Determination of synthetic chelating agents in surface and waste water by ion chromatography-mass spectrometry

Coupling of ion chromatography with electrospray mass spectrometry (IC-MS) is a simple, sensitive and quick method for the determination of polar organic traces in water samples without derivatization. Analysis of the chelating agents ethylenediamino tetraacetate (EDTA) and diethylenetriamino pentaacetate (DTPA) in aqueous samples was done by IC-MS on an anion exchange column after simple sample preparation steps. Quantification down to a concentration level of 1 microg L(-1) even in wastewater influents and effluents was achieved utilizing 13C marked internal standards and measuring the individual [M - H+]- and stable [M - 4H+ + Fe3+]- cluster ions. The method was validated against certified, but more time consuming routine methods. Applying this method a series of several European water samples were analyzed for EDTA and DTPA indicating their nature as polar persistent pollutants.     

Complexation of N-bis[2-(1,2-dicarboxyethoxy)ethyl]aspartic acid with Cd(II), Hg(II) and Pb(II) ions in aqueous solution

The persistence of widely used chelating agents EDTA and DTPA in nature has been of concern and there is a need for ligands to replace them. In a search for environmentally friendly metal chelating ligands for industrial applications, complex formation equilibria of N-bis[2-(1,2-dicarboxyethoxy)ethyl]aspartic acid (BCA6) with Cd(II), Hg(II) and Pb(II) in aqueous 0.1 M NaNO₃ solution were studied at 25°C by potentiometric titration. Complexation was modeled and the stability constants of the different complexes were determined for each metal ion using the computer program SUPERQUAD. With all metal ions, stable ML^4? complexes dominated the complex formation. The stabilities of Cd(II), Hg(II) and Pb(II) chelates of BCA6 are remarkably lower than those of EDTA and DTPA. Environmental advantages of the use of BCA6 instead of EDTA and DTPA are better biodegradability and lower nitrogen content with a possibility to save chemicals and process steps in pulp bleaching.     

Analyzing several chelating agents and their effect on elemental composition of Lolium perenne and two growth media by capillary zone electrophoresis and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) along with ICP-OES was used for the determination of several chelating agents in clay and black soil, and in plants (Lolium perenne) grown in these matrices. Elemental levels in all the samples (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Pb, S and Zn) were investigated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Compared to previous methods, much shorter total analysis times were accomplished by the validation of an internal standard method for CZE analysis. The solubility of elements increased noticeably in the soils treated by the chelating agents before cultivation, and this phenomenon was strictly metal complex stability constant dependent. The most persistent chelating agents were triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid (TTHA) and 1,3-diaminopropanetetraacetic acid (PDTA). Both agents were bound to the growth medium and taken up by ryegrass, while only small proportions of them were degraded during cultivation. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and nitrilotriamineacetic acid (NTA), mainly bound to the clay matrix during the 19 days cultivation, but after 40 days cultivation in black soil they were degraded to smaller acids. The results clearly show uptake of chelating agents by plants and are a clear indication of the degradation of chelating agents.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid in water samples by ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography--electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A new method is presented for the quantitative determination of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) from aqueous samples without an enrichment step. It consist of the formation of the Fe(III) complexes of EDTA and DTPA, liquid-chromatography with a volatile ion-pairing agent and determination by electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Limits of quantification (LOQ) of 1.0 and 0.6 microgL(-1) for EDTA and DTPA were obtained, allowing the direct injection of most aqueous environmental samples without any preceding enrichment. With a more recent mass spectrometer, the LOQ could be further decreased by almost one order of magnitude. Parallel analysis of real samples by a standardized method employing enrichment, derivatization and GC-MS analysis yielded comparable results. The method was applied to the determination of both complexing agents in several wastewater, surface water and drinking water samples, showing that EDTA is an omnipresent contaminant in partially closed water cycles.     

