Determination of lanthanides by source excited energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method after preconcentration with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC)

A new analytical procedure for determination of lanthanides in environmental samples after chemical separation from major matrix elements on DOWEX 50W-X8 resin followed by preconcentration with chelating agent ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and analyses of thin targets by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method using ¹⁰⁹Cd as the source of excitation was presented. Characteristic L X-ray lines of the lanthanides were used for calculations of the net peak area and mass concentrations. The influence of pH value of the solution and addition of organic matter on the complexation was investigated. Percentage of recovery of each lanthanide after separation on DOWEX 50W-X8 resin was also determined. Accuracy of the method was tested on standard reference materials and real environmental samples (red mud material). For that purpose samples of standard reference materials and red mud were prepared as thick targets and directly analyzed (without the separation step) by EDXRF method using ²⁴¹Am as the excitation source. In that case lanthanides concentrations were determined over their characteristic K X-ray lines and results were compared with those obtained after separation/preconcentration step described above. Results showed that selected lanthanides made stable complexes with APDC in the alkaline medium with the maximum recovery at pH = 8. The presence of organic matter slightly modified the complexation by means of somewhat higher recovery percentage at pH lower than 7 and approx. 20% lower recovery at pH higher than 7.

Recovery of the elements after separation on DOWEX 50W-X8 resin and preconcentration with APDC at pH = 8 varied from 91.4% (Pr) to only 24.9% in the case of Dy.

Concentrations of lanthanides measured in standard reference material and environmental samples of red mud after microwave digestion, separation on DOWEX 50W-X8 resin, preconcentration with APDC at pH = 8 and recalculation on the percentage of recovery were in good agreement with certified values in the case of SRM as well as with the concentrations obtained by direct determination over K lines using ²⁴¹Am excitation source in the case of red mud leading to the conclusion that presented method was applicable for the determination of lanthanides in real environmental samples.     

Preconcentration of rare earth quinolin-8-ol complexes onto activated carbon and determination by first-order derivative x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

A method is described for the determination of traces of rare earths using energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) after preconcentration of their quinolin-8-ol complexes on activated carbon. Various parameters that influence the adsorptive preconcentration of rare earths on activated carbon, viz., pH, amounts of activated carbon and quinolin-8-ol, time of stirring and aqueous phase volume, were systematically studied. A numerical method based on a simple least-squares procedure using a fifth-order polynomial with 25 consecutive values was developed for smoothing and differentiation of EDXRF data which were previously digitized and averaged. First-order derivative EDXRF in conjunction with adsorptive preconcentration of activated carbon enables down to 10 ng ml^?1 of each rare earth element to be determined.     

Selective preconcentration and determination of tributyltin in fresh water by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A rapid and simple method for separation and determination of tributyltin (TBT) in mineral and tap water is described. The procedure is based on the selective retention of TBT by a chelating resin, Amberlite XAD-2 impregnated with tropolone. The addition of 0.8% sulfuric acid to the water sample leads to the retention of TBT by the resin while monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and inorganic tin remain in solution. TBT is eluted with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) obtaining a preconcentration factor of 80. Tin concentration is determined by ETAAS using zirconium coated tubes. Multi-injection and hot injection techniques are used in order to enhance the sensitivity of the method. A detection limit of 14.4 ng L(-1) is achieved with recoveries near to 100%. The procedure has been successfully applied to TBT determination in various fresh water samples.     

Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of uranium, thorium, and zirconium using the partial least squares method after their preconcentration by α-benzoin oxime modified Amberlite XAD-2000 resin

A new solid phase extraction method for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of uranium, thorium, and zirconium in water samples is proposed. The procedure is based on the adsorption of U(VI), Th(IV) and Zr(IV) ions on a column of Amberlite XAD-2000 resin loaded with α-benzoin oxime prior to their simultaneous spectrophotometric determination with Arsenazo III using orthogonal signal correction partial least squares method. The enrichment factor for preconcentration of uranium, thorium, and zirconium was found to be 100. The detection limits for U(VI), Th(IV) and Zr(IV) were 0.50, 0.54, and 0.48 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The precision of the method, evaluated as the relative standard deviation obtained by analyzing a series of 10 replicates, was below 4% for all elements. The practical applicability of the developed sorbent was examined using synthetic seawater, natural waters and ceramic samples.     

