Preconcentration and Fractionation of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in Natural Water Samples Prior to Analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

The strong cation exchanger Dowex 50W-x4 was used for the enrichment of traces of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in mineral and mine waters as an alternative to the commonly applied procedures based on the application of chelating resins. The resin used was found suitable for complete retention of these metals both from the solutions of very low pH as well as those close to neutral, thus eliminating the need to buffer the samples. An analytical scheme based on filtration and solid phase extraction with Dowex 50W-x4 was proposed for partitioning Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb in the examined waters. The fraction of metals associated with the suspended particles was determined after filtration through a 0.45 µm pore size filter and decomposition of the deposited matter. For the evaluation of fractions of the labile metal species and the total dissolved metals, the untreated filtrates and the solutions resulting from their digestion, respectively, were passed through Dowex 50W-x4 cation exchange columns. The retrieval of the metals was completed using a 4.0 mol L⁻¹ solution of HCl. The described metal preconcentration and fractionation protocol offered the enrichment factor of 25 with detection limits equal to 22, 30, 92, 41, 70, 36 and 340 ng L⁻¹, respectively for Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb. Reasonably good precision and accuracy were attained.     

Application of Metalfix Chelamine prior to the determination of noble metals by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Metalfix Chelamine chelating resins of two different bead sizes (150-300 and 40-80 μm) were examined and compared regarding their application for sorption of Au, Ir, Pd, Pt, Rh and Ru ions from medium of HCl, HNO₃ and mixtures of HCl and HNO₃. The quantitative enrichment of Au, Ir, Pd and Pt was established for the resin of 150-300 μm particle size and for solutions acidified with HCl and HNO₃ (3:1) up to the concentration of 0.50 mol l⁻¹. In the case of Rh and Ru, the uptake of these metals by the resin was lower than 50%. For the elution, solutions of different reagents, i.e. HCl, HNO₃, KCN, KI, KSCN and (NH₂)₂CS, were studied with respect to the complete release of the analytes retained by the resin. In addition, influence of various base metals, i.e. Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, on the retention of the noble metals was investigated. Under the selected conditions for the retention and elution of Au, Ir, Pd and Pt, the analytical performance of the proposed pre-concentration procedure was evaluated and it was applied to the determination of these noble metals in anodic sludge sample.     

Determination of trace amounts of EDTA by use of a CuO-loaded cation exchanger

Summary A copper(II) oxide loaded resin was prepared by treating Cu(II)-form ion-exchange resin (Dowex 50W-X4) with a hot alkaline solution. The column packed with the resulting black resin was stable in the pH range of 5.5–9.6 and suited for conversion of free EDTA to the equivalent amount of Cu(II)-EDTA chelate. The copper in the effluent was determined spectrophotometrically as the diethyldithiocarbamate and thus EDTA in 10^–5 M level was indirectly determined. The method was applied to the decomposition of metal-EDTA complexes on a H-form resin column (Dowex 50W-X8). The complexes of Ca(II), Mg(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) were effectively decomposed on the column even in the presence of a 100-fold amount of each metal ion. At a pH lower than 3, the liberated EDTA was fixed on the resin, but it was recovered quantitatively by washing with water. The recovery of EDTA from the Fe(III) complex was only several percent.

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Bestimmung von Spurenmengen EDTA mit Hilfe eines CuO-beladenen Kationenaustauschers

Zusammenfassung CuO-beladener Ionenaustauscher wurde durch Behandlung von Ionenaustauschharz Dowex 50W-X4 in Cu-Form mit heißer alkalischer Lösung hergestellt. Die mit diesem schwarzgefärbten Harz gepackte Säule war im pH-Bereich von 5,5–9,6 stabil und eignete sich zur Umwandlung vom freiem EDTA in die equivalente Menge des Cu(II)-EDTA-Chelats. Kupfer im Eluat wurde spektrophotometrisch als Diethyldithiocarbamat bestimmt und in dieser Weise konnte indirekt EDTA im 10^–5 M Bereich bestimmt werden. Die Methode wurde zur Zersetzung von Metall-EDTA-Komplexen an Dowex 50W-X8 in der H-Form angewendet. Die Komplexe von Ca(II), Mg(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Cd(II) und Zn(II) wurden auch bei Anwesenheit der 100fachen Menge jeden Metallions wirksam zersetzt. Bei pH<3 wurde das freigesetzte EDTA an das Harz fixiert, jedoch durch Elution mit Wasser quantitativ wiedergefunden. Beim Fe(III)-EDTA-Komplex wurden nur einige Prozente EDTA gefunden.

Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Fritz Umland on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Co-precipitative pre-concentration with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate and ICP-AES determination of Se, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Cr and Cd in water

Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate in the presence of a weak oxidizing agent is used as a co-precipitative agent for the pre-concentration of Se, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Cr and Cd. A procedure was developed for ICP-AES determination of these elements after pre-concentration in river and waste water (an enrichment factor of 40). The recovery of all the elements tested for was more than 98%. The limits of determination (mg l⁻¹) (10 S.D. blank) are 0.001 (Cu, Co, Cr, Mn), 0.0007 (Zn, Cd), 0.003 (Se), 0.004 (Fe), 0.007 (Ni), and 0.01 (Pb).     

Comparison of liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and co-precipitation preconcentration methods for the determination of cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc in seawater

Three major types of pre-concentration methods were evaluated and optimised for the extraction and determination of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn from seawater samples. The traditional APDC/DDDC-Freon liquid-liquid extraction method showed excellent results for a multi-elemental analysis. However, the technique is labour consuming, very sensitive to operational conditions, employs environmentally unsafe and expensive solvents and requires large sample volumes. In the solid phase extraction method, the performances of a traditional Amberlite XAD-4 and a novel Dowex Optipore V-493 were evaluated. Application of Dowex Optipore V-493 resin provided better results at low concentrations than the generally used Amberlite XAD-4 resin using low sample volumes. However, the presence of natural organic compounds may decrease extraction efficiency of both resins for Cu. Thus, a pre-treatment with UV irradiation is advantageous for samples with high organic content. Cobalt co-precipitation methods showed good Cu and Ni recoveries, but gave poor results for Cd at low concentrations. In addition, high sample volumes are required. Both solid phase and co-precipitation methods showed unsatisfactory results in determination of Pb. Finally, a summary of methods advantages are given for choosing the most suitable method.     

Methode d'elution selective pour l'extraction des metaux lourds de l'eau de mer sur resine chelatante: A selective method of elution for the extraction of heavy metals from sea waters on a chelating resin

A selective method of elution for the extraction of heavy metals from sea waters on a chelating resin.The extraction of heavy metals in sea water with Chelex 100 prior to their determination by atomic absorption spectrometry (a.a.s.) with electrothermal atomization is discussed. Maximum retention of heavy metals is not obtained with the resin in the H⁺ form, because it is gradually transformed in contact with sea water by the fixation of alkali and alkaline-earth cations which are eluted simultaneously with the heavy metals and interfere during a.a.s. The separation of heavy metals is quantitative on Chelex 100 in the Ca²⁺ form; treatment with dilute acetic acid (1 + 99) eliminates the alkali and alkaline-earth metals fixed on the resin before elution or the heavy metals. Elution with 1 M nitric acid gives simultaneous and quantitative recovery of Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Cd and Co; intermediate elution with 0.01 M nitric acid isolates Zn, Cd and Co from Cu and Pb, which are subsequently eluted with 1 M nitric acid.     

Pre-concentration of trace elements in short chain alcohols using different commercial cation exchange resins prior to inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometric detection

Chelex-100, Dowex 50W-x8 and Dowex MAC-3 exchange resins were investigated for separation and pre-concentration of trace amounts of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ti and Zn in alcohols with respect to retention and desorption characteristics. Dowex 50W-x8 was found to be the best sorbent with percentages recoveries >95%. In addition, Chelex-100 appeared to be suitable for the pre-concentration of Cu, Fe and Zn, whereas Dowex MAC-3 was selective for Cu and Fe. Therefore, Dowex 50W-x8 was used for further investigations. The relative standard deviations <4% (n = 20), limits of detection and quantification were 0.1–1.2 μg L⁻¹ and 0.3–1.5 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The SPE method was validated against a certified reference material and the results were in agreement with certified values. The accuracy of the optimized method was verified by the recovery test in the spiked alcohol samples. The accuracy and spike recovery test for different metal ions were in the range 98–102% and 95–105%, respectively. The optimized method was applied to the separation and pre-concentration of metal ions in different commercial alcohol samples.     