Ion chromatography–hydride generation‐atomic fluorescence spectrometry speciation of tellurium

The speciation of tellurium was carried out using atomic fluorescence spectrometry as an element‐specific detector in hybridization with liquid chromatography and hydride generation. Good resolution could be obtained by anion‐exchange chromatography with complexing agents, using a mobile phase with 8 mM EDTA and 2 mM potassium hydrogenphthalate. Analysis time was less than 6 min. Calibration graphs were linear between 2 and 100 µg l^?1. Detection limits were 0.6 µg l^?1 and 0.7 µg l^?1 for tellurium(VI) and tellurium(IV) respectively. The method was applied to the speciation of tellurium in drinking water and wastewater samples from different metallurgical industries. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) in water, particularly waste water

Summary Two chromatographic techniques can be considered for the detection of the complexing agents NTA, EDTA and DTPA in water: gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (HPLC). GC is capable of detecting all three compounds in concentrations of as little as 0.001 mg/l. However, this requires a complex and time-consuming sample preparation (enrichment, derivatization). HPLC represents a possible alternative for detecting EDTA and DTPA. Without enrichment it is possible to reach a detection limit of 0.1 mg/l, i.e., while this method is rather less sensitive, it provides results in a much shorter time. If the sample concentrations are high enough, this method is more suitable for conducting routine monitoring of emissions of EDTA and DTPA in waste water. Simple matrices such as surface water or drinking water can be enriched on a pre-column to reduce the detection limit.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius on the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Analysis of EDTA and DTPA

In this paper, analytical techniques for the determination of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) are reviewed. These compounds, especially EDTA, are used as metal chelating agents in several industries. As they are likely to be poorly degraded in waste water treatment plants, significant amounts of EDTA and DTPA are released into natural waters. The overview consists of comparing chromatographic, electrochemical, spectrophotometric, titrimetric and atomic absorption methods and their applicability to the determination of EDTA and DTPA in different matrices.     

EDTA and DTPA modified ligands as sequestering agents for uranyl decorporation

Synthesis of modified EDTA and DTPA ligands and determination of their binding affinities for the uranyl cation are described.Thanks to a screening method, based on a chromophoric complex displacement procedure, chelating properties were studied in aqueous media under various pH conditions for evaluation of their in vivo uranyl-removal efficacy. Each ligand showed a more or less pronounced affinity for uranium. Specific ligands based on EDTA or DTPA analogues containing sulfocatecholamide (CAMS) were found to exhibit a significant affinity towards uranyl ion in acidic, neutral or basic conditions.     

Copper-complexation index as a polarographic summation parameter for the determination of chelating agents in water

Polarography of the copper(II)-complexes of chelating agents is shown to be a suitable basis for a summation parameter for the total concentration of these chemicals in water (expressed as the copper-complexation index). Using 12 chelating agents (ATMP, BAED, CDTA, DTPA, DTPMP, EDTA, EDTMP, EDTP, EGTA, HEDP, NTA, PBTC) all listed in DIN 38409-H26 and DIN 38413-P5 a satisfactory reproducibility of the method used was obtained. In addition several commercial tensides, detergents in washing and deliming products were investigated.     

Simultaneous separation and determination of seven chelating agents using high‐performance liquid chromatography based on statistics design

We describe an optimization approach to determine simultaneously occurring chelating agents (glycine, malonic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, DL‐malic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in an electroplating effluent using high‐performance liquid chromatography. With chromatography signal area and overall resolution considered as responses, detection conditions were optimized via multiple functions combined with response surface methodology and Plackett–Burman design. Optimized detection conditions were as follows: 15 mmol/L ammonium phosphate buffer (pH 2.5), a 94:6 v/v ratio of ammonium phosphate buffer/acetonitrile, a column temperature of 23.3°C, and a mobile phase flow rate of 1 mL/min. The experimental values conformed to the predicted values and were repeatable (relative standard deviation < 6.4%) and linear (r² > 0.991) over concentration ranges of 1–100 µmol/L. Moreover, the quantification limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 10) and the detection limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 3) ranged from 0.03 to 0.15 µmol/L and from 0.01 to 0.04 µmol/L, respectively. These results indicate that high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with statistical design may be a simple and rapid method for simultaneously determining multiple chelating agents in electroplating wastewater effectively.     

