Determination of manganese in water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after cloud point extraction

Cloud point extraction has been used for the preconcentration of manganese, after the formation of a complex with 1-(2-thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol (TAN), and later analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114) as surfactant. The chemical variables affecting the separation phase and the viscosity affecting the detection process were optimized. Under the optimum conditions (i.e., pH = 9.2, [TAN] = 2.0 x 10(-5) mol l-1, [Triton X-114] = 0.05%, added methanol volume = 0.2 ml), preconcentration of 50 ml of sample solution permitted the detection of 0.28 ppb for manganese. The enhancement factor was 57.6. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of manganese in water samples.     

Determination of zinc in water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction

In this study, a new and simple homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction (HLLE) method based on a pH-independent phase-separation process was developed using a ternary solvent system [water-tetrabutylammonium ion (TBA ⁺)-chloroform] for the preconcentration of Zn²⁺ ions. A Schiff’s base ligand was used as the chelating agent prior to Zn²⁺ ions extraction. Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry using acetylene-air flame was used for the quantification of analyte after preconcentration. The phase separation occurred due to ion-pair formation of TBA and perchlorate ion. The sedimented phase was then separated using a 100 μL micro-syringe and diluted to 1.0 mL with ethanol. The sample was introduced into the flame by conventional aspiration. After the optimization of complexation and extraction conditions such as pH 9.0, [ligand] = 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M, [TBA⁺] = 2.0 × 10⁻² M, 100.0 μL of [CHCl₃] and [CLO₄⁻] = 2.0 × 10⁻² M, a preconcentration factor of 100 was achieved for only 10 mL of the sample. The relative standard deviation was 2.3% (n = 10). The limit of detection was sufficiently low and at ppb level. The proposed method was applied to the extraction and determination of Zn²⁺ in natural water samples with satisfactory results.     

Determination of gold in ore by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with flow-injection on-line sorbent extraction preconcentration

Gold in ores was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry following on-line preconcentration by sorbent extraction in a flow-injection system. The medium polarity adsorption resin Amberlite XAD-8 packed in a 220-μl micro-column was used to collect gold(III) from hydrochloric acid sample solutions for 40 s at 7.6 ml/min. Ethanol was used to elute the adsorbed analytes into the nebulizer. Optimization studies were made on sample loading rate, elution rate and sample acidity. Some possible interferences on the determination are discussed. A 35-fold enrichment was achieved at a sampling frequency of 60 h^?1 and with an RSD of 1.4%. The detection limit (3σ) and 2 μg l^?1. Results for gold in ore samples showed good agreement with those obtained using activated carbon adsorption preconcentration. The recoveries were 97–108%.     

浊点萃取-火焰原子吸收光谱法测定水样中痕量铜的研究

提出了浊点萃取火焰原子吸收光谱法测定痕量铜的新方法。详细探讨了溶液pH，试剂浓度等实验条件对浊点萃取及测定灵敏度的影响，在最佳下，富集50mL样品溶液，用火焰原子吸收光谱法测定，铜的检测限为0.35μg/L，铜的富集倍率为71倍。方法用于自来水、河水及海水中痕量铜的测定。     

Determination of cadmium and zinc in water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after cloud-point extraction