Determination of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in seawater using high resolution magnetic sector inductively coupled mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS)

A novel method, combining isotope dilution with standard additions, was developed for the analysis of eight elements (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in seawater. The method requires just 12 mL of sample and employs an off-line pre-concentration step using the commercially available chelating resin Toyopearl AF-Chelate-650M prior to determination by high resolution inductively coupled plasma magnetic sector mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Acidified samples were spiked with a multi-element standard of six isotopes (⁵⁷Fe, ⁶²Ni, ⁶⁵Cu, ⁶⁸Zn, ¹¹¹Cd and ²⁰⁷Pb) enriched over natural abundance. In addition, standard additions of a mixed Co and Mn standard were performed on sub-sets of the same sample. All samples were irradiated using a low power (119 mW cm⁻²; 254 nm) UV system, to destroy organic ligands, before pre-concentration and extraction from the seawater matrix. Ammonium acetate was used to raise the pH of the 12 mL sub-samples (off-line) to pH 6.4 ± 0.2 prior to loading onto the chelating resin. The extracted metals were eluted using 1.0 M Q-HNO₃ and determined using ICP-MS. The method was verified through the analysis of certified reference material (NASS-5) and the SAFe inter-comparison samples (S1 and D2), the results of which are in good agreement with the certified and reported consensus values. We also present vertical profiles of the eight metals taken from the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series (BATS) station collected during the GEOTRACES inter-comparison cruise in June 2008.     

Quantitative separation of gold from cadmium, indium, zinc and other elements by cation-exchange chromatography in hydrochloric acid-acetone medium

Gold(III) can be separated from Cd, In. Zn, Ni, Cu(II), Mn(II), Co(II), Mg, Ca, Al, Fe(III), Ga and U(VI) by adsorbing these elements on a column of AG50W-X8 sulphonated polystyrene cation-exchange resin from 0.1M HCl containing 60% v v acetone, while Au(III) passes through and can be eluted with the same reagent. Separations are sharp and quantitative. The amounts of gold retained by the resin are between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude lower than encountered during adsorption from aqueous 0.1M HCl. Recoveries for mg amounts of gold are 99.9% or better and for ng amounts are still better than 99%, as shown by radioactive tracer methods. Hg(II), Bi, Sn(IV), the platinum metals and some elements which tend to form oxy-anions in dilute acid accompany gold. All other elements, though not investigated in detail, should be retained, according to their known distribution coefficients. Relevant elution curves, results of quantitative separations of binary mixtures and of recovery tests are presented.     

Sulfoacylated poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) copolymers as resins for cation chromatography. Comparison with sulfonated, dynamically coated and silica gel cation exchangers

Most important properties of an ion chromatographic resin are influenced by the resin matrix, the type of functional group and the ion-exchange capacity. Highly crosslinked PS-DVB resins of 5 microm diameter have been functionalized by sulfoacylation, by sulfonation and by dynamic coating over a wide range of exchange capacities. These materials allow a study of the influence of different ion-exchange sites and capacities. The influence of the degree of functionalization on resin performance is completely reverse for sulfoacylated and sulfonated resins. The HETP values for all observed analytes (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd, Mn, Ca, Mg) in a tartaric acid elution system decrease for sulfoacylated resins with increasing capacity, for sulfonated resins with decreasing capacity. The performance of sulfoacylated exchangers is better than for dynamically coated ones and far better than for sulfonated resins. The performance of silica gel based cation-exchangers such as BioSil CAT is in most cases better than observed for sulfoacylated resins.     

Determination of Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni and Cd by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry after preconcentration by Escherichia coli immobilized on sepiolite

A method for the determination of Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni and Cd by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS) after preconcentrating on a column containing Escherichia coli immobilized on sepiolite has been developed. Optimum pH values, amount of adsorbent, elution solution and flow rate have been obtained for the elements studied. The effect of interfering ions on the recovery of the analytes has also been investigated. Recoveries of Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni and Cd by E. coli immobilized on sepiolite were 99.1+/-0.6, 98.2+/-0.6, 98.1+/-0.5, 97.2+/-0.8 and 98.2+/-0.4% at 95% confidence level, respectively. The adsorption capacity of E. coli immobilized on sepiolite was found as 0.148, 0.064, 0.098, 0.134 and 0.088 mmol/g for Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni and Cd, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of trace metals in alloys (NBS SRM 85b). Trace metals have been determined with relative error lower than 10%.     

