Preparation of a Heavy Metal-Removed Seawater

A purification procedure is described for preparing a heavy metal-removed blank seawater without altering its major compositions and pH. Coastal seawater is treated sequentially by passing through a charcoal column, shaking with a dense slurry of ferric hydroxide at pH 8, and passing the surpernatant through a Chelex-100 chelating ion-exchange column. Experimental data show that this process efficiently removes Cd, Co, Cu, Cr(III), Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn from natural seawater at the spiking concentrations of 10 and 100 ppb levels.     

Fe analysis by the ferrozine method: Adaptation to FIA towards in situ analysis in hydrothermal environment

The target of this study is the adaptation of the ferrozine method to flow injection analysis (FIA) to perform iron analysis in situ using an in situ chemical analyser in hydrothermal environments. The adaptation of the method to FIA was followed by its optimisation using an experimental design screening method. The goals of the optimisation steps were to decrease the detection limit and to increase the measuring range to cope with the constraints of in situ analysis. The method allows the determination of iron in the mixing zone of hydrothermal fluid, enriched in iron, and seawater. A single manifold gives the possibility to analyse either Fe(II) or ΣFe [Fe(II) + Fe(III)] in situ, or ΣFe in the lab on hydrothermal seawater samples. The measuring range of the method was increased to up to 2000 μM, which is coherent with the study of the chemical environment of communities associated with deep-sea hydrothermal activity. Finally, the method was applied in situ using the chemical analyser Alchimist during the ATOS cruise on hydrothermal vent fields on the Mid Atlantic Ridge.     

Determination of Cd in biological samples by flame AAS following on-line preconcentration by complexation with O,O-diethyldithiophosphate and solid phase extraction with Amberlite XAD-4

A method for the on-line preconcentration of Cd based on its complex formation with the ammonium salt of O,O-diethylditiophosphate (DDTP) and using the Amberlite XAD-4 resin as a solid support in a column is proposed. Cadmium was detected by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Different conditions, such as complexing agent concentration, preconcentration time, solutions flow rates and nature and concentration of the eluent were optimized. Different detection limits (LODs) could be established by using different preconcentration times, between 30 s and 5 min, with corresponding LODs from 5 to 1 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The method was validated by analyzing five biological certified samples. The relative standard deviation was usually around 3%, indicating a very good precision. The found concentrations values are in agreement with the certified ones, according to the t-test, for a confidence level of 95%. Enriched seawaters were also analyzed, and the recoveries were between 93 and 108%. The FI method is very simple and probably can be coupled to other measuring analytical techniques.     

Multielement determination of trace metals in seawater by ICP-MS with aid of down-sized chelating resin-packed minicolumn for preconcentration

The multielement determination of trace metals in seawater was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with aid of a down-sized chelating resin-packed minicolumn for preconcentration. The down-sized chelating resin-packed minicolumn was constructed with two syringe filters (DISMIC 13HP and Millex-LH) and an iminodiacetate chelating resin (Chelex 100, 200-400 mesh), with which trace metals in 50 mL of original seawater sample were concentrated into 0.50 mL of 2 M nitric acid, and then 100-fold preconcentration of trace metals was achieved. Then, 0.50 mL analysis solution was subjected to the multielement determination by ICP-MS equipped with a MicroMist nebulizer for micro-sampling introduction. The preconcentration and elution parameters such as the sample-loading flow rate, the amount of 1 M ammonium acetate for elimination of matrix elements, and the amount of 2 M nitric acid for eluting trace metals were optimized to obtain good recoveries and analytical detection limits for trace metals. The analytical results for V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Pb, and U in three kinds of seawater certified reference materials (CRMs; CASS-3, NASS-4, and NASS-5) agreed well with their certified values. The observed values of rare earth elements (REEs) in the above seawater CRMs were also consistent with the reference values. Therefore, the compiled reference values for the concentrations of REEs in CASS-3, NASS-4, and NASS-5 were proposed based on the observed values and reference data for REEs in these CRMs.     

Determination of iodide in seawater using C30 column modified with polyoxyethylene oleyl ether in ion chromatography

An ion chromatographic method for rapid and direct determination of iodide in seawater samples is reported. Separation was achieved using a laboratory-made C30 packed column (100 mm × 0.32 mm i.d.) modified with polyoxyethylene oleyl ether, with an aqueous solution of 300 mM sodium chloride as eluent and using UV detection at 220 nm. Samples containing iodate, nitrate, iodide and thiocyanate were eluted within 8 min, and the relative standard deviations of the retention time, peak area and peak height were all smaller than 4.19% for all of the analyte anions. Effects of eluent composition on retention behavior of inorganic anions have been investigated. Both cation and anion of the eluent affected the retention time of analytes. When inorganic eluents, such as ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, lithium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate were used, the retention time of analytes increased with increasing eluent concentration. The limit of detection of iodide was 19 μg l⁻¹ (S/N = 3), while the limit of quantitation was 66 μg l⁻¹ (S/N = 10). The present method was successfully applied to the rapid and direct determination of iodide in seawater samples.     