The phase-separation phenomenon of nonionic surfactants occurring in an aqueous solution was used for the extraction of Cd and Zn from water samples. After complexation with 6-(4-nitrophenyl)-2,4-diphenyl-3,5-diaza-bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-ene (NDDBH) in hydrochloric acid medium (pH 1), the analytes were quantitatively extracted after centrifugation into the phase rich in the nonionic surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114). Tetrahydrofuran acidified with 0.1 M HCl was added to the surfactant-rich phase prior to its analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The adopted concentrations for NDDBH, Triton X-114 and hydrochloric acid were all optimized. Detection limits (3σ) of 0.33 and 0.85 ng/mL along with enrichment factors of 157 and 118 for Cd and Zn, respectively, were achieved. The proposed method was applied to the determination of Cd and Zn in acidic solutions of certified reference materials. A comparison with certified values was performed for an evaluation of the accuracy, resulting in a good agreement according to the t-test at a 95% confidence level. The high efficiency of the cloud-point extraction to carry out the determination of the studied analytes in complex matrices was, therefore, demonstrated. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Comparison of ultrasound-assisted extraction and microwave-assisted digestion for determination of magnesium, manganese and zinc in plant samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In this paper, a sample preparation method based on acid extraction of magnesium, manganese and zinc from plant tissue by means of high intensity probe ultrasonication is described. Acid extracts obtained upon sonication were directly nebulised into an air-acetylene flame for fast metal determination by atomic absorption spectrometry. Parameters influencing extraction such as sonication time, ultrasound amplitude, sample mass, particle size, extractant composition and volume were fully optimised. Optimum conditions for metal extraction were as follows: a 3-min sonication time, a 30% ultrasonic amplitude, a 0.1-g sample mass, a particle size less than 50 mum, a 0.3% m/v HCl concentration in the extractant solution and a 5-ml extractant volume. Six plant samples used in the human diet were analysed, the concentration range of the three metals approximately being in the range of 1500-3000 mug g(-1) for Mg, 30-735 mug g(-1) for Mn and 20-45 mug g(-1) for Zn. Limits of detection corresponding to the ultrasound-assisted extraction method were 0.10, 1.26 and 0.65 mug g(-1) for Mg, Mn and Zn, respectively. Between-batch precision, expressed as R.S.D., was about 0.5, 1.5 and 1% for Mg, Mn and Zn, respectively. Analytical results for the three metals by ultrasound-assisted extraction and microwave-assisted digestion showed a good agreement, thus indicating the possibility of using mild conditions for sample preparation instead of intensive treatments inherent with the digestion method. The advantages and drawbacks of ultrasound-assisted extraction in respect to the microwave-assisted digestion are discussed.     

Graphene-based solid-phase extraction combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry for a sensitive determination of trace amounts of lead in environmental water and vegetable samples

Graphene, a novel class of carbon nanostructures, has great promise for use as sorbent materials because of its ultrahigh specific surface area. A new method using a column packed with graphene as sorbent was developed for the preconcentration of trace amounts of lead (Pb) using dithizone as chelating reagent prior to its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Some effective parameters on the extraction and complex formation were selected and optimized. Under optimum conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the concentration range of 10.0–600.0 μg L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.61 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation for ten replicate measurements of 20.0 and 400.0 μg L⁻¹ of Pb were 3.56 and 3.25%, respectively. Comparative studies showed that graphene is superior to other adsorbents including C18 silica, graphitic carbon, and single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the extraction of Pb. The proposed method was successfully applied in the analysis of environmental water and vegetable samples. Good spiked recoveries over the range of 95.3–100.4% were obtained. This work not only proposes a useful method for sample preconcentration, but also reveals the great potential of graphene as an excellent sorbent material in analytical processes.     

Speciation and determination of chromium ions by dispersive micro solid phase extraction using magnetic graphene oxide followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A selective, simple and fast dispersive micro solid phase extraction method using magnetic graphene oxide (GO) as an efficient sorbent has been developed for the extraction, separation and speciation analysis of chromium ions. The method is based on different adsorption behaviour of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) species onto magnetic GO in aqueous solutions which allowed the selective separation and extraction of Cr(VI) in the pH range of 2.0–3.0. The retained Cr(VI) ions by the sorbent were eluted using 0.5 mL of 0.5 mol L^?1 nitric acid solution in methanol and determined by ?ame atomic absorption spectrometry. Total chromium content was determined after the oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) by potassium permanganate. All effective parameters on the performance of the extraction process were thoroughly investigated and optimised. Under the optimised conditions, the method exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.5–50.0 µg L^?1 with a detection limit of 0.1 µg L^?1 and pre-concentration factor of 200. The relative standard deviations of 3.8% and 4.6% (n = 8) were obtained at 25.0 µg L^?1 level of Cr(VI) for intra- and inter-day analysis, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the speciation and determination of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) in environmental water samples.     