Étude par spectroscopie d'absorption de la complexation des lanthanides trivalents par les acides amino-carboxyliques

An absorption spectrophotometric study of the complexation of trivalent lanthanides by aminocarboxylic acidsComplexation of the lanthanides by aminoacetic acids shows a shift in some absorption bands of the cation towards higher wavelengths. By choosing the medium —pH and concentrations —adequately, each complex species can be characterized by a certain shift. This study has been carried out at 20°C in M KCl and concerns the 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and mixed complexes of praseodymium, holmium and thulium with G, NTA, HEDTA, EDTA, DCTA and DTPA. The characteristic shifts are correlated with the number of coordinating sites of the chelating agents. It seems that a significant change occurs in the structure of the complex when the number of coordinating sites exceeds nine for the cerium rare earths or eight for the yttrium elements.     

螯合剂与牛血清白蛋白竞争镍作用的研究

用凝胶色谱法研究了13种螯合剂使牛血清白蛋白镍配合物BSANi(Ⅱ)中的镍活动化的能力,发现DTPA、NTA等氨羧类螯合剂有较好的竞争能力,而巯基类较差。用透析法研究了螯合剂与BSANi(Ⅱ)反应动力学机理,结果表明,在pH7.4和4℃时,L-组氨酸、EDTA为解离机理,而亚氨二乙酸,二乙三氨五乙酸为加合机理。测定了有关的动力学参数,依据竞争能力参数F讨论了可能作为治疗镍中毒的促排螯合剂。     

Reverse flow injection analysis of complexing agents and its application to estimation of complexing capacity

A redox reaction of copper(II) with iron(II) proceeds slowly in the presence of neocuproine, although the reaction would not take place in its absence. This reaction is accelerated by the presence of complexing agents such as EDTA, DTPA, CyDTA, EDTA-OH, NTA, citrate, pyrophosphate, producing a copper(I)-neocuproine complex (lambda(max) = 454 nm). A reverse flow injection analysis (r-FIA) method is presented for the determination of trace amounts of complexing agents by measuring the increase in absorbance at 454 nm. Complexing agents at the 10(-6)M level can be determined at a rate of 120 samples/hr. By using this r-FIA system, a new procedure for the measurement of complexing capacity with metal ions such as Al(III), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) has been developed. Complexing capacity for each metal ion can be measured at a rate of 120 samples/hr.     

Selective determination of selenium(IV) from environmental samples by UV-visible spectrophotometry using O-methoxyphenyl thiourea as a chelating ligand

A selective extraction–spectrophotometric method has been developed for determination of selenium(IV) using O-methoxyphenyl thiourea (OMePT) as a chelating agent. The basis of the proposed method is the spectrophotometric determination of selenium(IV)–OMePT complex obtained after extraction of selenium(IV) from 3.5 M hydrochloric acid media using OMePT in chloroform solvent. The complex shows maximum absorbance at 350 nm against the reagent blank. The Beer’s law was obeyed over the concentration range 5–60 µg mL^?1 of selenium(IV). The optimum concentration range was 20–50 µg mL^?1 as evaluated from Ringbom’s plot. The molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity of the selenium(IV)–OMePT complex in chloroform were 3.312 × 10² L mol^?1cm^?1 and 0.2384 µg cm^?2, respectively. The composition of selenium(IV)–OMePT complex was 1:2 established from slope ratio method, mole ratio method and Job’s continuous variation method. The complex was stable for more than 72 h. The interfering effect of various foreign ions was studied and suitable masking agents were used wherever necessary to enhance the selectivity of the developed method. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of selenium(IV) from real samples, viz. pharmaceutical formulations, shampoo, vegetable sample, synthetic mixtures and environmental samples. Repetition of the method was checked by finding the relative standard deviation (RSD) for 10 determinations which was 0.35%.     

