). A selective retention of either Se(IV) or Se(IV) plus Se(VI) can be carried out by using the uptake system made up of either Pseudomonas putida or Escherichia coli strains cultivated in a culture medium based on glucose (P. putida) and glucose plus dipotassium phosphate (E. coli) mixed together with the original sample solution containing the selenium species. Discrimination between inorganic selenium species is possible by combining the optimization of the bacterial cell, the growth conditions and the relative rates of their retention from the sample. In the general procedure, an equilibrium between the analyte in the solution and the uptake system is allowed to be established, and then the concentration of selenium is determined directly in the biomass by slurry sampling ETAAS. Nonetheless, a theoretical model is proposed to describe the retention process by the living bacterial cells, which also provides a feasible quantification of the extraction process before the adsorption equilibrium is reached and whenever the agitation conditions and the sampling time are under control. The detection limits for the inorganic selenium species at the best retention conditions are of 5.7 ng Se(IV) ml(-1) for P. putida and 6.1 ng Se(IV) ml(-1) and 6.3 ng Se(VI) ml(-1) for E. coli. The relative standard deviations of the adsorption/determination process are 2.9-6.3%.     

Nickel as a chemical modifier for sensitivity enhancement and fast atomization processes in electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of cadmium in biological and environmental samples.

A systematic study of the efficiency of protons, Ni, Pd and Th as chemical modifiers for the determination of cadmium by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) using fast temperature programs was made for platform atomization. A comparison was made in terms of the salt type, absorbance-time profiles and elimination of the sodium chloride interference. The results were adapted to develop a method for the ETAAS determination of cadmium in biological and environmental samples. The highest sensitivity to determine cadmium in biological and environmental samples was obtained using nickel (together with protons) as a chemical modifier. The accuracy of the method was tested by the determination of cadmium in different certified reference materials. The best detection limit and the characteristic mass of Cd were found to be 0.03 ng mL(-1) and 0.35 pg, respectively.     

微波等离子体炬发射光谱法测定镉的研究

本文提出了一种灵敏测定痕量镉的微波等离子体炬发射光谱法(MPTAES)。探讨了微波等离子体炬(MPT)光源的一些基本特性.采用电热蒸发微量进样装置进样,详细考察了各种实验参数对测定镉的影响.在228.8nm处测定镉,检出限为0.28ng/mL.实际样品的测定结果是令人满意的.     

Determination of traces of cadmium in natural water samples by flow injection on-line preconcentration-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

A flow injection on-line preconcentration-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric method was developed for the determination of traces of cadmium in natural water samples. Cadmium in samples was adsorbed on an iminodiacetate-type chelating resin, Muromac A-1 microcolumn (3 mm i.d. and 10 mm long), and then eluted with 2 mol l-1 HNO3. The eluate was introduced into the injection tip of an autosampler. The eluate zone with the highest analyte concentration was injected into the graphite furnace by cooperation of a peristaltic pump and a syringe pump of the autosampler, which were controlled by a programmable controller. The present system was successfully applied to the determination of cadmium in natural water samples. A detection limit of 0.2 ng l-1 was obtained with 12 ml sample loading. The recoveries were 99 and 108% for tap water (4 ml loading) and underground water (12 ml loading), respectively. Analytical results obtained for a river water reference material (JAC-0031, Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry) were close to the reference value.     

Eine einfache Methode zur Bestimmung von Cadmium in Harn

Zusammenfassung Cadmium bildet negativ geladene Jodidkomplexe, die eine Abtrennung dieses Elementes aus dem Harn mit Hilfe eines Anionen-austauschers ermöglichen. Elution vom Austauscher ergibt eine Cadmiumlösung mit nur wenigen Begleitstoffen bzw. einer einheitlichen Matrix, die für eine weitgehend störungsfreie Endbestimmung durch flammenlose Atomabsorptionsspektrometrie verwendet werden kann. Danach beträgt der Normalgehalt an Cadmium im Harn im Mittel 0,78±0,53 ng/ml und liegt im Bereich zwischen 0,22 und 1,7 ng/ml.

