Flow-injection extraction with a microvolume module based on integrated conduits

A self-contained module for liquid—liquid extractions is described. The module contains engraved conduits for mixing of sample and ragent, an engraved segmentor, a detachable extraction coil, a membrane separator, and a rinsing system for the flow cell. The membrane in the separator is supported by a teflon-coated steel grid and can be replaced rapidly. The segmented stream enters at the centre of the circular membrane and travels through an engraved, coiled channel in contact with the membrane before leaving the membrane area at the periphery. The volume of the receptor chamber for the organic phase is 10 μl. For a detector flow-cell volume of 8 μl, an aqueous flow rate of 2.0 ml min^?1 and an organic flow rate of 1.2 ml min^?1, the “loss factors” caused by analyte dispersion are 3.2 and 1.5 for caffeine sample volumes of 40 μl and 100 μl, respectively, compared with batch extraction. The system is also tested for extraction of anionic surfactants as their ion-pairs with methylene blue.     

Separation of trace rare earths and other metals from uranium by liquid-liquid extraction with quantitation by inductively-coupled plasma/mass spectrometry

N,N-Dihexylacetamide in toluene was used to extract uranium selectively from an aqueous phase containing 30 elements at 10 or 100 μg l^?1 concentrations. After three extractions, the uranium level fell from 119 000 mg l^?1 (0.5 M) to less than 3 mg l^?1. An inductively-coupled plasma/mass spectrometer (i.c.p./m.s.) was used to determine recoveries of the trace elements in the aqueous phase, which, in most cases, were in the range 90–110%. This combination of liquid-liquid extraction with i.c.p./m.s. offers determinations at the 10 ng g^?1 level in uranium for most of the elements studied.     

Automated method for the determination of boron in water by flow-injection analysis with in-line preconcentration and spectrophotometric detection

A sensitive, automated method for the determination of boron in water samples is described, involving flow injection with on-line ion-exchange preconcentration and spectrophotometric detection of the azomethine-H—boron complex. The method is applicable to various water samples and is free from interferences, even in coloured samples. Detection limits of 5 μg l^?1 at 20 samples h^?1 and 1 μg l^?1 at 10 samples h^?1 with relative standard deviations of < 10% at 1–10 μg l^?1 and < 5%at 10–200 μg l^?1 levels of boron were achieved. The recoveries for spiked natural water samples ranged from 96 to 101%. The method compares favourably with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.     

Determination of selenium in human body fluids by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry : Optimization of sample decomposition

The accuracy of the determination of selenium in human body fluids by hydride-generation a.a.s. depends critically upon the sample decomposition-method used. Digestion with HNO₃ alone gave low selenium recoveries, but with nitric, sulfuric and perchloric acids at a final temperature of 310°C gave results that agreed with those obtained by other techniques. The recovery of selenomethionine added to whole blood and of trimethylselenonium iodide added to urine was 97–104%. The average selenium values found for 6 healthy individuals were 88 μg l^?1 in whole blood, 75 μg l^?1 in blood plasma and 307 μg (kg Hb)^?1 in erythrocytes. A detection limit of 5 μg l^?1 Se in body fluids was found under routine conditions.     

Continuous-flow extraction of organophosphorus pesticides coupled on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography

A continuous-flow extraction system coupled on-line with a high-performance liquid chromatograph with an ultraviolet detector is used to study the extraction of three organophosphorus pesticides (fenthion, azinphos methyl and diazinon) from aqueous samples with n-heptane as the organic solvent. Diazinon was not extracted significantly. The influence on the extraction of different parameters (coil length, flow rate and phase volume ratio) were studied. The calibration graphs are linear for 0.5–7 mg l^?1 and 8–20 mg l^?1 foor azinphos methyl where the percentage extraction (E%) is 90% and 70%, respectively, and up to 4 mg l^?1 for fenthion, where the E% is 33%. The detection limits and the relative standard deviations are 0.04 and 0.09 mg l^?1, and 3.4 and 5.3%, for azinphos methyl fenthion, respectively. Other pesticides and related compounds were found not to interfere. The sample throughput of this method was 15 h^?1.     

Sensitive spectrofluorimetric determination of zinc at ultra-trace levels

An ultra-trace method based on the reaction of zinc with salicylthiocarbohydrazone (SATCH) and Triton X-100 as a non-ionic surfactant was developed for the fluorimetric determination of zinc at the picogram level. The reaction is carried out in the pH range 4.4–4.7 in an aqueous ethanolic medium [52% (v/v) ethanol]. The influence of the reaction variables is discussed. The detection limit is 10 pg ml^?1 and the range of application is 0.01–500 μg l^?1, with an optimum range of 0.04–400 μg l^?1. The relative standard deviations are 0.68% (0.01–0.1 μg l^?1 of zinc), 0.41% (0.1–1.0 μg l^?1 of zinc), 0.64% (1–10 μg l^?1 of zinc), 0.82% (10–100 μg l^?1 of zinc) and 0.15% (100–500 μg l^?1 of zinc). The method is highly sensitive and selective in the presence of Cd^II and Hg^II. The effect of interferences from other metal ions and anions was studied; the masking action is discussed. The advantages of the proposed method include its high sensitivity, simplicity and selectivity.     

