Determination of trace nitrite ion in water by spectrophotometric method after preconcentration on an organic solvent-soluble membrane filter

A simple and rapid preconcentration technique, based on collecting trace nitrite on a membrane filter and dissolving the membrane filter in an organic solvent, has been applied to its spectrophotometric determination in water. At pH 2.0, nitrous acid diazotizes with p-aminoacetophenone. which is then coupled with N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine, at the same pH. The azo dye formed is collected on a 0.45 urn nitrocellulose filter at pH 4.7 as its ion associate with dodecyl sulfate. The ion associate and filter are dissolved in a small volume of 2-methoxyethanol (methylcellosolve), and acidized with 0.05 ml of 2 M hydrochloric acid and the absorbance of the resulting solution is measured at 555 nm against a reagent blank. Detection limits better than O.1 mug/dm(-3) as NO(2)(-) can be achieved. The ions normally present in water do not interfere when sodium metaphosphate is added as a masking agent. The proposed method has been applied to the analysis of water samples from several sources, the recoveries of the nitrite added to the samples are quantitative, and results found are satisfactory.