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A simple method for determination of cadmium in urine

Summary Cadmium can be isolated from urine by formation of negatively charged iodide complexes bound to an anion exchange resin. Elution from the resin gives a cadmium solution with only a few concomitant substances in an uniform matrix. Thus an undisturbed determination by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry is achieved. The mean of the natural cadmium level found in urine was 0.78±0.53 ng/ml, within the normal range between 0.22 and 1.7 ng/ml.

     

Determination of cadmium in polyethylene by analytical atomic spectrometry with gas-phase sample introduction technique

Cadmium in polyethylene was determined by both inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) with continuous-flow gas-phase sample introduction in a reaction medium of ascorbic acid. In the presence of mixture of cobalt and thiourea in the ascorbic acid solution, the sensitivities by both ICP-AES and AAS for cadmium were greatly enhanced. The gaseous cadmium species was phase-separated in a gas–liquid separator and directed via a stream of argon carrier gas to an inductively coupled plasma and an electrically heated quartz tube atomizer (QTA) for atomic spectrometry. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the best attainable detection limits at Cd I 228.802 nm line were 1.3 and 0.017 ng/ml with linear dynamic ranges of 10–500 ng/ml and 0.1–1 ng/ml in concentrations by ICP-AES and QTA-AAS, respectively. The instrumental precisions expressed as the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) from ten replicate measurements of 50 and 1 ng/ml cadmium by ICP-AES and QTA-AAS were 5.6% and 3.2%, respectively. With the use of ICP-AES and QTA-AAS with gas-phase sample introduction method, six- and 200-fold improvements in detection limits for cadmium were obtained in comparison with their conventional solution nebulization methods, respectively. After the effects of several diverse elements on the determination of cadmium by ICP-AES and QTA-AAS with the present gas-phase sample introduction systems were examined, these methods were applied to the determination of low concentrations of cadmium in polyethylene. The results obtained by the present method were in good agreement with the certified values.     

Natural analcime zeolite modified with 5-Br-PADAP for the preconcentration and anodic stripping voltammetric determination of trace amount of cadmium.

A procedure for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of cadmium has been proposed. A column of analcime zeolite modified with benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride and loaded with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (5-Br-PADAP) was used for retention of cadmium. The cadmium was quantitatively retained on the column at pH approximately 9 and was recovered from column with 5 ml of 2 M nitric acid with a preconcentration factor of 140. Anodic stripping differential pulse voltammetry was used for determination of cadmium. A 0.05 ng/ml detection limit for the preconcentration of aqueous solution of cadmium was obtained. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for eight replicate determinations at the 1 microg/ml cadmium levels was 0.31% (calculated with the peak height obtained). The calibration graph using the preconcentration system was linear from 0.01 to 150 microg/ml in final solution with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997. For optimization of conditions, various parameters such as the effect of pH, flow rate, instrumental conditions and interference of number of ions, were studied in detail. This method was successfully applied for determination of cadmium in various complex samples.     

Formation of a liquid organic ion associate in aqueous solution and its application to the GF-AAS determination of trace cadmium in environmental water as a complex with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(N-propyl-N-sulfopropylamino)phenol

The formation of a liquid organic ion associate in an aqueous sample was applied to the concentration and determination of cadmium in environmental water samples. Cadmium was converted into a complex with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(N-propyl-N-sulfopropylamino)phenol (5-Br-PAPS) in a 40-mL sample solution, and was extracted into a liquid ion associate of phenolsulfonate and benzethonium during phase formation. More than 400-fold enrichment was easily attained by this technique, because the volume of the liquid organic phase formed was very small, ca. 2 microL. After dilution of the organic phase with a small volume of 2-methoxyethanol, the cadmium in the solution was determined by GF-AAS. The detection limit was 0.09 ng/L (3sigma(b)). This method was applied to the determination of cadmium in river water and seawater.     