Determination of lead in whole blood with a simple flow-injection system and computerized stripping potentiometry

An automated (24 samples/hour) procedure is described for the determination of lead (0–1000 μg l^?1) in human blood based on flow-injection stripping potentiometry. The samples are diluted 20-fold with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid containing 100 mg l^?1 mercury and 40 μg l^?1 cadmium (II), and a 1.1 ml aliquot is injected into the flow system. With a mercury-coated carbon fibre as working electrode, lead (II) is determined by using cadmium (II) as internal standard and a calibration graph prepared from bovine blood. Analyses of two human blood reference samples yielded results of 335±37 and 691±24 μg l^?1 lead, the certified values being 332 and 663 μg l^?1, respectively.     

Optimization of the two-phase separation process in flow-injection analysis with an electron-capture detection system

A liquid-gas-phase tubing separator was designed and its operation studied in comparison with a PTFE tape-based separator. The relative efficiencies of the two separators were compared after injection into the carrier solution of a sample containing free chlorine using a chromatographic electron-capture detector for detection in the gaseous phase. The membrane separator contained porous PTFE tape whereas the tubular separator consisted of microporous PTFE membrane tubing. The two separators were compared with respect to sensitivity and reproducibility, simplicity of design and liability to interferences. Linear ranges and free chlorine detection limits were established for each of the two separators, that of the PTFE tape-based separator being 100 μg 1^?1 and that of the tubing device 50 μg 1^?1.     

Peroxidase-catalysed rupture of the CF bond as and indicator reaction for enzyme immunoassay : Kinetic determination of human immunoglobulin G, α-fetoprotein and placental lactogen

A fluoride ion-selective electrode is utilized as a sensor for the kinetic determination of peroxidase label in enzyme immunoassays. The method is based on a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, the peroxidase-catalysed rupture of the covalent CF bond in 4-fluorophenol and the subsequent release of fluoride ions. The determination of human immunoglobulin G (lgG), human α-fetoprotein (AFP) and human placental lactogen (HPL) was investigated. The potentiometric measurement of the rate of release of fluoride ion within 5 min provided a direct correlation with the concentration of analyte present in the sample. The concentration ranges investigated for the analytes were IgG 30 μg l^?1–10mg l^?1, AFP 5–500 μg l^?1 and HPL 60 ng l^?1–1 mg l^?1. Under the given experimental conditions, the detection limits were IgG 30, AFP 12.8 and HPL 1 μg l^?1. Replacing the rate method with the fixed-time mode (15–30 min) did not improve the detection limits. The performance of the present method was found to be comparable to that of the spectrophotometric detection technique.     

Determination of Triazine Herbicides and Metabolites by Solid Phase Extraction with HPLC Analysis

An efficient solid phase extractive preconcentration/separation method was developed for the trace determination of herbicides in aqueous samples using Amberlite XAD-4 resin as the adsorbent. The retained herbicides were eluted with methanol at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1 and determined by HPLC-DAD (wavelength of 220 nm) using water (pH:4.7, phosphoric acid) and methanol (ratio 35:65) as the mobile phase with a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. Quantitative recoveries of simazine, atrazine and its metabolities were achieved at optimized analysis conditions that included 0.75 g of resin; a pH of 3.0; an eluent volume of 3.0 mL; an eluent flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1; and a sample flow rate of 4.0 mL min^?1. The limits of detection, preconcentration factor, and linear ranges for the herbicides were 0.084–0.121 µgL^?1, 1000, and 0.5–20 mg L^?1, respectively. The performance of the method was evaluated by analysis of spiked water samples. The recoveries of simazine, atrazine and their metabolities were found to be quantitative (99.6–104.8%) with RSDs of 2.2–4.8% and 2.8–4.7% for intra-day and inter-day precision, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for trace determination of studied analytes in waste water, apple juice, and red wine samples.     

