Determination of nickel by chemical vapor generation in situ trapping flame AAS

The analytical performances of coupled chemical vapor generation, integrated atom trap (CVG-IAT) atomizer flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) system were evaluated for determination of nickel in environmental samples. Nickel chemical vapors are atomized in an air-acetylene flame-heated IAT. A new design of CVG-IAT-FAAS hyphenated technique that would exceed the operational capabilities of existing arrangements (a water-cooled single silica tube, double-slotted quartz tube) permitting construction of an “integrated trap” was investigated. An improvement in limit of detection was achieved compared with that obtained using any of the above atom trapping techniques separately. The concentration limit of detection was 1 ng mL⁻¹ for Ni. The overall efficiencies of the vapor generation process was estimated to be ca. 50%. For a 2 min in situ pre-concentration time, sensitivity enhancement, compared to FAAS, was 200 folds for Ni, using vapor generation atom trapping technique. The sensitivity can be further improved by increasing the collection time. The precision of the measurements for 25 ng mL⁻¹ of Ni was 9% RSD. The accuracy of this method was tested by analyses of NIST SRM 2704 (Buffalo River Sediment), NIST SRM 1648 (Urban Particulate Matter), NIST SRM 2710 (Montana Soil), NBS SRM 1633a (Coal Fly Ash) and NIST SRM 1643e (Trace Element in Water) certified reference materials. The measured Ni content in five reference materials was in satisfactory agreement with the certified values (in the range of 14.3–98 μg g⁻¹). The hyphenated technique was applied for nickel determination in coal fly ash, soil, sediment, sewage and river water.      

On the certification of cadmium at trace and ultratrace levels in standard reference materials using ID ICP-MS

Analytical methods used for the isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (ID-ICP-MS) measurement of Cd at μg kg⁻¹ and sub-μg kg⁻¹ levels are described and applied to the certification of new dietary supplement, blood, and serum Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). The materials are: SRM 3240 Ephedra sinica Stapf Aerial Parts, SRM 3241 Ephedra sinica Stapf Native Extract, SRM 3243 Ephedra-Containing Solid Oral Dosage Form, SRM 3244 Ephedra-Containing Protein Powder, SRM 966 Toxic Metals in Bovine Blood, Level 1 (L1) and Level 2 (L2), and SRM 1598a Animal Serum. The concentration of Cd in the materials ranges from 120 μg kg⁻¹ down to 0.03 μg kg⁻¹. At these levels, the factors that most influence the accuracy of the ICP-MS data are the procedure blank and spectral and nonspectral interferences. Nonspectral interference, caused by the high concentration of dissolved solids in the matrices investigated, resulted in signal suppression. Matrix separation was used to enhance signal intensity and to reduce spectral interference for the accurate determination of Cd in SRM 1598a and SRM 3244. Chromatographic separation procedures using Chelex for SRM 1598a and anion exchange for SRM 3244 were optimized to achieve the desired separation characteristics without substantially increasing the procedure blank. Sensitivity for the determination of Cd in serum was additionally enhanced through the use of desolvation nebulization. We determined that separations were not required for the accurate ICP-MS determination of Cd in SRM 3240, SRM 3241, SRM 3243, and SRM 966 L2 under optimized analysis conditions. These samples were diluted to a minimum volume and introduced to the ICP-MS via low flow (40–100 μL/min) microconcentric nebulizers. SRM 966 L1 was also analyzed directly, but results were highly variable. The ID-ICP-MS sample preparation and ratio measurement protocols described here resulted in total expanded uncertainties of less than 1% for the determination of 90.85 μg kg⁻¹ Cd in SRM 3240, and less than 10% total expanded uncertainty for the determination of 0.0468 μg kg⁻¹ Cd in SRM 1598a.     