Simultaneous determination of oxygen and cadmium in cadmium and cadmium compounds

Cadmium and its compounds were analysed for oxygen and cadmium by a modification of the Schütze-Unterzaucher method. Oxygen in some compounds such as cadmium oxide, nitrate and sulphate could not be determined by the usual method. The method of adding carbon was employed for the determination of total oxygen. Total oxygen could be determined by the addition of 5 mg of carbon to a sample boat and heating at 950 degrees . The determination was also carried out by addition of naphthalene (2 mg). It was found that the cadmium powder and cadmium flake used contained ca. 1 and 0.15% oxygen, respectively. Oxygen and cadmium in cadmium and its compounds were simultaneously determined by the addition of 2 mg of naphthalene. Cadmium was determined colorimetrically by use of glyoxal-bis-(2-hydroxyanil). Oxygen and cadmium in the samples could be determined simultaneously with an average error of -0.02 and -0.22%, respectively.     

Separation and determination of Cd in biological materials by continuous-flow fluid extraction coupled to flow-injection ICP-AES

An FI-ICP-AES method for the determination of trace levels of cadmium in biological samples is described based on the complexation of the metal ion with 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridyl)methylene thiocarbohydrazide (DPTH) and its subsequent on-line extraction into isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK). The detection limit for cadmium is 8.7 ng/ml and the calibration is linear at least from 10 to 2000 ng/ml. The relative standard deviation for 7 replicate measurements is 3.4% for 100 ng/ml of cadmium. Results from the analysis of some certified biological reference materials are given.     

On-line preconcentration and determination of cadmium in honey using knotted reactor coupled to flow injection-flame atomic absorption spectrometry

An on-line cadmium preconcentration and determination system implemented with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) associated with flow injection was studied. Cadmium was retained as Cd-2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol Cd-(5-Br-PADAP) complex, pH 9.3. The Cd complex was removed from the knotted reactor (KR) with ethanol. A total enhancement factor of 140 was obtained with respect to FAAS (40 for KR and 3.5 due to the use of ethanol) with preconcentration time of 120 s. The detection limit value for preconcentration of 1 g sample was 0.5 ng/g. The repeatability for 10 replicate determinations at 5.0 ng/g Cd level was 3.5% relative standard deviation, calculated from peak heights obtained. The calibration graph using the preconcentration system for Cd was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9990 at levels near the detection limits to at least 2000 ng/g. The method was successfully applied to determination of total Cd in honey samples.     

Determination of cadmium and lead in urine and other biological samples by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry

A method for determining cadmium and lead in urine and other biological samples by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry is reported. Samples were analysed after wet or dry ashing and without extraction or matrix-modification techniques, in laminar-flow clean-room; negligible blank contributions were found. Matrix interference effects were observed only for lead and were resolved by the method of standard additions. Five NBS biological reference materials were used as internal quality-control standards. The urinary levels for non-exposed volunteers ranged from 0.16 +/- 0.01 to 1.65 +/- 0.20 and from 6 +/- 1 to 31 +/- 6 ng/ml for cadmium and lead, respectively; this corresponds to 0.15 +/- 0.02 to 2.01 +/- 0.16 and 7 +/- 1 to 31 +/- 3 mug/day. The average relative standard deviation for 60 urine samples was 10% for cadmium and 13% for lead.     

Determination of cadmium in water by ICP-AES with on-line adsorption preconcentration using DPTH-gel and TS-gel microcolumns

