Assessment of Inorganic Fibre Burden in Biological Samples by Scanning Electron Microscopy – Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy

A method based on cloud point extraction (CPE) separation/preconcentration of trace cadmium as a prior step to its determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) has been developed. If the system temperature is higher than the cloud point temperature (CPT) of the nonionic surfactant of p-octyl polyethyleneglycolphenyether (Triton X-100), the complex of Cd²⁺ with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) could be extracted into surfactant-rich phase. The chemical variables affecting CPE were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, preconcentrating 10.0 mL of water samples permitted a limit of detection of 5.9 ng · L⁻¹ (3σ) for cadmium with an enhancement factor of 50 and a relative standard deviation of 2.1% (n = 11, c = 2.0 ng · mL⁻¹). The method was applied to the determination of cadmium in reference material and water samples with satisfactory results.     

Development of a cloud point extraction and preconcentration method for silver prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometry

The possibility was investigated of using 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) for Ag(I) concentration by micellar extraction at cloud point (CP) temperature and subsequent determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The method is based on the complexation of Ag(I) with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) in the presence of non-ionic micelles of Triton X-114. The effect of experimental conditions such as pH, concentration of chelating agent and surfactant, equilibration temperature and time on cloud point extraction was studied. Under the optimum conditions, the preconcentration of 10 mL of water sample in the presence of 0.1% Triton X-114 and 2 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ 2-mercaptobenzothiazole permitted the detection of 2.2 ng mL⁻¹ silver. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 10–200 ng mL⁻¹, and the recovery of more than 99% was achieved. The proposed method was used in FAAS determination of Ag(I) in water samples.     

Speciation Analysis of Antimony (III) and Antimony (V) by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry After Separation/Preconcentration With Cloud Point Extraction

A sensitive and simple method for flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) determination of antimony species after separation/preconcentration by cloud point extraction (CPE) has been developed. When the system temperature is higher than the cloud point extraction temperature, the complex of antimony (III) with N-benzoyl-N-phenyhydroxylamine (BPHA) can enter the surfactant-rich phase, whereas the antimony (V) remains in the aqueous phase. Antimony (III) in surfactant-rich phase was analyzed by FAAS and antimony (V) was calculated by subtracting of antimony (III) from the total antimony after reducing antimony (V) to antimony (III) by L-cysteine. The main factors affecting the cloud point extraction, such as pH, concentration of BPHA and Triton X-114, equilibration temperature and time, were investigated systematically. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits (3σ) were 1.82 ng mL⁻¹ for Sb(III) and 2.08 ng mL⁻¹ for Sb(total), and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 2.6% for Sb(III) and 2.2% for Sb(total). The proposed method was applied to the speciation of antimony species in artificial seawater and wastewater, and recoveries in the range of 95.3–106% were obtained by spiking real samples. This technique was validated by means of reference water materials and gave good agreement with certified values.     

Simplified cloud point extraction for the preconcentration of ultra-trace amounts of gold prior to determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and sensitive cloud point extraction method has been developed for the preconcentration of ultra-trace amounts of gold as a prior step to its determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. It is based on the extraction of gold in hydrochloric acid medium using the non-ionic surfactant polyethyleneglycolmono-p-nonylphenylether (PONPE 7.5) without adding a chelating agent. The preconcentration of a 50 mL sample solution was thus enhanced by a factor of 200. The resulting calibration graph was linear in the range of 10–200 ng L⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9993. The limit of detection (3s) obtained under optimal conditions was 2.0 ng L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation for 10 replicate determinations at a 100 ng L⁻¹ Au level was 3.6%. The method was applied to the ultra-trace determination of gold in water and copper samples.     

Determination of cadmium in rice and water by tungsten coil electrothermal vaporization-atomic fluorescence spectrometry and tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after cloud point extraction

In this work, the microsampling nature of tungsten coil electrothermal vaporization Ar/H₂ flame atomic fluorescence spectrometry (W-coil ETV-AFS) as well as tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (W-coil ET-AAS) was used with cloud point extraction (CPE) for the ultrasensitive determination of cadmium in rice and water samples. When the temperature of the extraction system is higher than the cloud point temperature of the selected surfactant Triton X-114, the complex of cadmium with dithizone can be quantitatively extracted into the surfactant-rich phase and subsequently separated from the bulk aqueous phase by centrifugation. The main factors affecting the CPE, such as concentration of Triton X-114 and dithizone, pH, equilibration temperature and incubation time, were optimized for the best extract efficiency. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection for cadmium by W-coil ETV-AFS and W-coil ET-AAS were 0.01 and 0.03 μg L⁻¹, with sensitivity enhancement factors of 152 and 93, respectively. The proposed methods were applied to the determination of cadmium in certified reference rice and water samples with analytical results in good agreement with certified values.     

