Preconcentration of trace amounts of manganese from natural waters by means of a macroreticular poly(dithiocarbamate) resin

A chelating poly(dithiocarbamate) resin (PDTC) with macroreticular support is characterized as effective collector for traces of manganese from natural waters. Using small PDTC columns preconcentration of manganese can be achieved even at high flow-rates (5-6 ml/min) and sample volumes (1500 ml). Accordingly, PDTC resin is used for the preconcentration of manganese from water samples prior to its determination by flame atomic-absorption spectrometry. A series of ions abundant in natural waters do not interfere. The sensitivity and detection limit were 2.5 and 0.5 mug/l., respectively. The relative standard deviations of the results for a manganese concentration of 40-400 mug/l. are in the range 1.1-6.2%. In mineral and tap waters analysed, the manganese concentration range was between 2.9 and 30.8 mug/l.     

Ion-exchanger colorimetry-VI Microdetermination of nickel in natural water

Ion-exchanger colorimetry with 1-(2-pyridylazo)2-naphthol (PAN) has been developed for the determination of nickel at the mug/l. level in natural water. With 1 litre of sample the detection limits are 1.3 x 10(-9)Mi.e., 0.077 mug/l. for fresh water and 5.8 x 10(-9)Mi.e., 0.34 mug/l. for sea-water. The distribution ratio is 5 x 10(4). Copper and zinc, which form coloured species with PAN in the resin phase, can be completely eluted with a masking solution composed of EDTA and thioglycollic acid (pH 7.8). Cobalt can be determined simultaneously by measurement at 628 nm.     

Spectrophotometric Determination of Copper in Natural Waters and Pharmaceutical Samples with Chloro(Phenyl) Glyoxime

A simple method for the determination of trace amounts of copper by spectrophotometry is described based on the formation of the copper‐chloro‐(phenyl) glyoxime complex. The molar absorptivities of the complexes at pH 4.0 at 290.5 nm were 0.8 × 10⁴l/mol cm. Optimal conditions such as reagent amounts and pH for the copper determination were reported. The effects of the foreign ions were also investigated. The method was successfully applied for determinations of copper in some natural waters and pharmaceutical samples.     

Malachite green as a reagent for detection and spectrophotometric determination of chromium(VI)

A sensitive and inexpensive method of spectrophotometric determination of chromium(VI), based on the absorbance of its complex with malachite green and acetic acid at pH 2.5 is reported. The complex shows a molar absorptivity of 8 x 10(4) l.mole(-1) cm(-1) at 560 nm, using malachite green and acetic acid as reference solution. The effect of time, temperature, pH and reagent concentration is studied and optimum operating conditions are established. Beer's law is applicable in the concentration range 2.0-22.8 mug/ml chromium(VI). The resin beads act as a catalyst and as little as 1.6 mug of chromium(VI) is detected in the resin phase as compared to 4.1 mug in the solution phase. The standard deviation in the determinations is +/-0.40 mug/ml for a 10.35 mug/ml solution.     

Determination of traces of aluminium with chrome azurol S by solid-phase spectrophotometry

A microdetermination method at sub-mug/1. level for aluminium by solid-phase spectrophotometry has been developed. Chrome azurol S was used as chromogenic reagent to form a blue complex which was easily and strongly sorbed and concentrated on a dextran-type anion-exchange resin. The resin-phase absorbances at 615 and 800 nm were measured directly. Aluminium can be determined in the 0.6-4.0 mug/1. range with a RSD of 2.1%. The method is applied to the determination of aluminium in micaschist, natural and tap water samples.     

On-line preconcentration and determination of copper, lead and chromium(VI) using unloaded polyurethane foam packed column by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in natural waters and biological samples

A simple, sensitive and low cost, flow injection time-based method was developed for on-line preconcentration and determination of copper, lead and chromium(VI) at sub mug l(-1) levels in natural waters and biological samples. At the optimum pH, the on-line formed metal-ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) complexes were sorbed on the unloaded commercial polyurethane foam (PUF), and subsequent eluted quantitatively by isobutylmethylketone and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). All chemical, and flow injection variables were optimized for the quantitative preconcentration of each metal and a study of interference level of various ions was also carried out. The system offered improved flexibility, low backpressure and applicability to all the studied metals. At a sample frequency of 36 h(-1) and a 60 s preconcentration time, the enhancement factor was 170, 131 and 28, the detection limit was 0.2, 1.8 and 2.0 mug l(-1), and the precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (s(r)), was 2.8 (at 10 mug l(-1)), 3.4 (at 50 mug l(-1)) and 3.6% (at 50 mug l(-1)) for Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cr(VI), respectively. The accuracy of the developed method was sufficient and evaluated by the analysis of certified reference materials and spiked water samples. Finally, the method was applied to the analysis of environmental samples.     