Simultaneous determination of suspended particulate trace metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in seawater with small volume filtration assisted by microwave digestion and flow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer

A new technique for the determination of suspended particulate trace metals (P-metals >0.2 μm), such as Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, in open ocean seawater has been developed by using microwave digestion coupled with flow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (FI-ICP-MS). Suspended particulate matter (SPM) was collected from 500 mL of seawater on a Nuclepore filter (0.2 μm) using a closed filtration system. Both the SPM and filter were completely dissolved by microwave digestion. Reagents for the digestion were evaporated using a clean evaporation system, and the metals were redissolved in 0.8 M HNO₃. The solution was diluted with buffer solution to give pH 5.0 and the metals were determined by FI-ICP-MS using a chelating adsorbent of 8-hydroxyquinoline immobilized on fluorinated metal alkoxide glass (MAF-8HQ). The procedure blanks with a filter were found to be 0.048 ± 0.008, 10.3 ± 0.3, 0.27 ± 0.05, 3.3 ± 1.8, 0.02 ± 0.03 and 0.85 ± 0.09 ng L⁻¹ for Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively (n = 14). Detection limits defined as 3 times the standard deviation of the blanks were 0.023, 0.90, 0.14, 5.3, 0.078 and 0.28 ng L⁻¹ for Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively. Accuracy was evaluated using certified reference materials of chlorella (NES CRM No. 3) and marine sediment (HISS-1). The method was applied to the determination of vertical distributions for P-Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the Western North Pacific.     

Quantitative separation of lanthanides and scandium from barium,strontium and other elements by cation-exchange chromatography in nitric acid

The lanthanides plus yttrium and scandium are separated from Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Pb(II), Bi(III), Zn, Mn(II) and U(VI) by eluting these elements with 2.0 M nitric acid from a column of AG50W-X8 cation exchange resin (200-400 mesh). The lanthanides are retained and can then be eluted with 4 M nitric or hydrochloric acid. Separations are quantitative and applicable to microgram and millimolar amounts of the lanthanides and the other elements. Elements such as Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cd. Hg(II), T1(I). Ag, Be, Ti(IV) and the alkali metals should accompany barium quantitatively according to their known distribution coefficients. Relevant elution curves and results of analysis of synthetic mixtures are presented.     

Simultaneous on-line preconcentration and determination of trace metals in environmental samples by flow injection combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using a nanometer-sized alumina packed micro-column

A flow injection (FI) on-line preconcentration procedure by using a nanometer-sized alumina packed micro-column coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was described for simultaneous determination of trace metals (V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the environmental samples. The effects of pH value, sample flow rate, preconcentration time, and interfering ions on the preconcentration of analytes have been investigated. Under the optimized operating conditions, the adsorption capacity of the nanometer-sized alumina for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were found to be 11.7, 13.6, 15.7, 9.5, 12.2, 13.3, 17.1, 17.7 and 17.5 mg g⁻¹, respectively. With 60 s preconcentration time and 60 s elution time, an enrichment factor of 5 and the sampling frequency of 15 h⁻¹ were obtained. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of trace metals in environmental certified reference materials and natural water samples with satisfactory results.     

Pre-concentration efficiency of chelex-100 resin for heavy metals in seawater : Part 2. Distribution of Heavy Metals on a Chelex-100 Column and Optimization of the Column Efficiency by a Plate Simulation Method

Seawater was spiked with heavy metals and passed through a Chelex-100 column string consisting of ten minicolumns. The recoveries of metals from each minicolumn are used to study their distribution on a column. A simplified model was constructed to simulate the chelating efficiency of columns of various sizes, at various pH and flow rates. It is shown that a column containing 2 g of resin in the magnesium form with a flow rate of 4 ml min^?1 is suitable for pre-concentration of Cd, Cu, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in seawater after adjustment to pH 6.5.     

Organic acid solutions in the chromatography of inorganic ions. VII. Cation exchange of Mg(II), Ca(II), Sr(II), Ba(II), Mn(II), Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) in succinate media

Summary The cation-exchange behaviour of Mg(II), Ca(II), Sr(II), Ba(II), Mn(II), Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) in succinate media at various concentrations and pH, was studied with Dowex 50 WX8 resin (200–400 mesh) in the NH ₄ ⁺ form. As examples separations of Cd(II)/Co(II), Cd (II)/Ni(II), Fe(III)/Cu(II)/Ni(II) and Mg(II)/Ca(II)/Sr(II)/Ba(II) have been achieved.This work was supported by C.N.R. of Italy.     

