Trace determination of α-keto acid in natural waters

Numerous chromatographic methods have been developed to detect α-keto acids in physiological or sea-water samples. These methods generally involve derivatization in a strongly acidic medium with elevated temperatures, desalting, preconcentration, and liquid-liquid extraction procedures prior to chromatographic analysis. These procedures may introduce significant errors because of adsorption losses, contamination, or decomposition of the α-keto acids. To avoid these potential problems, a chemically mild method to detect α-keto acids in sea water was developed. The method is based on the reaction of α-keto acids with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine in sea water to form stable hydrazone derivatives. Desalting of the reaction mixture and preconcentration of the hydrazone derivatives is accomplished by a column-switching technique. The derivatives are separated by reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography and detected by absorption spectrometry. Quantification of α-keto acids in the nM to μM concentration range shows complete recovery in sea water, excellent precision at 10–20 pmol (<5% relative standard deviation), and absorbances that are linearly related to α-keto acid concentrations. The detection limit of this method is 1–5 pmol for a 2-ml injection. Applications of this method to the detection of α-keto acids in marine sediment and sea-water samples are illustrated, and the first shipboard results are presented.     

Stereoselective analysis of acid herbicides in natural waters by capillary electrophoresis.

A capillary electrophoretic method for the stereoselective analysis of aryloxypropionic and aryloxyphenoxypropionic acidic herbicides in ground water and river water was performed. Vancomycin and gamma-cyclodextrin were added to the background electrolyte (BGE) as chiral selectors. Water sample preconcentration was accomplished by solid-phase extraction on styrene-divinylbenzene packed cartridges (2 L of ground water and 1 L of river water). The analytical method allowed for the resolution of mecoprop, fenoprop, fluazifop and haloxyfop racemic mixtures in natural water samples spiked with enantiomer concentration levels in the range 0.1-0.13 ppb for ground water and 0.4-0.54 ppb for river water.     

Fluorometric determination of nitrite in natural waters with 3-aminonaphthalene-1,5-disulphonic acid by flow-injection analysis

Nitrite in river and sea-water was determined fluorometrically by flow-injection analysis. In acidic medium, nitrite was reacted with 3-aminonaphthalene-1,5-disulphonic acid (C-acid) to form the diazonium salt, which was converted into the fluorescent azoic acid salt in an alkaline medium. The carrier stream, into which the sample solution was injected, was distilled water. The reagent solution stream, which contained C-acid, EDTA and hydrochloric acid, was mixed with the carrier stream in a 13-m length of Teflon tubing (bore 0.5 mm) maintained at 90 degrees in a thermostatic bath. After passing through the mixing coil, the stream was mixed with an alkaline solution. The fluorescence intensity (excited at 365 nm) was measured at 470 nm. The detection limit (S N = 3) was 1 x 10(-9)M (14 ng 1 . nitrite-nitrogen) and the RSD of 10 injections of 10(-6)M nitrite was 0.4%. Analyses can be done at a rate of up to 45 hr .     

Trace element analysis of waters by X-ray emission spectroscopy

X-ray emission spectroscopy is a rapid, simple and accurate method for multielement trace analysis of water. This is accomplished by trace elements precipitation with a nonspecific chelating agent APDC (ammonium-1-pyrollidine dithiocarbamate) and filtration through a Millipore filter. In that way the uniform targets suitable for X-ray analysis were made and elements in concentrations as low as few ppb could be determined. APDC chelation over broad pH ranges for different elements in seawater is discussed. The best pH range for simultaneous determination of these elements is found. Results of analysis of seawater samples taken near the island Krk in the Adriatic sea are presented.     

Fractionation of aluminum in natural waters by fluorometry based on the competitive complexation

A novel strategy for the speciation of aluminum has been developed by fluorometry using selective analytical reagents under different pH conditions, which is based on the measurement of the complexation ability of Al for analytical reagents and native organic matters. With Eriochrome Blue Black R, labile monomeric Al and total monomeric Al fractions are determined at pH 4.5 and pH 8.0, respectively. With morin only the labile monomeric Al is determined at pH 4.0, while with 8-hydroxyquinoline the total monomeric Al is determined at pH 5.5. So, acid soluble Al fraction is obtained indirectly. This method is successfully applied to the fractionation of Al in natural waters. The results well agree with those obtained by Driscoll’s 8-hydroxyquinoline/cation-exchange protocol. This fluorometric method possesses some advantages such as high sensitivity, easy manipulation, no separation step and less time-consuming.     