Two flow injection inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric methods for the preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of cadmium in sea-water and waste-water samples are described based on the adsorption of the metal ion on a micro-column placed in the injection valve of the FI manifold and packed with silica gel funtionalised with 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridyl) methylene thiocarbohydrazide (DPTH-gel) and silica gel functionalised with methylthiosalicylate (TS-gel), respectively. Various parameters and chemical variables affecting the preconcentration and determination of this metal by ICP-AES are evaluated. The DPTH-gel preconcentration method has a linear calibration range from 5 to at least 100 ng ml(-1) of cadmium, with a R.S.D. of 1.1% for ten independent analyses of 100 ng ml(-1), a detection limit of 1.1 ng ml(-1) and a throughput of 40 samples per hour using a 60 s preconcentration time. The TS-gel preconcentration method shows a linear range between 10 and 100 ng ml(-1), with a R.S.D. of 2.5% for ten independent analyses of 100 ng ml(-1), a detection limit of 4.3 ng ml(-1) and a sample throughput of 24 samples per hour for a preconcentration time of 120 s. Validation was carried out against a certified reference water sample and by determining the analyte content in spiked synthetic sea-water, sea-water and waste-water.     

Highly selective preconcentration of ultra-trace cadmium by yeast surface engineering

The potential of selective cell-sorption for separation/preconcentration of ultra-trace heavy metals was exploited by surface engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The general idea is to display the cadmium-binding peptide on the cell surface in order to enhance the covalent interaction between cadmium and the yeast cells. By immobilizing the surface-engineered yeast cells onto cytopore(?) microcarrier beads for cadmium adsorption, we demonstrated that with respect to the native yeast 600-fold and 25-1000-fold improvements were observed respectively for the tolerance of ionic strength and the tolerant capability toward various metal cations after surface engineering. Based on these observations, a novel procedure for selective cadmium preconcentration was developed with detection by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), employing the engineered S. cerevisiae cell-loaded cytopore(?) beads as a renewable sorption medium incorporated into a sequential injection lab-on-valve system. The cadmium retained on the yeast cell surface was eluted with a small amount of nitric acid and quantified with GFAAS. Within a range of 5-100 ng L(-1) and a sample volume of 1 mL, an enrichment factor of 30 was achieved along with a detection limit of 1.1 ng L(-1), a sampling frequency of 20 h(-1) and a precision of 3.3% RSD at 50 ng L(-1). The procedure was validated by analyzing cadmium in certified reference materials and a series of environmental water samples.     

Solvent extraction of cadmium as a previous step for its determination in biological samples by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry

A method is proposed for the solvent extraction of cadmium using 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridylmethylene)thiocarbohydrazide (DPTH) as extractant. The optimum extraction conditions were evaluated from a critical study of the effect of pH, concentration of extractant, shaking time and ionic strength. The maximum volume ratio of the aqueous to organic phase was 30:1 for a single-stage extraction of99-100% of the metal ion. The detection limit is 0.01 ng/ml cadmium, and the calibration is linear from 0.1 to 5 ng/ml. The relative standard deviation for 10 replicate measurements is 1.8% for 2 ng/ml cadmium. The extraction method was applied to the determination of cadmium in some biological materials using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.     

The use of amphoteric ion exchange resin for the selective separation of cadmium from other radioelements present in neutron irradiated biological materials

A new method for the selective radiochemical separation of cadmium from other elements, present in biological materials, using amphoteric ion exchange resin Retardion 11A8 has been elaborated. Cadmium can be taken up by the resin either as anionic chloride complexes or cationic ammine complexes, depending on the composition of the eluent, exploiting both cation and anion exchange functions of the ion exchanger. The conditions in which Cd is quantitatively retained and eluted from Retardion 11A8 were established. The method of selective isolation of cadmium was further used for the determination of Cd in three biological certified reference materials by neutron activation analysis. Analytical results obtained with the use of the proposed separation procedure show good agreement with the certified values.     