Spectrophotometric determination of copper(II) at low mug l(-1) levels using cation-exchange microcolumn in flow-injection

A simple spectrophotometric flow-injection method is reported for the highly sensitive and fast determination of copper(II). The method is based on the formation of coloured Cu(II)-(4-methylpiperidinedithiocarbamate)(2) complex when the copper solutions are introduced into a tertiary reagent stream containing 4-methylpiperidinedithiocarbamate. The coloured complex is then selectively monitored at 435 nm. To increase interactions between copper(II) and colour forming reagent and preconcentrate of copper(II), a microcolumn containing strong cation exchange resins was placed between injection manifold and spectrophotometer. The system required no mixing chamber and allowed a sample throughput >60 sample h(-1). The calibration graph was linear in the range 5-100 mug l(-1). The detection limit was <0.5 mug l(-1) for 20 mul injection volume of copper(II) ion solution. The developed method was applied to environmental, copper processing water, and ore samples.     

Preconcentration and atomic absorption determination of iron by sequential injection analysis

A sequential injection analysis (SIA) assembly for the atomic absorption determination of Fe(III) in natural waters is proposed. Iron is preconcentrated on a microcolumn packed with a chelating resin (Chelex 100) that is inserted in the manifold. The sample is passed through the column and the iron retained by the resin is subsequently eluted with 2 M HNO(3). The proposed SIA system affords automatic preconcentration, elution, detection of Fe(III), data acquisition and treatment. When 9 ml of iron solution containing 0.4 or 1 mg l(-1) was passed through the resin, the retention efficiency was 93.1 +/- 0.6 and 7.4 +/- 3.0% respectively, and when 27 ml of iron solution of 0.2 mg l(-1) was preconcentrated, the retention was 8.4 +/- 2.9%. The detection limits thus achieved is 12 mug l(-1) when 9 ml of sample are preconcentrated and 6 mug l(-1) for 27 ml.     

On-line solid phase extraction system using PTFE packed column for the flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of copper in water samples

A new flow injection on-line adsorption preconcentration system adapted to flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) for copper determination at the mug l(-1) level was developed. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) turnings packed in a mini-column were used as sorbent material. The copper ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) complex was sorbed on the PTFE turnings, from which it could be eluted on-line instantly by isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK) into the flame at a flow rate of 2.3 ml min(-1). The system was optimized and offered good performance characteristics with practically unlimited life time, greater flow rates and improved flexibility, as compared with other sorbent materials and the knotted reactor preconcentration systems. With 1 min preconcentration time, and a sample frequency of 40 h(-1), the enhancement factor was 340, which could be further improved by increasing the preconcentration time. The detection limit was c(L)=0.05 mug l(-1), and the precision was 1.5%, at the 2.0 mug l(-1) Cu level. The method has been applied successfully to the analysis of potable, river and seawater, and its accuracy was tested by the analysis of certified reference materials and by recovery measurements on spiked samples. No significant interferences exist from other substances usually occurring in natural water.     

Direct determination of cadmium and copper in seawater using a transversely heated graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer with Zeeman-effect background corrector

Methods for the direct determination of copper and cadmium in seawater were described using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (GFAAS) equipped with a transversely heated graphite atomizer (THGA) and a longitudinal Zeeman effect background corrector. Ammonium nitrate was used as the chemical modifier to determine copper. The mixture of di-ammonium hydrogen phosphate and ammonium nitrate was used as the chemical modifier to determine cadmium. The matrix interference was removed completely so that a simple calibration curve method could be applied. This work is the first one with the capability of determining cadmium in unpolluted seawater directly with GFAAS using calibration curve based on simple aqueous standards. The accuracy of the methods was confirmed by analysis of three kinds of certified reference saline waters. The detection limits (LODs), with injection of a 20-mul aliquot of seawater sample, were 0.06 mug l(-1) for copper and 0.005 mug l(-1) for cadmium.     