A novel solid-phase extraction method for separation and preconcentration of zirconium

This work assesses the use of modified natural clinoptilolite as an adsorptive material for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of zirconium ions. A simple, rapid and economical method was developed for the preconcentration of trace amounts of zirconium in aqueous medium using 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol as a complexing agent. Effect of sample pH, flow rate of sample and elution solutions, breakthrough volume and interference of several ions were studied. Determination of zirconium was made by ICP-AES technique. The sorption was quantitative in the pH range from 3.0 to 4.0, whereas quantitative desorption occurred instantaneously with 2 mol L^?1 hydrochloric acid. Linearity was maintained between 0.05 and 9.0 μg mL^?1. Relative standard deviations range from ±0.9% to ±2.3% (n?=?5). The detection limit was 0.1 ng mL^?1. Because of good recovery (>97%), this method is suitable for preconcentration and determination of zirconium in effluents containing trace amount of zirconium.     

Separation and determination of gold from iron rich matrices by an off/on-line preconcentration system coupled to ICP-AES

A preconcentration/separation method has been developed for the off/on-line determination by ICP-AES of gold in complex matrices, containing iron and manganese which cause severe spectral interferences on the two most sensitive Au-lines. The available automated preconcentration apparatus was modified using as absorbent the highly selective, for precious metals, chelating anion exchanger SRAFION NMRR. From the elution of this resin with 5% thiourea a nearly quantitative recovery of gold and its separation from iron, existing in percent range in the matrix, and from manganese was obtained. The validity of the developed method was tested by the determination of gold in standard reference materials from BCR, such as sewage sludge of domestic and mainly industrial origin and in a calcareous loam soil. The preconcentration procedure was synchronized with the ICP operating parameters in order to get an optimised on-line coupling of these two systems. The described process has been successfully applied to the determination of low gold contents in dissolved iron rich sediments using for the gold prospection.     

Voltammetric determination of trace amounts of gold(III) with a carbon paste electrode modified with chelating resin

A carbon paste electrode modified with chelating resin (ammino-isopropylmercaptan-type cross-linked chelating resins) for the voltammetric determination of gold(III) was characterized by cyclic voltammetry. The gold(III) ion is accumulated on the surface of the modified electrode only by the chelating effect of the modifier in the carbon paste, without application of a potential. After exchange of the medium the accumulated amount of gold(III) is determined by voltammetry in a blank electrolyte solution. The response depends on both the concentration of gold and the accumulation time. For a 5-min preconcentration time, a linear calibration graph was obtained in the range 3 × 10^?8-1 × 10^?6 M and the detection limit was about 1 × 10^?8 M. A combination of chemical and electrochemical renewal allows the use of a single modified electrode in multiple analytical determinations over several days. For ten preconcentration—determination—renewal cycles [2 × 10^?7 M Au(III)], the response could be reproduced with 4.7% relative standard deviation. Many parameters such as the composition of the paste and pH influence the response of the measurement. Many other metal ions have no or little effect on the determination of gold. The procedure was applied to the determination of gold in minerals, copper and anode mud, with good results.     

Determination of nanogram levels of zirconium by chelating ion exchange and on-line preconcentration in flow injection UV-visible spectrophotometry

Trace quantities of zirconium were preconcentrated on a series of chelating resins. The experimental conditions for preconcentration such as pH, time and metal ion concentration were optimized for the batch processes. Continuous flow manifolds were developed for the on-line preconcentration of zirconium using microcolumns containing chelating resins. Calibration plots were obtained with correlation coefficients of 0.9990 +/- 0.0008. The determination of zirconium was performed using Xylenol Orange at 535 nm. Binary and ternary mixtures of zirconium, thorium and titanium did not show any cross-contamination during column chromatographic separation.     