Determination of Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy or Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry after On-line Preconcentration and Solvent Extraction by Flow Injection System

The concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in natural and sea waters are too low to be directly determined with by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) or graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Specific sample preparations are requested that make possible the determination of these analytes by preconcentration or extraction. These techniques are affected by severe problems of sample contamination. In this work Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) or by atomic absorption spectrometry, in fresh and seawater samples, after on-line preconcentration and following solvent elution with a flow injection system. Bonded silica with octadecyl functional group C₁₈, packed in a microcolumn of 100-μl capacity, was used to collect diethyldithiocarbamate complexes of the heavy metals in aqueous solutions. The metals are complexed with a chelating agent, adsorbed on the C₁₈column, and eluted with methanol directly in the flow injection system. The methanolic stream can be addressed to FAAS for direct determination of Cu, Ni, and Zn, or collected in a vial for successive analysis by GFAAS. The eluted samples can be also dried in a vacuum container and restored to a little volume with concentrated HNO₃and Milli-Q water for analysis by ICP-MS or GFAAS.     

Micro-scale flow system for on-line multielement preconcentration from saliva digests and determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

A micro-scale flow system is proposed for on-line preconcentration of Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Pb in saliva samples and their determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). A small column containing 8 μl of AG50W-X8 resin was inserted into the flow system, assembled with capillary tubes and connected to a micro-concentric nebulizer. The elution of the analytes was performed with 3 mol l⁻¹ HCl at a flow rate of 82 μl min⁻¹. The ICP-OES signal acquisition program permits measurements for 5 s in the concentrated portion of the transient elution peaks. A sample volume of 1 ml was required to obtain enrichment factors of 46, 23, 17, 18 and 44 for Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Pb, respectively. The relative standard deviations for a 50-μg l⁻¹ multi-analyte solution were ≤6.5%. The recoveries for Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Pb in digested human saliva samples were between 86 and 111%. The sample throughput was 24 h⁻¹.     

An off-line automated preconcentration system with ethylenediaminetriacetate chelating resin for the determination of trace metals in seawater by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A novel automated off-line preconcentration system for trace metals (Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in seawater was developed by improving a commercially available solid-phase extraction system SPE-100 (Hiranuma Sangyo). The utilized chelating resin was NOBIAS Chelate-PA1 (Hitachi High-Technologies) with ethylenediaminetriacetic acid and iminodiacetic acid functional groups. Parts of the 8-way valve made of alumina and zirconia in the original SPE-100 system were replaced with parts made of polychlorotrifluoroethylene in order to reduce contamination of trace metals. The eluent pass was altered for the back flush elution of trace metals. We optimized the cleaning procedures for the chelating resin column and flow lines of the preconcentration system, and developed a preconcentration procedure, which required less labor and led to a superior performance compared to manual preconcentration (Sohrin et al. [5]). The nine trace metals were simultaneously and quantitatively preconcentrated from ∼120 g of seawater, eluted with ∼15 g of 1 M HNO₃, and determined by HR-ICP-MS using the calibration curve method. The single-step preconcentration removed more than 99.998% of Na, K, Mg, Ca, and Sr from seawater. The procedural blanks and detection limits were lower than the lowest concentrations in seawater for Mn, Ni, Cu, and Pb, while they were as low as the lowest concentrations in seawater for Al, Fe, Co, Zn, and Cd. The accuracy and precision of this method were confirmed by the analysis of reference seawater samples (CASS-5, NASS-5, GEOTRACES GS, and GD) and seawater samples for vertical distribution in the western North Pacific Ocean.     

Quantitative separation of beryllium from magnesium,calcium, aluminium,iron and other elements by cation-exchange chromatography in nitric acid-methanol

Beryllium is separated from Mg, Ca, Mn(II), Fe(III), Al, Co(II). Zn. U(VI), La and Gd by elution with 2.0 M nitric acid in 70 % methanol from a column of AG50W-X8 sulphonated polystyrene cation exchanger, while the other elements are retained quantitatively. Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, the other lanthanides, Zr, Hf, Th, Ga, In, Cd and Ni(II) should also be separated according to their distribution coefficients or elution behaviour. Separations are sharp and recoveries quantitative from millimolar amounts down to 10 μg of beryllium. The separation of Ti(IV) and Cu(II) from beryllium is not satisfactory and requires rather large columns. Bi(III), Pb(II), Hg(II) and the alkali metals are eluted together with beryllium, but can be separated by other methods. Typical elution curves and results for the quantitative separation of binary synthetic mixtures are presented.