Determination of trace Cd and Pb in natural waters by direct single drop microextraction combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A new method of direct single-drop microextraction combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) is presented for the determination of trace Cd and Pb with dithizone (H₂DZ) as chelating reagent. Factors influencing the microextraction efficiency and determination, such as pH, microdrop volume, stirring rate, extraction time were evaluated. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the detection limits of the method are 2 and 90 pg mL⁻¹ for Cd and Pb, and the relative standards deviations for 0.5 ng mL⁻¹ Cd and 10 ng mL⁻¹ Pb are 11 and 12.8%. After 10 min of extraction, the enrichment factors for Cd and Pb are 118 and 90, respectively. The results for the determination of Cd and Pb in tap water, spring water, river water, pond water, lake water and spiked water samples demonstrate the accuracy, recovery and applicability of the method. An environmental water certified reference material (GSBZ 50009-88) was analyzed, and the determined values are in a good agreement with the certified values. Correspondence: Bin Hu, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China     

Cloud point extraction and preconcentration of gold in geological matrices prior to flame atomic absorption determination

Brilliant green was used as a complexing agent in cloud point extraction (CPE) and applied for selective preconcentration of trace amounts of gold in geological matrices. The analyte in the initial aqueous solution was acidified with hydrochloric acid (0.1 M) and octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114) was added as a surfactant. After phase separation, based on the cloud point separation of the mixture, the surfactant rich phase was diluted with methanol and the analyte determined in the surfactant rich phase by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). After optimization of the complexation and extraction conditions, a preconcentration factor of 31 was obtained for only 10 mL of sample. The analytical curve was linear in the range of 3–1000 ng mL⁻¹ and the limit of detection was 1.5 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed method was applied to the determination of gold in geological samples.     

Preconcentration and Determination of Tin in Water Samples by Using Cloud Point Extraction and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A method based on cloud point extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was developed for the analysis of trace tin in water samples. After cloud point extraction, the tin in the water samples was preconcentrated and successfully separated from most interferents. During the procedure, 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) was used as chelating reagent, and Triton X-114 was added as surfactant. The parameters affecting the sensitivity and the extraction efficiency, such as solution pH, concentration of 8-HQ and Triton X-114, equilibration temperature and centrifuge time, were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, a preconcentration factor of 96.2 was obtained for a 20 mL water sample. The detection limit (LOD) was as low as 0.012 ng mL⁻¹, and the analytical curve was linear in the range of 0.05–2.0 ng mL⁻¹ with satisfactory precision (RSD <4.1%). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of trace tin in water samples with recoveries in the range of 85.0–112.0%.     

The cloud point extraction of copper(II) with monocarboxylic acids into non-ionic surfactant phase

The possibility to use monocarboxylic acids and their mixtures with amines for copper concentrating by the way of micellar extraction at cloud point temperature, and later atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) determination was investigated. Under the optimum conditions, preconcentration of 100 ml of water sample in the presence of 1% non-ionic surfactant OP-10, 0.005 M capric acid and 0.01 M octylamine permitted the detection of 0.01 μg ml⁻¹ copper. The proposed method has been applied to the AAS determination of copper in water samples after cloud point extraction.     

Application of a ternary complex of chromium(VI) with phenylfluorone for cloud point extraction-spectrophotometric speciation of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) in aqueous solutions

A cloud point extraction-preconcentration by the formation of ternary complex was applied to the determination of trace Cr(VI) in water samples. The method is based on the formation of a purplish red complex of Cr(VI) with phenylfluorone in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in acetate buffer media and mixed micelle-mediated extraction of the complex. The use of cloud point extraction (CPE) coupled with spectrophotometric detection allows the determination of chromium at μg levels. The chemical variables affecting the analytical performance of the combined methodology were studied and optimised. The proposed method allowed the determination of chromium(VI) in the range 5–100 μg/L with good precision and accuracy and the detection limit was found to be 1.04 μg/L. The interference of concomitant ions on the CPE of Cr(VI) was investigated. Recoveries in the range of 97–102% were obtained by analysis of spiked real samples. The method was successfully applied to the determination of chromium in various water samples. The article is published in the original.     

Cloud point extraction preconcentration of manganese(II) from natural water samples using 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone and triton X-100 and determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

The possibility was investigated by using 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone (PMBP) as the chelating reagent for separation and preconcentration of manganese(II) by cloud point extraction (CPE) and subsequent determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The effects of experimental conditions such as pH, concentration of chelating agent and surfactant, equilibration temperature and time on cloud point extraction were studied. Under the optimum conditions, preconcentration of 10 ml of sample solution permitted the detection of 1.45 ng mL(-1) of manganese with an enrichment factor of 20. The proposed method was applied to the determination of trace manganese in water samples with satisfactory results.     

Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of trace amounts of palladium,gold and nickel after cloud point extraction

In this article, a sensitive cloud point extraction procedure for the preconcentration of trace amounts of palladium, gold and nickel prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry has been developed. The cloud point extraction method is based on the complexation of Pd(II), Au(II), and Ni(II) ions with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol and entrapping in non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114. The main factors affecting cloud point extraction efficiency, such as pH of sample solution, concentration of 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol and Triton X-114, equilibration temperature and time, were investigated in detail. Under the optimized conditions, calibration curves were constructed for the determination of palladium, gold and nickel according to the general procedure. Linearity was maintained from 0.01 to 1.0 μg/mL for palladium, 10.0 μg/mL to 1.5 μg/mL for gold, and 10.0 μg/mL to 0.5 μg/mL for nickel. Detection limits based on three times the standard deviation of the blank divided by the slope of analytical curve (3Sb/m) for Pd(II), Au(III), and Ni(11) ions were 3.4, 3.9, and 2.4 μg/mL, respectively. Seven replicate determination of a mixture of 0.5 μg/mL palladium and gold and 0.2 μg/mL nickel gave a mean absorbance of 0.174, 0.150, and 0.201 with relative standard deviation ±1.5, ±1.3, and ±1.8%, respectively. The high efficiency of cloud point extraction to carry out the determination of analytes in complex matrices was demonstrated. The proposed method has been applied for determination of trace amount of palladium, gold and nickel in certified reference material and water samples with satisfactory results.     

Cloud point extraction–thermospray flame quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for determination of ultratrace cadmium in water and urine

A simple, low cost and highly sensitive method based on cloud point extraction (CPE) for separation/preconcentration and thermospray flame quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was proposed for the determination of ultratrace cadmium in water and urine samples. The analytical procedure involved the formation of analyte-entrapped surfactant micelles by mixing the analyte solution with an ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) solution and a Triton X-114 solution. When the temperature of the system was higher than the cloud point of Triton X-114, the complex of cadmium-PDC entered the surfactant-rich phase and thus separation of the analyte from the matrix was achieved. Under optimal chemical and instrumental conditions, the limit of detection was 0.04 μg/L for cadmium with a sample volume of 10 mL. The analytical results of cadmium in water and urine samples agreed well with those by ICP-MS.     

Single drop microextraction combined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for determination of lead in biological samples

Single drop microextraction combined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is introduced for the determination of trace lead in water samples. A drop of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone (PMBP) dissolved in benzene was held at the tip of a microsyringe and immerged into the sample solution which was stirred, the solvent drop interacts with the sample solution, and the analyte was extracted into the drop and concentrated. After extracting for a period of time, the drop was retracted into the microsyringe and directly injected into graphite furnace for GFAAS determination of Pb. Several factors affecting the extraction efficiency, such as pH of sample solution, drop volume, stirring rate and extraction time, were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, an enhancement factor of 16 was achieved, and the detection limits for Pb were 25 ng L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation for seven replicate determination of 10 ng mL⁻¹ Pb was 6.1%. The method was applied to determine trace Pb in biological samples with satisfactory results. Correspondence: Pei Liang, Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China     

Determination of cadmium in water samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after cloud point extraction

The formation of a complex with 2-(5-brom-2-pyridylazo)-5-(diethylamino)-phenol (5-Br-PADAP) and cloud point extraction have been applied to the preconcentration of cadmium followed by its determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) using octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (TritonX-114) as surfactant. The chemical variables affecting the separation were optimized. At pH 7.0, preconcentration of only 10 mL of sample in the presence of 0.05% TritonX-114 and 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ M 5-Br-PADAP enabled the detection of 0.04 μg/L cadmium. The enrichment factor was 21 for cadmium. The regression equation was A = 0.0439C(μg/L) + 7.2 × 10⁻³. The correlation coefficient was 0.9995. The precision for 10 replicate determinations at 10 μg/L Cd was 2.7% relative standard deviation (RSD). The proposed method has been applied to the determination of cadmium in water samples. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

浊点萃取-火焰原子吸收光谱法测定样品中的痕量钴

研究了基于表面活性剂Triton X-114和络合剂吡咯烷二硫代氨基甲酸铵（APDC）浊点萃取钴的样品前处理方法.优化了浊点萃取条件参数,包括pH值、Triton X-114用量、APDC浓度、平衡温度及时间等,建立了浊点萃取-火焰原子吸收光谱法测定痕量钴的方法.该法的检测限（3σ）为2.6μg/L,相对标准偏差RSD为6.2%（n=7,c=200μg/L）.该法成功地应用于海带、维生素B12注射液等样品中钴的测定.     