Preconcentration and separation with Amberlite XAD-4 resin; determination of Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cd and Bi at trace levels in waste water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for the preconcentration of Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cd and Bi as their diethyldithiocarbamate chelates was proposed using a column filled with Amberlite XAD-4 resin. The retained analytes on the resin were recovered with a small volume of acetone. The metal ions in the effluent were determined by a flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Different factors including pH of sample solution, sample volume, amount of XAD-4 resin, amount of ligand, eluent volume and matrix effects for preconcentration were examined. The recoveries for the analytes under the optimum working conditions were higher than 95%. The relative standard deviations of the determinations were below 9%. The limits of detection (3 s, n=20) for analytes were found to be between 4 and 23 mug l(-1). The proposed method was applied to the analysis of some waste waters from the organized industrial region of Kayseri.     

Determination of trace amounts of copper with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol by solid phase spectrophotometry

A determination method for traces of copper by Solid-Phase Spectrophotometry (SPS) has been developed. It is based on the fixation of copper(II) as 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol complex on a styrene-divinylbenzene anion-exchange resin. The resin phase absorbances at 525 and 800 nm are measured directly, and the determination of copper (with a RSD of 1.8%) is possible in the range of 0.3–4.5 μg L^?1. The method has been applied to the determination of copper in different samples, i.e. mushrooms, tea, drugs and waters.     

Ion-exchange separation and spectrophotometric determination of boron in geological materials

Various dissolution techniques were investigated for total rocks and minerals and the best approach found was alkaline fusion. Boron in silicates was rendered chemically reactive by fusion with potassium carbonate, the fusion cake was extracted with water and borate was isolated by Amberlite XE-243 boron-selective resin. The Amberlite XE-243 resin was utilized to separate microgram amounts of boron from natural waters (fresh to hypersaline) and salt cores. Borate was eluted with 2 M hydrochloric acid and determined by spectrophotometry of the carminic acid complex at 620 nm in either 94% sulphuric acid or sulphuric/acetic acid (20:80) medium, or preferably, as the azomethine-H ion-association complex at pH 5.2 (415 nm), depending on the sensitivity required. Good precision and accuracy were obtained on several international standard rocks with an average relative standard deviation of 1.37%.     

Application of a poly(dithiocarbamate) resin to the determination of trace copper,iron and zinc in natural waters

A chelating poly(dithiocarbamate) resin with macroreticular support is shown to be effective for the preconcentration of copper, iron and zinc in natural waters. The retained ions can be eluted efficiently in 5 ml of 8M nitric acid from 1–20-cm columns of resin.This poly(dithiocarbamate) resin is used for the preconcentration and determination of copper, iron and zinc by flame atomic absorption spectrophoto-metry. Common ions present in natural waters do not interfere. The detection limits were 0.50, 0.21 and 0.04 g 1^–1 for Cu, Fe and Zn respectively.     

Remote in situ analytical spectroscopy and its applications in the nuclear industry

Heavy metals exist in natural waters in different species. Mobility and bioavailability of bound metals can be influenced by some complex factors in the aquatic environment. Therefore, it is useful to determine the complexation properties of various ligands influenced by different metals. The copper and zinc complexation capacity was determined for a natural ligand (fulvic acid) and anthropogenic pollutants (e.g. nitrilotriacetic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). The interactions between several ligands and metal ions and their effects on the complexation capacity were analyzed in particular. Applying methods of experimental design, such as multifactorial plans, it is possible to determine influence and interaction of various parameters (e.g. concentration of zinc or copper) by a minimum number of experiments. Differential pulse polarography was used for the determination of the complexation capacity. Methods of parametric and robust multiple linear regressions were applied for the interpretation of the measured values.     

Adsorptive stripping voltammetric behaviour of copper complexes of some heterocyclic azo compounds

Controlled adsorptive accumulation of copper complexed with TAN, TAC, TAR and TAM (heterocyclic azo-compounds) on a static mercury drop electrode provides the basis for the direct stripping measurement of this element in the nanomolar concentration level. The ligand TAN exhibited great sensitivity and better separation of the peak current of the ligand in relation to the complex. The reduction current of adsorbed complex ions of copper is measured by linear scan cathodic stripping voltammetry, preceded by a period of accumulation of a few minutes. The peak potential is at approximately -0.37 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Optimal experimental parameters were found to be a TAN concentration of 1 x 10(-5)M, an accumulation potential of -0.22 V, and a solution pH of 3.7 (acetate buffer). The detection limit is 0.8nM after a 5-min accumulation with a stirred solution, and the response is linear up to 50 mug/l. Many common cations and anions do not interfere in the determination of copper. The interference of titanium is eliminated by addition of fluoride ion. Results are reported for a fresh water sample.     