Characterization of trace elements in medicinal herbs by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Medicinal herbs are often used as alternative medicines for healing and controlling some diseases in the world. This study focuses on the content of heavy and trace elements of some widely consumed herbs in Libya. Nine most popular herbs were analyzed by k ₀-instrumental neutron activation analysis. All the samples, SRM and flux monitors were irradiated for 7 and 10 hours under thermal neutron flux of 1.3·10¹³ cm⁻²·s⁻¹ at Tajoura nuclear reactor. In total, 33 elements were analyzed in different herbs. The variations in the concentration of the elements are attributed to soil composition and the climate in which the plant grows. The study showed that the toxic elements found in the samples were below the levels prescribed by health regulations. The precision and the accuracy of the results were evaluated by analyzing the reference materials Pine Needles SRM 1575 and Citrus Leaves SRM1572.     

Extraction-spectrophotometric study on the vanadium(V)-2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene — iodonitrotetrazolium chloride — water — chloroform system and its analytical application

The formation of a new ternary ion-associate complex of vanadium(V) with 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene and iodonitrotetrazolium chloride with a composition ratio of 1:2:1 is reported. The complex is quantitatively extracted from water into chloroform. The molar absorptivity (ɛ) of the extract at λ _max=340 nm is 2.5 × 10⁴ dm³/mol cm, and Beer’s law is obeyed for concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 μg/cm³ V(V). The following constants are determined: the extraction constant, the association constant, the distribution constant, and the recovery factor. The effects of foreign ions and reagents are studied. A selective and sensitive method is developed for determination of vanadium in steels.     

Determination of trace vanadium in soil by cloud point extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy

This work describes a new analytical procedure for trace vanadium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy coupled to cloud point extraction (CPE) as the separation-preconcentration method. The CPE behavior of vanadium using methylene blue as complex agent and Triton X-100 as a surfactant was investigated systematically. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit was 0.7 ng · mL⁻¹, and the relative standard deviation was 4.3% for vanadium (c = 50.0 ng · mL⁻¹, n = 5). The recovery of vanadium was in the range of 98.9–102.8%. The method was applied to the analysis of vanadium in certified reference materials and real samples. The results obtained were in good agreement with the certified values. Correspondence: Xiashi Zhu, Key Laboratory of Environmental Material and Environmental Engineering of Jiangsu province/College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, P.R. China     

A new approach to determine soil microbial biomass by calorimetry

A method to determine soil microbial biomass (SMB) by isothermal calorimetry is reported. Soil samples ranging in pH from 6.2 to 9.4 and different textures were used to develop the method. Soil at 60% of its field capacity humidity was amended with a previously determined amount of glucose as to give the maximal response of CO₂ evolution. Then, an aliquot was weighed in the calorimeter ampoule and specific thermal power (p)–time (t) curves were obtained at 25 °C. After 1–2 h, a vial containing a 0.5 M NaOH solution was introduced to determine the specific thermal power due to CO₂ evolution, pCO₂ during 1–2 h. Then, the vial was removed and the experiment continued for 1–2 h. Specific thermal power due to CO₂ evolution was converted to rate (CO₂-C/mm³ g⁻¹ h⁻¹) by using the heat of reaction of CO₂ with NaOH and the molar volume. This value was further converted into SMB/μg g⁻¹ by using a conversion factor of 32.4. A guide to perform the calculations is given. Values of log SMB were linearly related with values of log p giving a similar relation to a previously reported where SMB was determined by conventional methods.     