Highly selective adsorption of cadmium ions by water‐dispersible magnetic thioglycolic acid/graphene oxide composites

A new selective and fast procedure based on magnetic dispersive solid‐phase extraction and zeta potential analysis is proposed for the determination of Cd (II) in some food samples. In the developed method, novel magnetic nanoparticles modified with thioglycolic acid were synthesized/characterized and also applied for quantitative determination of trace amounts of Cd (II) in food samples. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized via infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy and adsorption–desorption experiments. These magnetic nanocomposites carrying Cd (II) could be easily separated from real samples simply by applying an external magnetic field; no filtration or centrifugation was necessary. Several parameters affecting the analytical performance, such as sample pH, amounts of nanocomposite sample, desorption solution volumes and coexisting ions, were investigated in detail. The detection limit of the method was 0.1 μg l^?1 while the relative standard deviation was 1.2% for a Cd (II) concentration of 0.5 mg l^?1. The proposed method was successfully applied to food sample analysis and standard reference material samples with satisfactory results, and excellent recoveries were obtained in the range 95–99% even when the matrix, such as sea water, was complex.     

Flow characteristics in a segmented closed-tube design for ion-mobility spectrometry

Closed-tube design with unidirectional flow of drift gas in ion-mobility spectrometry (i.m.s) was found to provide residence times for analyte from 10 s to 10 min based on drift gas flow rate. The volume of drift gas necessary to restore reactant ions completely to the original intensity, after addition of excess (>900 mg l^?1) of analyte to the ion source, was three times the inner volume of the tube, regardless of flow rate. Contamination of the i.m.s. tube from analyte in the external atmosphere occurred readily in the open-tube design and in the closed-tube design with or without a slight vacuum attached to the tube. Rates of migration of analyte from outside to inside the tube were similar in all designs and the present closed-tube design was largely non-resistant to external contamination. Product-ion intensities for aromatic and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were independent of drift flow rate from 100 to 800 ml min^?1 in the closed-tube design with no formation of artifacts. Plots of ion intensity vs. concentration of o-xylene were linear int wo ranges, 0.05–0.08 μg l^?1 and 0.1–2 μg l^?1, with slopes of 1.2 × 10^?9 A l μg^?1 in the first range and 1.0 × 10^?11 A l μg^?1 in the second range. No changes in mobility of aromatic product-ion peaks were seen with increases in concentration when the analyte was added to the drift gas rather than near the reaction region in unidirectional flow.     

Application of a wave-guide capillary cell in the determination of copper by flow injection analysis

A wave-guide capillary cell is applied as a spectrophotometric detector in the flow-injection determination of copper(II). The copper solution is injected and sandwiched between zones of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) solution in the carrier flow line. The Cu-DDTC complex formed is then extracted into carbon disulfide by means of an extraction coil followed by a teflon-membrane phase separator. Because carbon disulfide has a refractive index which is sufficiently higher than that of the fused silica from which the capillary cell is made, the light from the source propagates inside the capillary via total reflection at the inner cell wall as in an optical fiber. The detection limit for copper in the proposed system is 20 ng ml^?1 with linear response up to 1 μg ml^?1.     

Direct automatic determination of polyphenols in olive oils in the aqueous phase of a flow-injection liquid-liquid extraction system without phase separation

A method for the determination of polyphenols in olive in which the analytes are extracted into the aqueous phase by a liquid-liquid extraction system based on the use of a flow-injection configuration with iterative change of the flow direction is proposed. None of the typical units for this continuous separation technique are required by the proposed configuration. The analytes can be determined in the range over which polyphenols normally occur in these samples (100–900 μg ml^?1) with better precision (2.8–4.0% vs. 6%) and sampling frequency (28 h^?1 vs. 0.5 h^?1) and sample (< 1 g vs. 30 g) and reagent consumption than by the conventional method.     

A sensitive continuous-flow bioluminescent system for determining ethanol in serum and saliva

A continuous-flow system, based on NAD(P)H:FMN oxidoreductase and bacterial luciferase co-immobilized on a nylon coil placed in front of a photomultiplier, and alcohol dehydrogenase separately immobilized on a second nylon coil, is described for the assay of ethanol in serum and saliva. The flow is air-segmented and 5–50-μl samples are required. The sample throughput is 25–30 h^?1 with no carryover. The detection limit is 1 μmol l^?1 ethanol (50 pmol injected) and the response is linear between 50 and 2500 pmol of ethanol. The relative standard deviation is 3–10% for both within-day and between-day assays, and serum and saliva can be analyzed directly. The immobilized enzymes are satisfactorily stable and up to 900 samples can be analyzed with one enzyme reactor.     