Evaluation of bathocuproine for the spectro-photometric determination of copper(I) in copper redox studies with applications in studies of natural waters

Copper(I) is determined at submicromolar levels in the presence of copper(II) in aqueous media by spectrophotometric measurement of the copper(I) complex of bathocuproine (2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline). Copper(II) interference produced by reduction to copper(I) is described. Ethylenediamine can serve as a masking ligand to inhibit Cu(II) interference. The limit of detection is 1 × 10^?8 mol l^?1. Although this is not sensitive enough for use at natural copper concentrations, the procedure can be used in laboratory studies of copper redox processes at elevated levels in natural waters such as sea water. The dependence of results on pH and ionic strength was studied to evaluate the usefulness of the method in other aqueous systems.     

The use of 1-[pyridyl-(2)-azo]-naphthol-(2) in the presence of TX-100 and N,N'-diphenylbenzamidine for the spectrophotometric determination of copper in real samples

A simple and sensitive field detection and spectrophotometric method for determination of copper described herewith is based on the formation of a red coloured species of copper(II) with 1-[pyridyl-(2)-azo]-naphthol-(2) (PAN), TX-100 and N,N'-diphenylbenzamidine (DPBA) at pH range 7.8-9.4. The red coloured Cu(II)-PAN-(TX-100)-DPBA complex in chloroform shows maximum absorbance at 520 nm with molar absorptivity value of 1.14x10(5) l mol(-1) cm(-1). The detection limit of the method is 2 ng ml(-1) organic phase. The system obeys Beer's law up to 0.6 mug Cu(II) ml(-1) in organic solution. Most of the common metal ions generally found associated with copper do not interfere. The repeatability of the method was checked by finding relative standard deviation (RSD) (n=10) value for solutions each containing 0.2 mug ml(-1) of Cu(II) and the RSD value of the method was found to be 1.5%. The validity of the method has been satisfactorily examined for the determination of copper in soil and airborne dust particulate samples.     

High performance liquid chromatographic determination of aluminium in natural waters in the form of its lumogallion chelate

A high performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of ultra trace amount of aluminium in natural waters has been developed using lumogallion as a precolumn reagent for fluorimetric detection. The highly fluorescent Al-lumogallion chelate (lambda(ex) 500 nm, lambda(em) 574 nm) was separated on a LiChrosorb RP 18 column with an eluent containing 3:7 acetonitrile/0.02M potassium hydrogen phthalate buffer (pH 4.7) containing 10(-5)M lumogallion. The proposed system provides a simple, quick, selective and sensitive method for the determination of ultra-trace amount of aluminium in water samples. The detection limit defined as three times the standard deviation of the blank signal, was 0.05 mug/l. in water samples for 100 mul injection. The tolerance limits were 5 mg/l. for Fe(III) and F(-) and over 10 mg/l. for other foreign ions. The sensitivity of the method was independent of salinity. This method had been used for the direct determination of aluminium in both tap and coastal sea-waters without any preconcentration steps.     

Determination of trace amounts of cobalt in water by solid-phase spectrophotometry after preconcentration on a nitroso R salt chelating resin

A sensitive method for the determination of microamounts of cobalt by ion-exchanger spectrophotometry has been developed. The chromogenic agent, Nitroso-R-Salt (NRS), was loaded on an anionic-exchange resin (Amberlite CG-400). The absorbance of the NRS-cobalt complex on the chelating resin was measured at 508 nm. The best conditions for the preconcentration of cobalt on the resin before the spectrophotometric determination were a pH value of 6, temperature of 80 °C, and heating times of 45 or 90 min for 50 and 400 ml of sample, respectively. The detection limits were 27 ng/ml (50-ml samples) and 1.8 ng/ml (400-ml samples). Interference by other metals was investigated. The method is useful for determination of cobalt in natural waters.