Speciation of vanadium in soil

A method for speciation of vanadium in soil is presented in this work. The sequential extraction analysis procedure of Tessier et al. for heavy metals was used for the vanadium separation. The method consists of sequential leaching of the soil samples to separate five fractions of metals: (1) exchangeable, (2) bound to carbonates, (3) bound to Fe-Mn oxides, (4) bound to organic matter and (5) residual. The leaching solutions of Tessier were used for the vanadium extraction, only for the residual fraction the HClO₄ was replaced with H₂SO₄. The optimum conditions for leaching of vanadium from soil (weight of sample, concentration and volume of extractants, time of extraction) were chosen for each fraction. A sensitive, spectrophotometric method based on the ternary complex V(IV) with Chrome Azurol S and benzyldodecyldimethylammonium bromide (ε=7.1×10⁴ l mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹) was applied for the vanadium determination after separation of V(V) by solvent extraction using mesityl oxide and reduction of V(V) using ascorbic acid. This method was applied for vanadium speciation in soil from two different regions of Poland: Upper Silesia (industrial region) and Podlasie (agricultural region). The content of vanadium in the fractions of Upper Silesia soil was respectively (in 10⁻³%): I, 3.39; III, 4.53; IV, 10.70; V, 8.70 and it was the highest in the organic fraction, indicating input by anthropogenic activities. The content of vanadium in Podlasie soil was clearly lower and it was (in 10⁻³%): I, 2.07; III, 0.92; IV, 0.69; V, 1.23. The concentration of vanadium in fraction 2 of both soils was less than detection limit of applied method. The total content of vanadium in the five soil fractions was in good correlation with the total content of this element in both soils found after HF-H₂SO₄ digestion. Analysis using the ICP-AES method gave comparable results.     

Removal and recovery of vanadium(V) by adsorption onto ZnCl2 activated carbon: Kinetics and isotherms

Adsorption of vanadium(V) from aqueous solution onto ZnCl₂ activated carbon developed from coconut coir pith was investigated to assess the possible use of this adsorbent. The influence of various parameters such as agitation time, vanadium concentration, adsorbent dose, pH and temperature has been studied. First, second order, Elovich and Bangham’s models were used to study the adsorption kinetics. The adsorption system follows second order and Bangham’s kinetic models. Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Temkin isotherms have been employed to analyze the adsorption equilibrium data. Equilibrium adsorption data followed all the four isotherms—Langmuir, Freundlich, D-R and Temkin. The Langmuir adsorption capacity (Q ₀) was found to be 24.9 mg g^{− 1} of the adsorbent. The per cent adsorption was maximum in the pH range 4.0–9.0. The pH effect and desorption studies showed that ion exchange mechanism might be involved in the adsorption process. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG ⁰, ΔH ⁰ and ΔS ⁰ for the adsorption were evaluated. Effect of competitive anions in the aqueous solution such as PO₄ ^{3 −}, SO₄ ²⁻, ClO₄ ⁻, MoO₄ ²⁻, SeO₃ ²⁻, NO₃ ⁻ and Cl⁻ was examined. SEM and FTIR were used to study the surface of vanadium(V) loaded ZnCl₂ activated carbon. Removal of vanadium(V) from synthetic ground water was also tested. Results show that ZnCl₂ activated coir pith carbon is effective for the removal of vanadium(V) from water.     

Determination of tetracycline residues in soil by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