Complexes of greatly enhanced thermodynamic stability and metal ion size-based selectivity, formed by the highly preorganized non-macrocyclic ligand 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid. A thermodynamic and crystallographic study

The metal ion-complexing properties of 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid (PDA) are reported. The protonation constants (pK1 = 4.75, pK2 = 2.53) and formation constants (log K(1)) for PDA with Mg(II) (3.53), Ca(II) (7.3), Sr(II) (5.61), Ba(II) (5.43), La(III) (13.5), Gd(III) (16.1), Zn(II) (11.0), Cd(II) (12.8), Pb(II) (11.4), and Cu(II) (12.8) were determined by UV-vis spectroscopy in 0.1 M NaClO4 at 25 degrees C. The log K(1) values for most of these metal ions were high enough that they were not displaced from their PDA complexes even at pH 2. The log K(1) values were determined using the UV spectra to monitor the competition with EDTA (or DTPA; EDTA = ethylendiamine tetraacetic acid, DTPA = diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) as a function of pH according to the equilibrium: M(EDTA) + PDA + nH+ = M(PDA) + EDTAHn. The log K1 values indicate that the rigid extended aromatic backbone of PDA leads to high levels of ligand preorganization and selectivity toward large metal ions (e.g., Ca(II), Cd(II), Gd(III)) with an ionic radius of about 1.0 A and greatly enhanced thermodynamic stability as compared to similar ligands without the reinforcing aromatic backbone. The structure of [Ca(PDA)(H2O)2].2H2O (1) is reported: orthorhombic, Fdd2, a = 44.007(9) A, b = 18.945(4) A, c = 7.2446(14) A, V = 6040(2) A(3), Z = 16, R = 0.0882. The Ca(II) ion has a coordination number of eight, lying in the plane of the tetradentate PDA, with Ca-N bonds averaging 2.55 A and Ca-O bonds to the two acetate groups of PDA averaging 2.45 A. These are very close to the normal Ca-L bonds of this type, supporting the idea that a metal ion the size of Ca(II) (ionic radius approximately 1.0 A) will fit into PDA in a low-strain manner. The remaining four coordination sites on Ca(II) in 1 come from two coordinated water molecules and a chelating carboxylate bridging from an adjacent [Ca(PDA)(H2O)2].2H2O complex. Potential applications of PDA as a ligand in biomedical applications such as Gd(III) contrast agents in MRI are discussed.     

Preparation and performance evaluation of a highly effective barium sulfate descaling system based on ammonium carboxy chelating agent DTPA

In drilling and production process, the barite powder serving as weighting agent is added to ensure operation safety when overflow occurs, that results in reservoir pollution and pore blockage. The main component of barite is BaSO₄, so ammonium carboxy chelating agents can be injected into formation to form stable chelates with Ba²⁺, BaSO₄ will be eliminated from wellbore with flowback fluid easily. In this experiment, the weight method and the atomic absorption spectrometry method were utilized to study descaling ability and an action mechanism of descaling agents. Firstly, DTPA was selected from three descaling agents: NTA, EDTA, DTPA; then OT1 was screened out to synergize with DTPA and studied its descaling mechanism; eventually, the descaling system STD was determined, and its composition was 6% DTPA + 5% OT1 + 1% antiswelling agent + 100 ppm corrosion inhibitor. And the STD’s performance evaluation experiment results suggested that it had an excellent resistance to temperature and demonstrated a good descaling ability at 170°C. Furthermore, the descaling ability of STD was almost not affected by calcium and magnesium ions and its corrsion rate is lower than standard value. Moreover, STD could descale efficiently at lower dosage. So STD can be widely applied to descale in oilfield.     