Adsorptive preconcentration for voltammetric measurements of trace levels of zirconium

This paper describes an electrochemical stripping procedure for ultratrace measurements of zirconium, in which preconcentration is achieved by the adsorption of a zirconium-Solochrome Violet RS complex onto a hanging mercury drop electrode. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the interfacial and redox behaviour. For a 10-min preconcentration time, the detection limit found was 2.3 x 10(-10)M. Optimal experimental conditions were found to be use of a stirred acetate buffer (pH 4.6) solution with Solochrome Violet RS concentration 1.5 x 10(-6)M, a preconcentration potential of -0.3 V and linear scan mode. A 60-fold enhancement of the response is obtained following 5-min preconcentration. With preconcentration for 60 sec, calibration plots for zirconium are linear for the 1.1 x 10(-8)-1.1 x 10(-7)M range. The relative standard deviation at 5.5 x 10(-8)M is 1.7%. Possible interferences by surface-active organic materials and other trace metals have been investigated. Zirconium added to a sea-water sample at the 10 ng/ml level was readily determined.     

Cloud-point preconcentration and HPLC determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in marine sediments

Cloud-point methodology has been used to develop a new procedure for preconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons previously extracted from marine sediment with a micellar polyoxyethylene-10-lauryl ether medium by microwave- or ultrasound-assisted extraction. The optimum conditions for preconcentration and determination of PAH by HPLC with UV detection were established. The optimized procedure was applied to determination of these analytes in fortified marine sediment. The mean recoveries obtained after extraction and preconcentration by use of microwave- or ultrasound-assisted extraction were 105.8 and 99.5%, respectively. Precision, however, is considerably higher when extraction is performed ultrasonically.     

Determination of Trace Amounts of Copper in Tap Water Samples with a Calix[4]arene Modified Carbon Paste Electrode by Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

A calix[4]arene modified carbon paste electrode was used for trace determination of copper. The study of the preconcentration of copper as well as the other heavy metal ions at the modified electrode, with subsequent measurement by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV), indicates the efficient open‐circuit accumulation of the analytes onto the electrode. Many parameters such as the composition of the paste, pH, preconcentration time and stirring rate influence the response of the measurement. The procedure was optimized for copper determination. For a 10‐minute preconcentration time at pH 6.5–7.5, the detection limit (LOD) was 1.1 μg L^?1. The optimized method was successfully applied to the determination of copper in tap water sample by means of standard addition procedure. The copper content of the sample was comparable with the result obtained with AAS method.     

Determination of trace amounts of silver with a chemically modified carbon paste electrode

A method for the determination of trace amounts of silver with a chemically modified carbon paste electrode is described. The modified electrode is prepared by simply mixing a chelating resin (a polythioether backbone and dioxymonosulphur polyethylene polyimines in the side-chain polymer) with graphite powder and Nujol oil. By immersing the electrode in a silver sample solution (pH = 6.5–7.5), silver can be adsorbed on the electrode surface and then determined by voltammetry in a separate blank solution. The response depends on the concentration of silver and the preconcentration time. For a preconcentration time of 5 min, the detection limit is about 3 × 10^?10 M and the linear range is from 5 × 10^?10 to 1 × 10^?7 M with a relative standard deviation of 4%. Many common metal ions have no or little effect on the determination of silver. The recommended procedure was applied to the determination of trace amounts of silver in waste water.     

Simultaneous determination of cobalt, copper and zinc by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry after preconcentration on PAR-loaded ion-exchange resin.

A sensitive method for the preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of Co, Cu and Zn by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) has been developed. The method is based on the fact that 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol (PAR) loaded Dowex anion-exchange resin (PAR-resin) can effectively adsorb Co, Cu and Zn at pH 9.0 to form PAR-metal complexes. The detection limits for Co, Cu and Zn were 1.53, 0.31 and 0.21 ppb, respectively. The precisions for five replicate measurements of the three metals were 3.4, 2.7 and 2.1% RSD, and the calibration curves were linear up to 75 microg with correlation coefficients of 0.9975, 0.9980 and 0.9985, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of Co, Cu and Zn in seawater samples at ppb levels.     