Determination of Zn(II) in alcohol fuel by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after on-line preconcentration using a solid phase extraction system

The method for the determination of zinc in alcohol fuel by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using a solid phase extraction system containing Moringa oleifera seeds as biosorbent material is described. The multivariate optimization of hydrodynamic variables was performed using a full factorial design (2⁴) including the following factors: sorbent mass, preconcentration time, volume of eluent, sample flow rate, sample pH and eluent concentration. It was verified that the aforementioned factors as well as their conditions were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. With the optimized conditions, the preconcentration factor and the limit of detection were estimated as 23 and 0.9 μg/L, respectively. The analytical curve was linear from 0 to up to 100 μg/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The developed method was successfully applied to alcohol fuel, and accuracy was assessed through recovery tests with results ranging from 96 to 100%.     

Graphene oxide-packed micro-column solid-phase extraction combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry for determination of lead (II) and nickel (II) in water samples

A sensitive and simple method has been established for simultaneous preconcentration of trace amounts of Pb (II) and Ni (II) ions in water samples prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. This method was based on the using of a micro-column filled with graphene oxide as an adsorbent. The influences of various analytical parameters such as solution pH, adsorbent amount, eluent type and volume, flow rates of sample and eluent, and matrix ions on the recoveries of the metal ions were investigated. Using the optimum conditions, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 7–260 and 5–85 μg L^?1 with detection limits (3S_b) of 2.1 and 1.4 μg L^?1 for lead and nickel ions, respectively. The relative standard deviation for 10 replicate determinations of 50 μg L^?1 of lead and nickel ions were 4.1% and 3.8%, respectively. The preconcentration factors were 102.5 and 95 for lead and nickel ions, respectively. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbent was also determined. The method was successfully applied to determine the trace amounts of Pb (II) and Ni (II) ions in real water samples. The validation of the method was also performed by the standard reference material.     

浊点萃取-火焰原子吸收光谱法测定催化剂中痕量钯的研究

研究了以1-（2-吡啶偶氮）-2-萘酚（PAN）为络合剂,以非离子型表面活性刺Triton X-100为萃取剂的浊点萃取分离富集-火焰原子吸收光谱法测定痕量钯的新方法。详细考察了溶液的pH、络合剂和表面活性剂浓度、平衡温度和时间等条件对浊点萃取效果的影响。该方法对钯的检出限为30．8ng／mL,相对标准偏差（RSD）为2．1％（n=10）,回收率在97．8％-106．6％之间。可用于催化剂中Pd（Ⅱ）的测定。     

Trace analysis of Pt (IV) metal ions in roadside soil and water samples by Fe3O4/graphene/polypyrrole nanocomposite as a solid-phase extraction sorbent followed by atomic absorption spectrometry

A novel Fe₃O₄/graphene/polypyrrole nanocomposite has been successfully synthesised via a simple chemical method and applied as a new magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) sorbent for the separation and pre-concentration of trace amounts of Pt (IV) in environmental samples followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometric (FAAS) detection. The nanocomposite has been characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Seven important parameters, affecting the extraction efficiency of Pt (IV), including pH, adsorption time, desorption solvent type and concentration, desorption time, elution volume and sample volume, were investigated. Under the optimised conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 50–1500 μg L^?1 (R = 0.993). The detection limit and pre-concentration factor (PF) for Pt (IV) were found to be 16 μg L^?1 and 112.5, respectively. Under the optimised solid-phase extraction (SPE) conditions, the adsorption isotherm and the adsorption capacity of the nanocomposite for Pt (IV) were studied. Pt (IV) adsorption equilibrium data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm and the maximum adsorption capacity of the magnetic sorbent was calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model as 416.7 mg g^?1. The precision of the method was studied as intraday and interday variations. A relative standard deviation percentage (RSD%) value less than 3.0 indicates that the method is precise. Also, the accuracy of the method was tested by the analysis of the standard reference material (NIST SRM 2556) and by recovery measurements on spiked real samples. It was also shown that the optimised method was suitable for the analysis of trace amounts of Pt (IV) in roadside soil, tap water and wastewater samples.     