Simultaneous determination of DTPA,EDTA, and NTA by UV–visible spectrometry and HPLC

In this study, UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used for simultaneous analysis of chelating agents diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), as their metal chelates in dishwashing detergents, natural waters, and pulp mill water. The total amounts of the chelating agents in dishwashing detergents were verified by potentiometric titration with Fe(III) solution. Nickel(II) chelates were determined by UV–Vis and iron(III)chelates by HPLC and titration. Recoveries of DTPA, EDTA, and NTA from a standard mixture of analytes by UV–Vis were 107±7, 101±12 and 94±13%, respectively, and the recovery of the total amount of complexing agents was 99±4%. The limits of detection for DTPA, EDTA, and NTA were 667, 324, and 739 mol L^–1, respectively. In HPLC measurements the optimized mobile phase contained 0.03 mol L^–1 sodium acetate, 0.002 mol L^–1 tetrabutylammonium bromide, and 5% methanol at pH 3.15 and the detection was by UV–Vis detection at 254 nm. All three complexing agents could be separated from each other in a simultaneous analysis in less than 5 min. The limits of detection were 0.34, 0.27, and 0.62 mol L^–1 for DTPA, EDTA, and NTA, respectively. The total amounts of the analytes measured in the dishwashing detergents by the three techniques were found to be highly comparable (ANOVA: F=0.04, P=0.96). R² values were 0.99 for EDTA, 0.99 for NTA, and 0.99 for all the results when UV–Vis and HPLC determinations were compared using regression lines. The UV–Vis and HPLC methods were proved to be viable also for analyses of natural and pulp mill waters. The absence of matrix interferences was verified by the standard addition technique.     

Occurrence of betablockers in effluents of wastewater treatment plants from the Lyon area (France) and risk assessment for the downstream rivers

Five betablockers (oxprenolol, metoprolol, propranolol, bisoprolol, betaxolol) were analysed in effluents collected over a 3-month period from wastewater treatment plants (WTP) from the Lyon area in France. The analytical protocol consisted of solid phase extraction of the dissolved aqueous phase on HLB cartridges and analysis by gas chromatography coupled with mass detection (GC-MS) after derivatization. Concentrations of metoprolol, propranolol and bisoprolol varied from 45 to 2838 ng/L whereas oxprenolol and betaxolol were never detected in these effluent samples. A high variability of betablockers concentrations and fluxes was observed between WTP effluents and within each WTP over the time period studied. Considering a flux per person for a dry weather period, Fontaine plant was pointed out as the less efficient WTP, which might be explained by its type of treatment (biological aerated filters). But we need additional analysis of effluent and influent waters to confirm this hypothesis. A tentative approach of local environmental risk assessment of propranolol based on the calculation of PEC/PNEC (predicted environmental concentration/predicted non effect concentration) ratio approach lead us to conclude on a negligible risk for the downstream rivers (Rhône river at Ternay and Saône river at Couzon Mt d’Or).     

Determination of metal complexes of ethylenediaminetetraacetate in the presence of organic matter by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatography method is described here for the determination of the Cd(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) complexes of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) in municipal wastewaters and surface waters. The method involves separation by ion-exchange chromatography on a reversed-phase C18 column coated with ion-pair reagent, followed by post-column conversion to FeEDTA and subsequent detection by UV absorbance. Although Co(II) and Cu(II) coelute, they can be quantified by analyzing absorbance by CuEDTA2- prior to post-column conversion. The method detection limit of 6-8 x 10(-8) M (5-7 ng) is an order of magnitude improvement over previous UV absorbance post-column reaction methods. The technique can be used in the presence of organic matter encountered in matrices such as untreated wastewater without pre-concentration or sample cleanup.     

Determination of trace amounts of cadmium,copper and nickel in environmental water and food samples using GO/MgO nanocomposite as a new sorbent

A solid phase extraction method based on graphene oxide (GO) modified with magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles was developed for the preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of cadmium, copper and nickel ions. The adsorbed analytes were eluted by 4.0 mL of 0.1 M (EDTA) and injected to flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The factors influencing the complex formation and extraction of these heavy metals were optimized. Studies on potential interference by various anions and cations showed the method to be highly selective. The preconcentration factor was about 11 with relative standard deviation of <4.0 for 8 replication determination. The detection limits for the Cd, Cu, Ni were found to be 0.5, 3.4 and 25 µg L^?1, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the determination of cadmium, copper and nickel in tap water, well water, sea water, rice and macaroni samples with spike recoveries ranging 93–105 %.