An optimized extraction and cleanup method for the analysis of chlortetracycline (CTC), doxycycline (DC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and tetracycline (TC) in soil is presented. Soil extraction in a pressurized liquid extraction system, followed by extract clean up using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and tetracycline determination by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) provided appropriate efficiency and reproducibility. Different dispersing agents and solvents for soil extraction and several SPE cartridges for cleanup were compared. The best extraction results were obtained using ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid-treated sand as dispersing agent, and water at 70 °C. The most effective cleanup was obtained using Strata-X^TM sorbent in combination with a strong anion exchange cartridge. Recoveries ranged from 71% to 96% and precision, as indicated by the relative standard deviations, was within the range of 8–15%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) by using LC-MS/MS, based on signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 10, ranged from 1 μg kg⁻¹ for TC to 5 μg kg⁻¹ for CTC. These results pointed out that this technique is appropriate to determine tetracyclines in soils. Analysis of 100 samples taken in the Valencian Community revealed that, in soil, up to 5 μg kg⁻¹ CTC, 15 μg kg⁻¹ OTC, 18 μg kg⁻¹ TC, and 12 μg kg⁻¹ DC could be detected. Detection of the analytes in several samples, which typify great part of the Spanish agricultural soils, should be outlined as most important result of this study. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of antimony and cobalt from inorganic environmental samples using a cup-horn sonoreactor prior to their determination by electrothermal-atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple, fast and reliable method is described for the quantitative extraction of Sb and Co from inorganic environmental matrices containing variable amounts of silicates prior to their determination by electrothermal-atomic absorption spectrometry. The method is based on the ultrasound-assisted extraction of both elements using the mixture 20% v/v HF + 20% v/v HNO₃ as extractant. The extraction procedure was carried out in closed Eppendorf vials immersed in a cup-horn sonoreactor for 20?min. Once extraction has been accomplished, the supernatant liquid is separated from the solid phase and subsequently transferred into the autosampler of the instrument. A two-level full factorial design (2⁴) was applied for screening optimisation of the variables influencing the ultrasonic extraction. These variables were: sonication time; amplitude of the ultrasound energy; nitric and hydrofluoric acid concentrations. MLDs were 0.20 and 0.06?µg?·?g^?1 for Sb and Co, respectively. Between-batch precision values, expressed as relative standard deviations (n?=?3), were less than 5.5 and 9.6% for Sb and Co, respectively. The method was evaluated using a wide variety of inorganic certified reference materials, such as SRM 2702 (Marine Sediment), SRM 2782 (Industrial Sludge), BCR 176R (Fly Ash), SRM 1633b (Coal Fly Ash) SRM 2710 (Montana Soil) and SRM 2711 (Montana Soil).     

Electrocatalytic oxidation and sensitive determination of l-cysteine at a poly(aminoquinone)-carbon nanotubes hybrid film modified glassy carbon electrode

A matrix removal procedure has been developed for the determination of trace elements, including As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, Zn and V, in siliceous materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Soil and sediment samples were dissolved in a mixture of HNO₃ and HF in sealed vessels by using a microwave oven. Silicon matrix in the solutions was precipitated as sparingly soluble sodium fluorosilicate (Na₂SiF₆) by adding 0.5 mL of 300 mg mL⁻¹ NaCl solution. Simultaneous precipitation of sodium and silicon was achieved in highly acidic solutions containing 30–40% (v/v) HNO₃. A mixture of methanol and nitric acid afforded back-extraction of the trace elements without significant dissolution of the Na₂SiF₆. Samples were analyzed by ICP-MS for trace elements and residual silicon. Calibration was made by aqueous multi-element standard solutions. Up to 95% of the silicon was successfully removed yielding solutions suitable for introduction to ICP-MS. The method was validated by analysis of two NIST certified reference materials; SRM 2711 (Montana Soil) and SRM 2704 (Buffalo River Sediment). Accurate results were obtained for all elements, including those for As, Hg and Se that suffer from losses due to the presence of their volatile species when silicon was converted to volatile SiF₄ via heat-assisted evaporation to dryness. The recoveries from the SRM samples varied between 80% (Cr) and 109% (Hg). No significant interferences were observed from molecular ions of chloride and residual sodium on ⁷⁵As, ⁶³Cu, ⁶⁰Ni, ⁷⁷Se and ⁵¹V. Correspondence: Zikri Arslan, Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA     

Determination of dibenzopyrenes in standard reference materials (SRM) 1649a, 1650, and 2975 using ultrasonically assisted extraction and LC–GC–MS