Quinoline-8-ol-immobilized Amberlite XAD-4: synthesis,characterization, and uranyl ion uptake properties suitable for analytical applications

Amberlite XAD-4 has been functionalized by coupling it with 5-aminoquinoline-8-ol after acetylation. The resulting resin has been characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectra and has been used for preconcentrating uranyl ions prior to its determination by spectrophotometry. The optimum pH value for quantitative sorption is 4-6, and desorption can be achieved by using 5 mL of 1 mol L(-1) HCl. The sorption capacity of the resin is 11.5 mmol g(-1). The effect of various cations and anions on the preconcentration of uranium in conjunction with the determination procedure has been studied and we have found that none of the ions interfere except thorium. The enrichment factor for preconcentration of uranium was found to be 200. Ten replicate determinations of 40 micro g of uranium present in 1 L of sample gave a mean absorbance of 0.185 with a relative standard deviation of 2.64%. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the bank was found to be 2 micro g L(-1). The validation of the developed preconcentration procedure was carried out by successfully analyzing standard marine sediment reference material. The uranyl content of sediment and soils is estimated by spectrophotometry after its preconcentration with the above chelating resin.     

Continuous ultrasound-assisted extraction of hexavalent chromium from soil with or without on-line preconcentration prior to photometric monitoring

A continuous ultrasound-assisted extractor was coupled to a photometric detector in order to obtain a fully automated approach for the determination of CrVI in soil. The use of a flow injection (FI) manifold as interface between the extractor and the photometric detector allowed the monitoring of CrVI after extraction in a continuous manner. The coloured complex formed between 1,5-diphenylcarbazide (DPC) and CrVI was used as recommended in EPA method 7196A because it is one of the most sensitive and selective reactions for CrVI determination. A preconcentration minicolumn packed with a strong anion-exchange resin was placed between the extractor and the detector, providing a more sensitive method. The linear dynamic ranges were 1-10 and 0.25-7.5 mg l-1 for the methods without (method A) and with preconcentration (method B), respectively. The limits of detection were 4.52 ng for method A and 1.23 ng for method B. Both methods were applied to a natural contaminated soil and the results obtained agreed well with those obtained by the reference EPA method 3060A. The influence of different amounts of CrIII in the samples was also studied and the results showed that the proposed methods did not disturb the original species distribution.     

Voltammetric determination of traces of cobalt(II) with a chemically modified carbon paste electrode

Summary A new preconcentration and voltammetric determination method for cobalt(II) in aqueous solution with a chemically modified electrode is proposed. The accumulation behaviour and voltammetry of cobalt(II) has been investigated with a carbon paste electrode modified with cationexchanger and 1,10-phenanthroline. The electrochemical response is characterized with respect to carbon paste composition, pH, preconcentration time, cobalt(II) concentration and other variables. For a 3-min preconcentration time, the electrode gives good linearity for 1×10^–7 to 4×10^–6 mol/l Co(II), a detection limit of 8×10^–8 mol/l. The response can be reproduced with a 4.0% relative standard deviation. The method is fairly free from many coexisting ions interferences. A rapid and convenient renewal procedure allows the use of a single electrode in multiple analytical determinations over several days. Satisfactory results are obtained for the determination of cobalt in a variety of certified standard reference materials.     

Simultaneous separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of copper (II), cobalt (II) and silver (I) by modified Amberlyst®15 resin