Determination of nitrate in natural waters by flow-injection analysis

Summary Nitrate was determined in natural water samples by flow-injection spectrophotometry. It was reduced to nitrite with copperized cadmium and the nitrite thus produced reacted with p-aminoacetophenone and m-phenylenediamine. The limit of detection was about 1.5 g l^–1 for sample injections of 650 l. The sampling rate was about 40 samples h^–1 and the relative standard deviation was above 1% for 0.1–0.3 mg l^–1 nitratenitrogen. Nitrite present in the sample was determined separately and subtracted.

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Nitratbestimmung in natürlichen Wässern mit Hilfe der Fließinjektions-Analyse

Zusammenfassung Nitrat wird bei dieser Methode mit Hilfe einer Cu/Cd-Reduktionssäule zu Nitrit reduziert, das mit p-Aminoacetophenon und m-Phenylendiamin zur Reaktion gebracht wird. Die gebildete Verbindung wird spektral-photometrisch gemessen. Die Nachweisgrenze beträgt etwa 1,5 g/l bei injizierten Probevolumina von 650 l. Der Probendurchsatz beträgt 40/h. Die relative Standardabweichung liegt über 1% bei 0,1–0,3 mg/l Nitrat-Stickstoff. Vorhandenes Nitrit wird gesondert bestimmt und abgezogen.

     

Neutralization of acid waters containing aluminum ions by means of limestone

Acid waters containing aluminum ions have been contacted with limestone in a stirred tank reactor, in order to neutralize the solution and promote aluminum separation as hydroxide.The limestone dissolution rate has been measured over a wide range of experimental conditions. The influence of solid surface area, stirring rate, temperature, liquid composition and flowrate of the inert stripping gas have been studied.The results suggest that the limestone dissolution rate is limited by diffusion at the solid—liquid interface, and that the precipitation of aluminum hydroxide and the CO₂ desorption are also rate-determining steps. The presence of H₂CO₃ in the liquid, owing to the slowness of CO₂ desorption, plays a beneficial role in the overall rate of limestone dissolution.A model has been developed, based on the diffusion of ionic and molecular species towards and from the solid surface, which is able to predict the experimental data within the explored range of the variables.The conclusion is drawn that limestone might be a promising alternative to other neutralizing agents for acid waters.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of aluminum in drinking waters by sequential injection analysis

A selective procedure for the determination of Al³⁺ in drinking and natural waters is proposed. The analytical procedure is based both on the complex formation between Al³⁺ and 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (HQS) and on a fluorimetric detection of the complex. The reaction was carried out in presence of thioglycolic acid as a masking agent. This procedure has been adapted to a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system. Operative conditions both for batch and SIA procedures were investigated including reagent concentration, volumes, pH and wavelengths used for the fluorimetric detection. Batch procedure allows determination of Al³⁺ at ppb level (LOQ: 2.8 μg l⁻¹) within a working range of 2.2-300 μg l⁻¹. The SIA procedure was successfully employed for the determination of Al³⁺ in several commercial drinking and tap waters.     

Investigations on adsorption potentiometry-part VIII. Determination of ultratrace copper in food by derivative adsorption chronopotentiometry

An electroanalytical method, based on derivative chronopotentiometry of the copper complex with 4-[(4-diethylamino-2-hydroxyphenyl) azo]-5-hydroxy-naphthalene-2,7-disulphonic acid (Beryllon III) accumulated on the surface of a hanging mercury drop electrode, for determining trace copper in food has been developed. The dependence of the peak height of reduction of the copper complex on the preconcentration time and preconcentration potential are discussed. Optimum experimental conditions include 0.01 M HOAc, 0.01M NaOAc, 1.0 x 10(-6) Beryllon III and a preconcentration potential of 0.10 V (vs. SCE). Under these conditions the detection limit and the linear range are 4 x 10(-11)M and 6 x 10(-11) -4 x 10(-7)M, respectively. The method was applied to samples of digested rice.     

Flow-through stripping chronopotentiometry for the monitoring of mercury in waste waters

A simple method for the determination of total mercury in waste waters is described. It makes use of a flow system incorporating a wall-jet cell equipped with a gold working electrode. The untreated sample is mixed on-line with the acidic carrier electrolyte which contains potassium permanganate and transforms the various species of mercury, especially elementary Hg, to Hg(II). The pre-treated solution enters the cell where mercury is deposited on the gold electrode. In the next step the deposit is stripped at constant current and the time corresponding to the dissolution of the deposit is obtained from the chronopotentiometric signal. The method enables it to determine and monitor Hg in the concentration range of 1 to 1000 μg/L in 5 min intervals. Received: 20 October 1997 / Revised: 23 December 1997 / Accepted: 30 December 1997     