Speciation analysis of manganese in tea samples using flame atomic absorption spectrometry after cloud point extraction

The speciation of Mn(II) in tea infusion was studied using cloud point extraction (CPE). In tea infusion, the flavonoid-bound Mn(II) was extracted at pH 5.0 using Triton X-100 (TX-100), the remaining free aquated Mn(II) and weakly-complexed Mn(II) in solution were both chelated with 8-hydroxyquinoline (HOx) and CPE-preconcentrated with TX-100. The enriched analyte was determined by flame AAS. The optimal concentrations for CPE of 0.02 ppm Mn were as follows: TX-100, 0.2% (v/v); HOx, 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M; NaCl, 1.0% (w/v). LOD was 1.9 μg/L with a preconcentration factor of 10–20. The method was validated using a standard XAD-resin separation procedure and applied to synthetic seawater and CRM samples.     

Determination of copper in water samples by atomic absorption spectrometry after cloud point extraction

Cloud point extraction employing the new reagent 6-[2′-(6′-methyl-benzothiazolylazo)]-1,2-dihydroxy-3,5-benzenedisulfonic acid as complexing agent and Triton X-114 as the surfactant is proposed for copper determination. A sample volume of 10 mL was used. Dilution of the surfactant-rich phase with acidified methanol was performed after phase separation, and the copper contents were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Variables affecting the system were optimized using factorial design and Doehlert matrix. Signals were measured as peak height using an instrument software. Using the experimental conditions defined in the optimization, the method allowed copper determination with a detection limit of 1.5 μg L⁻¹. The calculated enrichment factor is 14. The effects of foreign ions are reported. The accuracy of the procedure was tested by analyzing certified reference material. The method was successfully applied to copper determination in natural and drinking water samples.     

Determination of cadmium and zinc in waters by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after cloud-point extraction

Phase separation of nonionic surfactants in aqueous solutions was used to extract cadmium and zinc. After complexation with 6-(4-nitrophenyl)-2,4-diphenyl-3,5-diazabicyclo[3.1.0]hexene-2 (pH 1), cadmium and zinc were quantitatively transferred into the phase rich with the nonionic surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol. After the addition of tetrahydrofuran and HCl to the extract, the elements were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Magnetic polyethyleneimine functionalized reduced graphene oxide as a novel magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the determination of polar acidic herbicides in rice

A novel magnetic polyethyleneimine modified reduced graphene oxide (Fe₃O₄@PEI-RGO) had been fabricated based on a self-assemble approach between positive charged magnetic polyethyleneimine (Fe₃O₄@PEI) and negative charged GO sheets via electrostatic interaction followed by chemical reduction of GO to RGO. The as-prepared Fe₃O₄@PEI-RGO was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and zeta potential analysis, and then was successfully applied to determine four phenoxy acid herbicides and dicamba in rice coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). As a surface modifier of RGO, PEI not only effectually affected the surface property of RGO (e.g. zeta potential), but also changed the polarity of RGO and offered anion exchange groups to polar acidic herbicides, which would directly influence the type of adsorbed analytes. Compared with Fe₃O₄@PEI, Fe₃O₄/RGO and Fe₃O₄@PEI-GO, the as-prepared Fe₃O₄@PEI-RGO, integrating the superiority of PEI and RGO, showed higher extraction efficiency for polar acidic herbicides. Besides, the adsorption mechanism was investigated as well. It turned out that electrostatic interaction and π-π interaction were considered to be two major driving force for the adsorption process. Response surface methodology (RSM), a multivariate experimental design technique, was used to optimize experimental parameters affecting the extraction efficiency in detail. Under the optimal conditions, a satisfactory performance was obtained. The calibration curves were linear over the concentration ranging from 2 to 300 ng g⁻¹ with correlation coefficients (r) between 0.9985 and 0.9994. The limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 0.67–2 ng g⁻¹. The recoveries ranged from 87.41% to 102.52% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 8.94%. Taken together, the proposed method was an efficient pretreatment and enrichment procedure and could be successfully applied for selective extraction and determination of polar acidic herbicides in complex matrices.     