A solid phase extraction method for simultaneous preconcentration and separation of trace amounts of copper, cobalt and silver in different samples, using a column packed with modified Amberlyst®15 resin is developed. Amberlyst®15 resin was modified with 5-(4-dimethylaminobenzylidene)rhodanine and then the modified resin was used as a support material for the solid phase extraction and preconcentration of Cu(II), Co(II) and Ag(I) ions from aqueous solution in the pH range 3.5–4.5. The adsorbed metal ions on the column were quantitatively eluted with a 7% thiourea solution prepared in 2?mol?L^?1 HNO₃, which were detected by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The effects of analytical parameters including pH of the solution, eluent type, flow rate of samples, eluent and matrix ions were investigated for optimization of the presented procedure. The detection limits were 2.1, 0.9 and 0.9?ng?mL^?1 for Cu(II), Co(II) and Ag(I) ions, respectively based on the three times the standard deviations of the blanks. The preconcentration factor was 112.5. The calibration graphs were obtained in the ranges of 0.05 to 10.0, 0.03 to 13.0 and 0.04 to 9.0?µg?mL^?1 for Cu(II), Co(II) and Ag(I) ions concentrations, respectively. Relative standard deviations (n?=?7) for Cu(II), Co(II) and Ag(I) ions were found ±2.5 %, ±0.84% and ±3.8% respectively. The method was applied to the determination of mentioned ions in well water, waste water and lettuce sample.     

Synthesis and efficiency of a spherical macroporous epoxy-polyamide chelating resin for preconcentrating and separating trace noble metal ions

The determination of noble metals in various materials usually requires their preconcentration and separation from other elements. In spite of the improvements in analytical instrumentation and the development of new analytical techniques such as ICP-MS, which are capable of detecting metal ions at ppt levels, the interference caused by the sample matrix still exists and is perhaps the most serious problem, making a pre-determination enrichment step necessary. Thus, the search for efficient preconcentration and separation methods is essential. A series of chelating resins that can selectively adsorb noble metal ions from aqueous solutions have been described. Functional groups, such as salicylaldoxime and thiosemicarbazide have been incorporated in cross-linked polymers or porous silica gel. These resins have very high selectivity for one or several types of noble metal ion. However, desorption of noble metals from these resins is usually difficult. Hence, the development of an adsorbent from which noble metals can be easily desorbed is needed. In this paper, a new spherical macroporous epoxy-polyamide chelating resin that met this requirement was synthesized by one step reaction. The synthesis of the resin was safe, rapid and more simple and economical than many report adsorbents. Meanwhile, the resin showed more advantages: better acid and alkali resistance; higher adsorption capacity and lower preconcentration concentrations. A resin column procedure combined with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for the determination of trace Rh(III), Ru(III) and Ir(IV) in real samples was established.     

Preconcentration and determination of tellurium in garlic samples by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

A procedure for the determination of traces of total tellurium (Te) in garlic (Allium sativa) is described that combines hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry with preconcentration of the analyte by coprecipitation. The samples, each spiked with lanthanum nitrate (20 mg/L), are introduced into an Amberlite XAD-4 resin and mixed with ammonium buffer (pH 9.1). Te is preconcentrated by coprecipitation with the generated lanthanum hydroxide precipitate. The precipitate is quantitatively collected in the resin, eluted with hydrochloric acid, and then transferred into the atomizer device. Considering a sample consumption of 25 mL, an enrichment factor of 10 was obtained. The detection limit (3sigma) was 0.03 microg/L, and the precision (relative standard deviation) was 3.5% (n = 10) at the 10 microg/L level. The calibration graph using the preconcentration system for Te was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9993. Satisfactory results were obtained for the analysis of Te in garlic samples.     

Column solid-phase extraction with Chromosorb-102 resin and determination of trace elements in water and sediment samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A column, solid-phase extraction (SPE), preconcentration method was developed for determination of Bi, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb ions in drinking water, sea water and sediment samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The procedure is based on retention of analytes in the form of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate complexes on a short column of Chromosorb-102 resin from buffered sample solution and then their elution from the resin column with acetone. Several parameters, such as pH of the sample solution, amount of Chromosorb-102 resin, amount of ligand, volume of sample and eluent, type of eluent, flow rates of sample and eluent, governing the efficiency and throughput of the method were evaluated. The effects of divers ions on the preconcentration were also investigated. The recoveries were >95%. The developed method was applied to the determination of trace metal ions in drinking water, sea water and sediment samples, with satisfactory results. The 3σ detection limits for Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb and were found to be as 0.10, 0.44, 11, 3.6, and 10 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The relative standard deviation of the determination was <10%. The procedure was validated by the analysis of a standard reference material sediment (GBW 07309) and by use of a method based on coprecipitation.