A method has been developed for analysis of the highly potent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) carcinogens dibenzo(a,l)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)pyrene, and dibenzo(a,i)pyrene (molecular weight 302) present in small amounts in diesel and air particulate material. The method can also be used for analysis of the PAH benzo(a)pyrene, coronene, and perylene, for which reference and certified values are available for the standard reference materials used for validation of the method—SRM 1649a (urban dust) and SRM 2975 (diesel particulate matter). The only NIST values that have been published for these dibenzopyrene isomers in the analyzed SRM are reference values for dibenzo(a,i)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)pyrene in SRM 1649a. The concentrations determined in the SRM were in good agreement with reported NIST-certified and reference values and other concentrations reported in the literature. Standard reference material 1650 (diesel particulate matter) was also analyzed. The method could not, however, be validated using this material because certification of SRM 1650 had expired. The method is based on ultrasonically assisted extraction of the particulate material, then silica SPE pre-separation and isolation, and, separation and detection by hyphenated LC–GC–MS. The method is relatively rapid and requires only approximately 1–5 mg SRM particulate material to identify and quantify the analytes. Low extraction recoveries for the analytes, in particular the dibenzopyrenes, when extracting diesel SRM 2975 and 1650 resulted, however, in the dibenzopyrenes being present in amounts near their limits of quantifications in these samples. The method’s limit of quantification (LOQ), based on analyses of SRM 1649a, is in the range 10–77 pg. By use of this method more than 25 potential PAH isomers with a molecular weight of 302 could be separated.     

The determination of vanadium in sea and surface waters

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of vanadium in sea and surface water is presented. The method is based on preconcentration of vanadium on active charcoal at a pH 3.6±0.2, followed by instrumental neutron activation analysis of the charcoal adsorbers and measurement of⁵²V (T=3.71 m). The limit of the determination, which is set by the blank value of the charcoal, is 0.01 μg V·1⁻¹. Data are given for Dutch sea and surface water.     

Development of a highly precise ID-ICP-SFMS method for analysis of low concentrations of lead in rice flour reference materials

Microwave digestion and isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-SFMS) has been applied to the determination of Pb in rice flour. In order to achieve highly precise determination of low concentrations of Pb, the digestion blank for Pb was reduced to 0.21 ng g⁻¹ after optimization of the digestion conditions, in which 20 mL analysis solution was obtained after digestion of 0.5 g rice flour. The observed value of Pb in a non-fat milk powder certified reference material (CRM), NIST SRM 1549, was 16.8 ± 0.8 ng g⁻¹ (mean ± expanded uncertainty, k = 2; n = 5), which agreed with the certified value of 19 ± 3 ng g⁻¹ and indicated the effectiveness of the method. Analytical results for Pb in three brown rice flour CRMs, NIST SRM 1568a, NIES CRM 10-a, and NIES CRM 10-b, were 7.32 ± 0.24 ng g⁻¹ (n = 5), 1010 ± 10 ng g⁻¹ (n = 5), and 1250 ± 20 ng g⁻¹ (n = 5), respectively. The concentration of Pb in a candidate white rice flour reference material (RM) sample prepared by the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) was observed to be 4.36 ± 0.28 ng g⁻¹ (n = 10 bottles). Figure Digestion blank of Pb was carefully reduced to approximately 0.2 ng g^-1 which permitted the highly precise determination of Pb at low ng g^-1 level in foodstuff samples by ID-SFMS     

Sensitive spectrophotometric determination of vanadium with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethyl-aminophenol (5-Br-PADAP)

A new sensitive and highly selective method is described for the spectrophotometric determination of microgram amounts of vanadium(V). First, vanadium is isolated by extraction withN-benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPHA) in chloroform from about 4M hydrochloric acid medium. Then, chloroform is evaporated and the residue mineralized with mixture of cone. perchloric and nitric acid. Finally, a colour reaction of vanadium(V) separated with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (5-Br-PADAP) in an acetate buffer (pH 4.5) gives a molar absorptivity of 5.48×10⁴l·mol^–1·cm^–1 at 585 nm. The proposed method was applied for the determination of traces of vanadium in aluminium samples. The results obtained show a good precision and accuracy of the method.     

