The ICP-MS approach to environmental studies

The certification of marine materials for trace metals is a process which challenges every technique involved, especially if a technique is as recent as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Developmental work was required for several materials (natural waters, biological materials, marine sediments). It is reviewed here, in an attempt to show how one can take full advantage of ICP-MS. This includes a review of the digestion procedures developed for the multielement analysis of biological materials and marine sediments in order to minimize spectroscopic interferences. The multielement analysis of natural waters is also reviewed, in particular that of saline waters which requires a separation of the analytes from the alkali and alkaline earths elements and a preconcentration of the analytes on a column of silicaimmobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline. The potential of performing this separation/preconcentration procedure on-line is showed using both published and original results. Finally, the application of ICP-MS to speciation is illustrated by the determination of methylmercury in biological materials after extraction, and by the determination of arsenic species by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to ICP-MS.Presented in part at the 1989 European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Reutte, AustriaThe work described was carried out while the author was a Research Associate at the Analytical Chemistry Section, Chemistry Division, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, K1A OR9, Canada     

Validation of the thermodynamic model of inorganic arsenic in non polluted river waters of the Basque country (Spain)

The thermodynamic model of inorganic arsenic was validated by comparing the predicted As(III) concentration with the experimentally determined one in several river waters samples of the Basque Country (Spain) collected in two sampling campaigns: spring and autumn 2000. This model takes into account the acid-base equilibria of As(III) and As(V) together with the redox equilibria between the H₃AsO₃ and H₃AsO₄ species. A correct prediction of As(III) concentration requires the knowledge of the total concentration of arsenic, pH, redox potential (referred to hydrogen electrode), and ionic strength values of the solution. The estimation of the activity coefficients of the arsenic species was performed by means of the Modified Bromley’s Methodology (MBM).In order to perform the experimental As(III) determination, an analytical method was implemented by using an ion exchange separation of As(III)/As(V) on a continuous FIA-IE-HG-AAS system. The total arsenic concentration was determined together with total concentration of the main alkaline or alkaline-earth metals and anions in the natural waters. Temperature compensated measurements of the pH and redox potentials were made in-situ at the sampling sites.For both seasonal campaigns, the agreement between predicted and experimental As(III) is really high for those samples belonging to non polluted river waters.     

Arsenic Speciation Analysis in Solutions Treated with Zeolites

Experiments have been carried out to study the behaviour of organoarsenicals treated with zeolites by means of speciation analysis. IC-ICP-MS was applied to identify and quantify arsenite, arsenate and the following organoarsenicals: monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), tetramethylarsonium bromide (TMA⁺), arsenobetaine (AsB) and arsenocholine (AsC). Zeolites loaded with ferrous ions did not significantly increase the retention of inorganic arsenic species compared to the native zeolites, while there was a ten-fold removal of arsenate relating to arsenite. The formation of As(V) and DMA in the leachates containing clinoptilolites and mordenites was confirmed in the presence of natural and synthetic zeolites. Arsenobetaine and arsenocholine yielded higher levels of arsenate than the methylated species.     

Vapor pressure,speciation, and chemical activities in highly concentrated sodium borate solutions at 277 and 317°C

The system H₂O-B₂O₃-Na₂O has been studied experimentally at 277 and 317°C. The activities of water and boric acid have been determined at mole ratios Na/B from 0 to 1.5, and total dissolved solids 3 to 80 weight percent. The activity of boric acid has been fitted to within experimental error using a speciation model with eight complex species. This model is consistent with the model previously published by Mesmer et al. The electrolyte properties of the liquid are modeled using the Pitzer-Simonson model of very concentrated electrolyte solutions. The calculated values of water activity agree with experiment, and the activity of NaOH and pOH have also been calculated. The potassium borate system also was briefly studied at 317°C, and is adequately described by a model with five complex species. The potassium borate liquid is more alkaline at K/B= 1 than a sodium borate liquid at the same mole ratio, but pOH in the two systems is the same at lower mole ratios.     