On-line preconcentration with a novel alkyl phosphinic acid extraction resin coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for determination of trace rare earth elements in seawater

A newly synthesized alkyl phosphinic acid resin (APAR) was used for on-line preconcentration of trace rare earth elements (REES, lanthanides including yttrium) and then determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. REEs in seawater could be on-line concentrated on the APAR packed column (4.6 mm i.d. × 50 mm in length), and eluted from the column with 0.5 mL 0.1 mol L⁻¹ nitric acid within 30 s. An enrichment factor of nearly 400 was achieved for all REEs when the seawater sample volume was 200 mL, while the matrix and coexisting spectrally interfering ions such as barium, tin and antimony could be simultaneously separated. The detection limits of this proposed method for REEs were in the range from 1.43 pg L⁻¹ of holmium to 12.7 pg L⁻¹ of lanthanum. The recoveries of REEs were higher than 97.9%, and the precision of the relative standard deviation (R.S.D., n = 6) was less than 5%. The method has been applied to the determination of soluble REEs in seawater.     

Flow system with in-line separation/preconcentration coupled to graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with W-Rh permanent modifier for copper determination in seawater

A flow system was coupled to a graphite furnace with a platform coated with tungsten-rhodium permanent chemical modifier for in-line separation and preconcentration of copper by employing a minicolumn loaded with 1-(2-tiazolylazo)-2-naphthol (TAN) immobilized on C₁₈-bonded silica fixed in the tip of the autosampler arm. Elution was made by sampling 35 μl of 0.50 mol l⁻¹ HCl with further delivering into a coated platform. Remarkable improvements in both selectivity and sensitivity were observed. Copper(II) was effectively separated from solutions containing up to 20 g l⁻¹ Na⁺; 10 g l⁻¹ K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺; 1.0 g l⁻¹ Fe³⁺ and Zn²⁺. For a sample flowing at 3.0 ml min⁻¹ and a loading of 60 s, the detection limit was estimated as 5 ng l⁻¹ Cu(II) at the 99.7% confidence level, and an enrichment factor of 33 was calculated. Coefficient of variation was estimated as 4% for a 0.30 μg l⁻¹ copper solution (n=20). The W-Rh permanent chemical modifier was used to improve system stability, analytical performance and atomizer lifetime. More than 1500 firings were carried out with the same atomizer without significant variations in sensitivity and precision. On account of the reagent immobilization, its consumption was lower than 0.2 μg per determination. In addition, TAN purification was unnecessary.     

Determination of copper, cadmium and lead in seawater and mineral water by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after coprecipitation with aluminum hydroxide

An aluminum hydroxide coprecipitation method for the determination of cadmium, copper and lead by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in aqueous solutions, seawater and mineral water samples has been investigated. The coprecipitation conditions, such as the effect of the pH, the amount of carrier element, the effect of possible matrix ions and the time were examined in detail for the studied elements. It was found that cadmium, copper and lead are co-precipitated quantitatively (≥95%) with aluminum hydroxide at pH 7 with low R.S.D. values of around 2 to 3%. Detection limits (38) were 6 ng ml⁻¹ for Cd, 3 ng ml⁻¹ for Cu and 16 ng ml⁻¹ for Pb. The method proposed was validated by the analysis of HPS 312205 seawater standard reference material and spiked mineral water samples.     

Speciation of iodate and iodide in seawater by non-suppressed ion chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A non-suppressed ion chromatography (IC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been developed for simultaneous determination of trace iodate and iodide in seawater. An anion-exchange column (G3154A/101, provided by Agilent) was used for the separation of iodate and iodide with an eluent containing 20 mM NH₄NO₃ at pH 5.6, which reduced the build-up of salts on the sampler and skimmer cones. The influences of competing ion (NO₃⁻) in the eluent on the retention time and detection sensitivity were investigated to give reasonable resolution and detection limits. Linear plots were obtained in a concentration range of 5.0–500 μg/L and the detection limit was 1.5 μg/L for iodate and 2.0 μg/L for iodide. The proposed method was used to determinate iodate and iodide in seawaters without sample pre-treatment with exception of dilution.     

Visible Light-Driven Conversion of Carbon-Sequestrated Seawater into Stoichiometric CO and HClO with Nitrogen-Doped BiOCl Atomic Layers

Seawater is one of the most important CO₂ sequestration media for delivering value-added chemicals/fuels and active chlorine; however, this scenario is plagued by sluggish reaction rates and poor product selectivity. Herein, we first report the synthesis of nitrogen-doped BiOCl atomic layers to directly split carbon-sequestrated natural seawater (Yellow Sea, China) into stoichiometric CO (92.8 μmol h⁻¹) and HClO (83.2 μmol h⁻¹) under visible light with selectivities greater than 90 %. Photoelectrons enriched on the exposed BiOCl{001} facet kinetically facilitate CO₂-to-CO reduction via surface-doped nitrogen bearing Lewis basicity. Photoholes, mainly located on the lateral facets of van der Waals gaps, promote the selective oxidation of Cl⁻ into HClO. Sequestrated CO₂ also maintains the pH of seawater at around 4.2 to prevent the alkaline earth cations from precipitating. The produced HClO can effectively kill typical bacteria in the ballast water of ocean-going cargo ships, offering a green and safe way for onsite sterilization.