Determination of 0.1 to 1000 μ g/ml cadmium in a hydrometallurgical zinc refining process stream by a flow injection technique with computer controlled injection method

A computer-controlled flow injection system was developed for the determination of cadmium in a hydrometallurgical zinc refining process stream. An anion-exchange method in acidic potassium iodide medium was used for the on-line separation of cadmium from the matrix zinc. 1-(4-Nitrophenyl)-3-(4-phenylazophenyl)triazene (Cadion) was used as the chromogenic reagent for the spectrophotometric detection of cadmium. In order to expand the dynamic range of the flow injection - spectrophotometry, a computer-aided time-based variable-volume injection method has been employed for the introduction of the sample into the flow injection system. Samples ranging from 0.56 to 350 microl can be delivered by controlling the time period of the sample introduction valve and the flow rate of the carrier solution. The system permits a throughput of 5 samples per hour. The reproducibility has been proven to be satisfactory with a relative standard deviation of less than 6.2% (sample injected: 0.56 microl of 850 microg Cd/ml; n=100) and 5.0% (350 microl of 0.14 microg Cd/ml; n=5). The determination limit was 20 microg Cd/ml with 0.56 microl sample injection and 0.05 microg Cd/ml with 350 microl sample injection (the absolute amount of cadmium injected into the system was 11 ng and 17.5 ng, respectively).     

Ultrasensitive Simultaneous Quantification of Nanomolar Level of Cd and Zn by Cathodic Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry in Some Real Samples

A novel, simple and sensitive adsorptive stripping voltammetry method was developed for simultaneous determination of Cd and Zn using N‐Nitrozo‐N‐phenylhydroxylamine (Cupferron) as a selective complexing agent. Cadmium and zinc metals gave peaks that were distinctly separated by 450–1200 mV, allowing their determination over a wide range of concentrations. The influence of pH and the nature of supporting electrolytes, concentration of ligand, preconcentration time and applied potential were investigated. The detection limits were 0.058 ng/mL for Zn and 0.092 ng/mL for Cd, and the RSD at a concentration level of 50 ppb, were 1.8–2.1 % for both zinc and cadmium, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of cadmium and zinc in blood, drug, food and water samples with the satisfactory results.     

Field preconcentration of cadmium from seawater by using a minicolumn packed with Amberlite XAD-4/4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcinol and its flow-injection-flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination at the ng L(-1) Level

A flow injection analysis-flame atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of cadmium in seawater was developed with the aim of yielding a sensitive assay with a low detection limit. The method employs a field flow preconcentration technique involving a minicolumn containing Amberlite XAD-4 impregnated with the complexing agent 4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcinol. A Plackett-Burman 2(7)x3/32 design for seven factors (sample pH, sample flow rate, eluent volume, eluent concentration, eluent flow rate, ethanol percentage in the eluent and minicolumn diameter) was carried out in order to find the significant variables affecting the field continuous preconcentration system (FCPS) and the flow injection elution manifold for cadmium determination in seawater samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Cadmium can be preconcentrated with an enrichment factor of 1053 for a sample volume of 200 mL and a preconcentration time of 57 min. In these experimental conditions, the method provides a linear relationship between absorbance and cadmium concentration in the range from 22-1900 ng L(-1), with a detection limit (3SD) of 6 ng L(-1). The precision (expressed as relative standard deviation) for eleven independent determinations reached values of 8.9-0.8% in cadmium solutions of 50-700 ng L(-1). Analysis of certified reference materials (SLEW-3 and NASS-5) showed good agreement with the certified value. This procedure was applied to the determination of cadmium in seawater from Galicia (Spain).     

Spectrophotometric studies on the simultaneous determination of cadmium and mercury with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol

A new method for direct spectrophotometric determination of cadmium with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol is reported. Absorption maximum, molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity of the 1:1 (M:L) complex are 510 nm, 2.5 x 10(5) l mol(-1) cm(-1) and 3.55 ng cm(-2), respectively. A linear calibration graph is obtained up to 4.49 microg ml(-1). The zero-crossing measurement technique is found suitable for the direct measurement of the first-derivative value at the specified wavelengths. Cadmium(II) (0.42-9.2 microg ml(-1)) and mercury(II) (0.35-7.4 microg ml(-1)) in different ratios have been determined simultaneously. A critical evaluation of the proposed method is performed by statistical analysis of the experimental data. The developed method was applied to the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of Cd and Hg in some synthetic mixtures and was found to give satisfactory results.