Determination of arsenic in sea water by sorbent extraction with hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive sorbent extraction hydride generation-flow injection analysis atomic absorption spectrometric (HG-FIAS-AAS) method is described for the determination of As(III) and As(V) based upon online preconcentration on a microcolumn packed with activated alumina. In the present procedure these arsenicals are complexed with quinolin-8-ol-5-sulphonic acid from neutral solutions in the flow injection system and adsorbed on the column. The preconcentrated species are eluted with 10% HCl, mixed with 0.5% sodium borohydride and carried to the HG-FIAS cell with a carrier gas flow rate of 75 ml min(-1). The retention efficiency is found to be better than 98% with sensitivity enhancement of 12 and 10 for As(III) and As(V), respectively, for a 20 s preconcentration period. The respective detection limits are 0.05 and 2 ng ml(-1) for As(III) and As(V). The throughput of the samples is found to be 60 h(-1), with a loading time of 20 s. The method has been applied to sea water samples.     

Determination of trace metals in urine with an on-line ultrasound-assisted digestion system combined with a flow-injection preconcentration manifold coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A flow analysis method with on-line sample digestion/minicolumn preconcentration/flame atomic absorption spectrometry is described for the determination of trace metals in urine. First, urine sample was on-line ultrasound-assisted digested exploiting the stopped-flow mode, and then the metals were preconcentrated passing the pre-treated sample through a minicolumn containing a chelating resin. A home-made minicolumn of commercially available imminodiacetic functional group resin, Chelite Che was used to preconcentrate trace metals (Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni) from urine. The proposed procedure allowed the determination of the metals with detection limits of 0.5, 1.1, 0.8 and 0.8 μg L⁻¹, for Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni, respectively. The precision based on replicate analysis was less than ±10.0%, and the enrichment factor obtained was between 21.3 (Mn) and 44.1 (Ni), for sample volumes between 2.5 and 5.0 mL, and an eluent volume of 110 μL. This procedure was applied for determination of metals in urine of workers exposed to welding fumes and urine of unexposed persons (urine control).     

New anion-exchange solid-phase extraction support used for preconcentration and determination of lead in water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A new chelating resin was prepared by coupling Amberlite XAD-2 with Brilliant Green through an azo spacer. The resulting resin has been characterized by FTIR spectrometry, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis and studied for the preconcentration and determination of trace Pb(II) ions from solution samples. The anionic complex of Pb(II) and iodide was retained on the resin by the formation of an ion associate with Brilliant Green on Amberlite XAD-2 in weak acidic medium. The optimum pH value for sorption of the metal ion was 5.5. The sorption capacity of the functionalized resin is 53.8 mg/g. The chelating resin can be reused for 20 cycles of sorption-desorption without any significant change in sorption capacity. A recovery of 103% was obtained for the metal ion with 0.1 M EDTA as the eluting agent. Scatchard analysis revealed that the homogeneous binding sites were formed in the polymers. The resin was subjected to evaluation through batch binding and column chromatography of Pb(II). The equilibrium adsorption data of Pb(II) on modified resin were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models. Based on equilibrium adsorption data, the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin constants were determined to be 0.192, 13.189, and 3.418 at pH 5.5 and 25 degrees C. The method was applied for lead ion determination in tap water samples.