Speciation of the Ternary Complexes of Vanadium(III)–Dipicolinic Acid with the Amino Acids Glycine,Proline, <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-Alanine and <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-Alanine Studied in 3.0 mol⋅dm<Superscript>−3</Superscript> KCl at 25 °C

In this paper we present speciation results for the ternary vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid (H₂dipic) systems with the amino acids glycine (Hgly), proline (Hpro), α-alanine (Hα-ala), and β-alanine (Hβ-ala), obtained by means of electromotive forces measurements emf(H) using 3.0 mol⋅dm⁻³ KCl as the ionic medium and a temperature of 25 °C. The experimental data were analyzed by means of the computational least-squares program LETAGROP, taking into account hydrolysis of the vanadium(III) cation, the respective stability constants of the binary complexes, and the acid base reactions of the ligands, which were kept fixed during the analysis. In the vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid–glycine system, formation of the ternary [V(Hdipic)(Hgly)]²⁺, [V(dipic)(Hgly)]⁺, [V(dipic)(gly)], [V(dipic)(gly)(OH)]⁻ and [V(dipic)(gly)(OH)₂]²⁻ was observed; in the case of the vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid–proline system the ternary complexes [V(Hdipic) (Hpro)]²⁺, [V(dipic)(Hpro)]⁺, [V(dipic)(pro)] and [V(dipic)(pro)(OH)]⁻ were observed; in the vanadium(III)–picolinic acid–α-alanine were observed [V(Hdipic)(Hα-ala)]²⁺, [V(dipic) (Hα-ala)]⁺, [V(dipic)(αala)], [V(dipic)(α-ala)(OH)]⁻ and [V(dipic)(α-ala)(OH)₂]²⁻; and in the vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid–β-ala system the complexes [V(dipic) (Hβ-ala)]⁺, [V(dipic)(β-ala)], [V(dipic)(β-ala)(OH)]⁻ and [V(dipic)(β-ala)(OH)₂]²⁻ were observed. Their respective stability constants were determined, and we evaluated values of Δlog ₁₀ K″ in order to understand the relative stability of the ternary complexes compared to the corresponding binary ones. The species distribution diagrams are briefly discussed as a function of pH.     

Catalytic Determination of Vanadium Based on the Bromate Oxidative-C oupling Reaction of Metol with Phloroglucinol

 A selective, sensitive and simple catalytic method is developed for the determination of vanadium in natural and highly polluted waste waters. The method is based on the catalytic effect of V^V and/or V^IV on the bromate oxidative-coupling reaction of metol with phloroglucinol (PG). The reaction is followed spectrophotometrically by tracing the oxidation product at 464 nm after 10 minutes of mixing the reagents. The optimum reaction conditions are metol (8.0×10⁻³ M), PG (4.0×10⁻³ M) and bromate (2×10⁻² M) at 35°C and in presence of an activator-b uffer mixture of 5×10⁻² M of each of citric and monochloroacetic acids (pH 2.40). Following the recommended procedure, vanadium can be determined with a linear calibration graph up to 8.0 ng mL⁻¹ and a detection limit, based on the 3s_b criterion, of 0.1 ng mL⁻¹. Spectrophotometric determination of as little as 1.0 ng mL⁻¹ of V^V or V^IV in aqueous solutions gave an average recovery of 98% with relative standard deviations of ?1.8% (n = 5). The proposed method was directly applied to the determination of vanadium in Nile river water and highly polluted industrial wastes. Statistical treatments of analytical results could not detect any systematic error and showed the high accuracy and precision of the developed method. Received November 25, 1999. Revision March 10, 2000.     

Installation of Kayzero-INAA standardization in the TNRC and its applications for trace elements determination in different materials

The paper focuses on the validation of the k ₀-method of instrumental neutron activation analysis (k ₀-INAA) in the Tajura Nuclear Research Center (TNRC) via the analysis of several certified reference materials. The selected reference materials were: SRM 1572 Citrus Leaves, SRM 1575 Pine Needles, IAEA-A11 Milk Powder, IAEA-V-10 Hay Powder, RM IAEA-Soil-7 and RM IAEA-SL-1 Lake Sediment. The method is based on the PC version Kayzero/Solcoi software package issued by DSM. All the samples, reference materials and monitors were irradiated in various positions of the Tajura reactor with different f and α. The parameters f and α (f — thermal/epithermal neutron flux ratio, α — parameter accounting for the non-ideality of the 1/E epithermal neutron fluence rate distribution) were determined using the bare triple monitor method. The results obtained for all the reference materials are in good agreement with the certified values.     