Evaluation of a purge-and-trap injection system for capillary gas chromatography-microwave induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometry for the determination of volatile selenium compounds in water

A method is presented for the selective determination of the volatile selenium species dimethylselenide and dimethyldiselenide, using a commercially available purge-and-trap injection system coupled to capillary gas chromatography-microwave induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The efficiency of the purging step was evaluated and the parameters affecting the purge and trap processes were optimized. The method was applied to the determination of volatile selenium compounds in lake water. Relative detection limits of 2ng/l for dimethylselenide and dimethyldiselenide, corresponding to an absolute detection limit of 10 pg, were achieved.     

微乳液增敏光度法测定中草药中微量硒

研究了在非离子微乳液介质中,硫氰酸盐罗丹明B 明胶体系分光光度法测定微量硒的方法。实验表明,当微乳液组成为V(OP乳化剂) +V(正戊醇) +V(正庚烷) +V(水) =1 5 0 +0 1 1+0 41 +97 98时,体系的表观摩尔吸收系数达1 3 0 1×1 0 6 L·mol- 1·cm- 1,灵敏度比在OP溶液中有显著提高,使该法成为少有的超高灵敏度测定硒的光度法之一。Se (Ⅳ)含量在0～0 0 5 μg·mL- 1范围内符合比耳定律,对0 0 2 μg·mL- 1Se(Ⅳ)平行测定1 1次,测得相对标准偏差为0 945 %。应用于中草药中微量硒的测定结果令人满意     

豆腐生产过程中微量元素硒分布特性研究

为确定以不同硒含量的大豆为原料生产豆腐过程中硒分布特性,用石墨炉原子吸收分光光度法对该过程中各种产物的硒含量进行了分析研究。结果表明,以硒含量分别为0.692、2.561、2.801 mg/kg的大豆为原料生产得到的豆腐、黄浆水、豆渣的硒含量分别为:0.089、0.250、0.138 mg/kg,0.462、0.760、0.507 mg/kg和0.532、0.764、0.524 mg/kg。豆腐生产过程中,以低硒大豆为原料生产豆腐,硒总回收率为75.59%;采用富硒大豆为原料生产,硒的回收率分别达到87.37%、87.20%;生产过程中豆腐、黄浆水和豆渣中硒含量占总回收硒的比率分别为39.01%～49.97%、23.92%～29.89%、26.11%～30.92%。     

硒素营养对麦芽质量指标的影响

大麦在制麦过程中的溶解对麦芽质量、啤酒的酿造以及成品啤酒的质量有重要的影响。本文利用生物转化技术，以微量元素硒作为制麦添加剂，以提高麦芽质量。本实验中，浸麦采用第一次浸6h以下采用浸二断四的工艺，浸水时每小时换水一次，一直通风，当浸麦度达40％～42％时，用硒溶液处理1h。发芽前两天每天补水两次，后期促进其凋萎。焙燥过程中前期低温大风量排湿，中期合理稳步升温，后期严格控制焙焦温度，使整个过程稳定。测定制得的成品麦芽的糖化力、α-AN、无水浸出率、色度等质量指标。发现硒对麦芽的质量有一定的影响。     

典型钙/镁基吸附剂对二氧化硒吸附特性研究

针对钙/镁基矿物吸附剂的主要组分CaO、CaCO₃、MgO在500-800 ℃下对Se的吸附特性进行研究，并选取天然矿物方解石、白云石研究其对Se的吸附效果，且对矿物煅烧所得CaO进行吸附实验。结果表明，三种组分中CaO的吸附效果最佳，800 ℃时单位质量CaO对Se的吸附量可达368 mg/g。CaCO₃对Se的吸附在700 ℃时效果最佳且其吸附产物的热稳定性较好。镁基吸附剂仅在中温段对Se具有一定吸附效果。方解石对Se的吸附效果随温度变化趋势与CaCO₃相似，因其较好的孔隙结构，吸附效果略优于CaCO₃。煅烧方解石得到的F-sor对Se的吸附效果优于CaO和CaCO₃煅烧得到的C-sor，这与其良好的比表面积、孔隙结构与抗烧结能力有关，且F-sor吸附产物的热稳定性相对较好。F-sor对Se的吸附量最高可达403 mg/g。