The determination of bromide in natural waters by flow injection analysis

Bromide can occur in well waters as a result of sea water intrusion. The phenol red method is adapted to a flow-injection system and interferences are studied by using a two-channel valve. Standards are injected from one loop of the valve while the possible interferent is injected from the other loop; this provides a fast means of evaluating interferences. Ammonia, cyanide and humic substances interfere. Bromide can be determined down to 2 μM at a rate of 80 samples per hour     

Flow-through stripping chronopotentiometry for the monitoring of mercury in waste waters

A simple method for the determination of total mercury in waste waters is described. It makes use of a flow system incorporating a wall-jet cell equipped with a gold working electrode. The untreated sample is mixed on-line with the acidic carrier electrolyte which contains potassium permanganate and transforms the various species of mercury, especially elementary Hg, to Hg(II). The pre-treated solution enters the cell where mercury is deposited on the gold electrode. In the next step the deposit is stripped at constant current and the time corresponding to the dissolution of the deposit is obtained from the chronopotentiometric signal. The method enables it to determine and monitor Hg in the concentration range of 1 to 1000 μg/L in 5 min intervals. Received: 20 October 1997 / Revised: 23 December 1997 / Accepted: 30 December 1997     

Trace analysis of bromate in drinking waters by means of on-line coupling IC-ICP-MS

The on-line-coupling of ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a powerful tool for the determination of bromate in drinking waters. The use of a high-capacity and high-performance anion-exchanger combined with an NH₄NO₃-based elution system allows the determination of bromate in almost every water sample without any sample pretreatment. The method detection limits in the water samples investigated are 50 to 65 ng/L or 44 to 58 pg bromate, respectively. Considering sensivity as well as imprecision (5% at 500 ng/L bromate) and short analysis times (8 to 15 min per sample including sample uptake), the described IC-ICP-MS coupling is well suited for precise routine analyses of bromate in drinking waters at the sub μg/L level.     

Determination of molybdenum in natural waters after selective adsorption on sephadex gel

Molybdenum(VI) ions are adsorbed on Sephadex G-25 gel at pH 3.5. and are desorbed reversibly with a complexing agent, EDTA. The adsorbability is much greater than that for boron(III) and vanadium(V). Large amounts of sodium chloride have little effect on the adsorption. Molybdenum concentrations in natural waters, especially in seawater, can be determined with good precision and accuracy after selective preconcentration of molybdenum by a Sephadex G-25 gel column. The detection limit for 250-ml water samples is about 1 μg l^-1 by atomic absorption spectrometry or by spectrophotometry with bromopyrogallol red as reagent.     

Trace analysis of anionic surfactants in mineral waters and soft drinks by spectrophotometry

The applicability of the extractive spectrophotometric method using Ethyl Violet as the chromogenic reagent for identification and quantification of anionic surfactants in different types of mineralized drinking waters, as well as in some non-alcoholic beverages, was investigated. The matrix-analyte interactions of major water constituents and soft-drink ingredients in the combinations and concentration ranges met in practice were studied individually. The method was evaluated by performing recovery tests on commercial and natural samples, with sodium dodecyl sulphate added as a model surfactant. The recoveries at the 57.6 and 86.4 g/l levels ranged from 98% to 104%.     

On the concentration and determination of plutonium in natural waters by adsorption on MnO2 filters

A new method of analysis of the efficiency of four filters of MnO₂ in series which takes into account the reactions induced in plutonium by the sorbent is described. The system of differential equations describing the behaviour of plutonium in water as it passes through the filters is solved and the parameters of the filters are determined for a best fitting of the solutions corresponding to the experimental uncertainties. The method is checked by numerical simulation and then applied to water solutions with a known plutonium concentration and to some experimental results given by other authors. In all occassions the results are consistent with the possibility of determining the contents of plutonium in sea and continental waters with uncertainties of the order of 10%.     

Ion chromatography in the analysis of natural waters

Ion chromatography is a new method for the determination of cations and anions in solution, based on ion-exchange separation of the analysed ions on a separator column, suppression of the background eluent signal on a suppressor column and finally, conductometric detection. Ion chromatography is characterized by high sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility. This method now is widely applied to the determination of inorganic and organic ions in natural waters.     

Non-chromatographic speciation analysis of chromium in natural waters

The difference in toxicity between Cr(III) and Cr(VI) species is one of the main reasons for the recent developments in analytical procedures for their differentiate. Non-chromatographic methods offer highly convenient tools for this purpose and can be used as a fast and cheap alternative to the chromatographic processes. The present work overviews and discuss different non-chromatographic procedures for speciation of chromium in natural water samples such as coprecipitation, dialysis, solvent and solid phase extraction. This survey will attempt to cover the state of-the art from 2005 to 2010.