Determination of radium isotopes in soil samples by alpha-spectrometry

A sensitive and accurate method for determination of radium isotopes in soil samples by α-spectrometry has been developed ²²⁵Ra, which is in equilibrium with its mother ²²⁹Th, was used as a yield tracer. Radium in soil samples was fused together with Na₂CO₃ and Na₂O₂ at 600 °C, leached with HNO₃, HCl and HF, preconcentrated by coprecipitation with BaSO₄, separated from uranium, thorium and iron using a Microthene-TOPO chromatographic column, isolated from barium in a cation-exchange resin column using 0.05M 1,2-cyclohexylene-dinitrilo-tetraacetic acid monohydrate as an eluant, electrodeposited on a stainless steel disc, and counted by α-spectrometry. The detection limit of the method is 0.43 Bq·kg⁻¹ for ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁴Ra if 0.50 g of soil sample are analyzed. The method was checked with two certified reference materials supplied by the IAEA, and reliable results were obtained Fourteen soil samples collected from the refractory industry in Italy were also analyzed. The mean radiochemical yields for radium were 85.7±4.3%, and the obtained radium concentrations in the soil samples were in the range of 8.08–3878 Bq·kg⁻¹ for ²²⁶Ra, of 1.60–678 Bq·kg⁻¹ for ²²⁸Ra and 1.25–550 Bq·kg⁻¹ for ²²⁴Ra, with ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra and ²²⁴Ra/²²⁶Ra ratios ranged from 0.159–0.821 and from 0.142 to 0.525, respectively.     

Development of an accurate,sensitive, and robust isotope dilution laser ablation ICP-MS method for simultaneous multi-element analysis (chlorine,sulfur, and heavy metals) in coal samples

A method for the direct multi-element determination of Cl, S, Hg, Pb, Cd, U, Br, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn in powdered coal samples has been developed by applying inductively coupled plasma isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS) with laser-assisted introduction into the plasma. A sector-field ICP-MS with a mass resolution of 4,000 and a high-ablation rate laser ablation system provided significantly better sensitivity, detection limits, and accuracy compared to a conventional laser ablation system coupled with a quadrupole ICP-MS. The sensitivity ranges from about 590 cps for ³⁵Cl⁺ to more than 6 × 10⁵ cps for ²³⁸U⁺ for 1 μg of trace element per gram of coal sample. Detection limits vary from 450 ng g⁻¹ for chlorine and 18 ng g⁻¹ for sulfur to 9.5 pg g⁻¹ for mercury and 0.3 pg g⁻¹ for uranium. Analyses of minor and trace elements in four certified reference materials (BCR-180 Gas Coal, BCR-331 Steam Coal, SRM 1632c Trace Elements in Coal, SRM 1635 Trace Elements in Coal) yielded good agreement of usually not more than 5% deviation from the certified values and precisions of less than 10% relative standard deviation for most elements. Higher relative standard deviations were found for particular elements such as Hg and Cd caused by inhomogeneities due to associations of these elements within micro-inclusions in coal which was demonstrated for Hg in SRM 1635, SRM 1632c, and another standard reference material (SRM 2682b, Sulfur and Mercury in Coal). The developed LA-ICP-IDMS method with its simple sample pretreatment opens the possibility for accurate, fast, and highly sensitive determinations of environmentally critical contaminants in coal as well as of trace impurities in similar sample materials like graphite powder and activated charcoal on a routine basis. Figure LA-ICP-IDMS allows direct multi-element determination in powdered coal samples