Design of rapidly synergistic cloud point extraction of ultra-trace lead combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry determination

In this work, traditional cloud point extraction (CPE) pattern was changed and improved by the proposed rapidly synergistic CPE. Using octanol as cloud point revulsant and synergic reagent, non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 (TX-114) accomplished room temperature extraction rapidly without heating in water bath. The improved extraction was named as rapidly synergistic cloud point extraction (RS-CPE). Compared with traditional CPE, RS-CPE was accomplished in 1 min with considerably high extraction efficiency. The improved CPE pattern was coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) for the extraction and detection of trace lead in real and certified water samples with satisfactory analytical results. The proposed method greatly improved the sensitivity of FAAS for the determination of lead. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) for lead was 4.3 μg/L, with enhancement factor (EF) of 39. Factors influencing RS-CPE efficiency, such as concentrations of surfactant TX-114 and octanol, concentration of chelating agent, pH, conditions of phase separation, environmental temperature, salt effect and instrumental conditions, were studied systematically.     

A cellulose-based carboxyl cotton chelator having citric acid as an anchored ligand: preparation and application as solid phase extractant for copper determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Citric acid was thermochemically esterified onto defatted cotton fibre to produce a carboxyl cotton chelator (CCC), which had been used for extraction of copper prior to its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The extraction of copper has been studied under both batch and column methods. Quantitative extraction of copper was achieved in the pH range 4–7. The time needed to extract each sample was less than 30 min by the batch method. The copper extraction capacity of CCC was found to be 22.7 mg g⁻¹ at optimal pH value. The elution was quantitative with 1 mol L⁻¹ hydrochloric acid. The feasible flow rate of copper-containing solution for quantitative extraction onto the column packed with CCC was 0.5–4.0 mL min⁻¹, whereas for elution it was less than 1.5 mL min⁻¹. A 100-fold extraction factor could be achieved under the optimal column conditions. The tolerance limits for common metal ions on the extraction of copper and the time of column reuse were investigated. The proposed method has been successfully applied for extraction and determination of copper in industrial wastewater and natural water samples.     

Cloud point extraction for the determination of cadmium and lead employing sequential multi-element flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A cloud point extraction procedure for pre-concentration and determination of cadmium and lead in drinking water using sequential multi-element flame atomic absorption spectrometry is described. 4-(2-thiazolylazo)-orcinol (TAO) has been used as complexing agent and the micellar phase was obtained using the non-ionic surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114) and centrifugation. The conditions for reaction and extraction (surfactant concentration, reagent concentration, effect of incubation time, etc) were studied and the analytical characteristics of the method were determined. The method allows the determination of cadmium and lead with quantification limits of 0.30?µg?L^?1 and 2.6?µg?L^?1, respectively. A precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD, n?=?10) of 2.3% and 2.6% has been obtained for cadmium concentrations of 10?µg?L^?1 and 30?µg?L^?1, respectively, and RSD of 1.3% and 1.7% for lead concentrations of 10?µg?L^?1 and 30?µg?L^?1, respectively. The accuracy was confirmed by analysis of a natural water certified reference material. The method has been applied for the determination of cadmium and lead in drinking water samples collected in the cities of Ilhéus and Itabuna, Brazil. Recovery tests have also been performed for some samples, and results varied from 96 to 105% for cadmium and 97 to 106% for lead. The cadmium and lead concentrations found in these samples were always lower than the permissible maximum levels stipulated by World Health Organization and the Brazilian Government.     

Cloud point extraction and spectrophotometric determination of Cu(II) in saturated saline solutions using 4-ethyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)thiosemicarbazide

4-Ethyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)thiosemicarbazide (HEPTS) has been used as a new complexing agent in cloud point extraction (CPE) for preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of copper in saturated saline medium. The chemical variables affecting the separation and determination processes were optimized. Copper(II) is preconcentrated using 0.05% (w/v) Triton X-114 and 10⁻⁴ M HEPTS at pH 6. The surfactant rich phase containing the complex was dissolved in 2 mL MeOH and determined spectrophotometrically. The calibration curve is linear in the 0.1–25 ng/mL copper range. The proposed method was applied successfully in the determination of copper in water and saturated saline samples. The reaction between CuSO₄ and HEPTS yields a deep-blue solid complex which is characterized by analytical and spectroscopic analyses.