Direct determination of Cu,Mn, Pb,and Zn in beer by thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work, thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (TS-FF-AAS) was employed for Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn determination in beer without any sample digestion. The system was optimized and calibration was based on the analyte addition technique. A sample volume of 300 μl was introduced into the hot Ni tube at a flow-rate of 0.4 ml min⁻¹ using 0.14 mol l⁻¹ nitric acid solution or air as carrier. Different Brazilian beers were directly analyzed after ultrasonic degasification. Results were compared with those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The detection limits obtained for Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in aqueous solution were 2.2, 18, 1.6, and 0.9 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The relative standard deviations varied from 2.7% to 7.3% (n=8) for solutions containing the analytes in the 25–50 μg l⁻¹ range. The concentration ranges obtained for analytes in beer samples were: Cu: 38.0–155 μg l⁻¹; Mn: 110–348 μg l⁻¹, Pb: 13.0–32.9 μg l⁻¹, and Zn: 52.7–226 μg l⁻¹. Results obtained by TS-FF-AAS and GFAAS were in agreement at a 95% confidence level. The proposed method is fast and simple, since sample digestion is not required and sensitivity can be improved without using expensive devices. The TS-FF-AAS presented suitable sensitivity for determination of Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in the quality control of a brewery.     

Flow Injection Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide Using a Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with a Manganese Dioxide Film

Abstract

A manganese dioxide film modified carbon paste electrode was developed for use as an amperometric sensor for the determination of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in ammoniacal aqueous solutions. The electrode showed a stable response towards H₂O₂ after electrochemical activation. Effects of flow rate, operating potential, concentration, injection volume and interferences were investigated. A linear response towards H₂O₂ from 5 μg.l^?1 to 450 mg.l^?1 and a detection limit (3 signal-to-noise ratio) of 4.7 μg.l^?1 was found. The method was employed for the determination of H₂O₂ in rain water samples.     

Development of an automated sequential injection on-line solvent extraction-back extraction procedure as demonstrated for the determination of cadmium with detection by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

An automated sequential injection (SI) on-line solvent extraction-back extraction separation/preconcentration procedure is described. Demonstrated for the assay of cadmium by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), the analyte is initially complexed with ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) in citrate buffer and the chelate is extracted into isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK), which is separated from the aqueous phase by means of a newly designed dual-conical gravitational phase separator. A metered amount of the organic eluate is aspirated and stored in the PTFE holding coil (HC) of the SI-system. Afterwards, it is dispensed and mixed with an aqueous back extractant of dilute nitric acid containing Hg(II) ions as stripping agent, thereby facilitating a rapid metal-exchange reaction with the APDC ligand and transfer of the Cd into the aqueous phase. The aqueous phase is separated in a second dual-conical gravitational phase separator, and 30 μl of it is entrapped and metered in a sample loop (SL) and subsequently introduced via air segmentation into the graphite tube for analyte quantification. The ETAAS determination is performed in parallel with the separation/preconcentration process of the ensuing sample. An enrichment factor of 21.4, a detection limit of 2.7 ng l⁻¹, along with a sampling frequency of 13 h⁻¹ were obtained at a sample flow rate of 6.0 ml min⁻¹. The precision (R.S.D.) at the 0.4 μg l⁻¹ level was 1.8% as compared to 3.2% when quantifying the organic extractant directly. The applicability of the procedure is demonstrated for the determination of trace levels of cadmium in three certified reference materials.     

Automated determination of total arsenic in sea water by flow constant-current stripping analysis with gold fibre electrodes

Total arsenic in sea water is determined in a fully automated flow system, by means of potentiostatic deposition for 4 min at a 25-μm gold fibre electrode and subsequent constant-current stripping in 5 M hydrochloric acid. Previously the sample is acidified with hydrochloric and arsenic(V) is reduced to arsenic(III) with iodide. During stripping, the potential vs. time transient is recorded with a real-time measurement rate of 26.5 kHz and a potential resolution of 1 mV. Cleaning and regeneration of the gold electrode are fully automated. The total arsenic concentrations in two reference sea waters (NASS-1 and CASS-1) were evaluated by single-point standard addition and found to be 1.58 and 1.14 μg l^?1 with standard deviations of 0.39 and 0.28 μg l^?1, respectively; certified values are 1.65 ± 0.19 and 1.04 ± 0.07 μg l^?1. The arsenic(III) content in these samples was below the detection limit (0.15 μg l^?1).     

Flow-injection technique for the determination of low levels of phosphorus in natural waters

An inexpensive flow-injection instrument for determining low concentrations of dissolved reactive phosphorus in natural waters is reported. The unique feature is the use of an inexpensive detector consisting of a flow cell and a simple photometer that incorporates a super-bright light-emitting diode as the source and a photodiode as the detector. The tin(II) chloride-molybdate method was optimized using a modified simplex optimization method. Silicate interference up to 5 mg Si l^?1 was removed by addition of 0.10% (w/v) tartaric acid. Using the tartaric acid-modified optimized reagents, a detection limit of 0.6 μg P l^?1 was achieved. The method was linear over the range 0–100 μg P l^?1 with an excellent precision (r.s.d. 2.9% at 2.0 and 0.5% at 50 μg P l^?1). An in-line pre-concentration anion-exchange column was used to obtain an even lower detection limit of 0.1 μg P l^?1 and applied to the analysis of real samples.