Novel thionin-functionalised core shell magnetic nanoparticles for dispersive solid-phase extraction of Hg(II) in food and water samples

To develop an accurate and precise method for separation and pre-concentration of Hg(II), a novel thionin functionalised core shell structure magnetic material has been prepared and characterised. The extraction ability of the material was evaluated by magnetic solid-phase extraction coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination of Hg(II) in food and water samples. Combining the advantages of magnetic separation with selective extraction of thionin towards Hg(II), the material exhibits enhanced enrich selectivity and efficiency for Hg(II). The experimental parameters influencing Hg(II) extraction efficiency, including pH of the aqueous solution, the dosage of the adsorbent, extraction time and sample volume, were systematically investigated. Under the optimised conditions, concentration of Hg(II) at 1.0 μg L^?1 can be successfully enriched by the material without the interference of the common co-existing ions. The enrichment factor and adsorption capacity were 250 and 75.2 mg g^?1, and precise of the method was confirmed by analysing the spiked food, water samples and standard water reference samples with the recoveries of 92.5–101.8%.     

Supported imidazolium ionic liquid phases: A new material for solid-phase extraction

This study reports a material that is based on the concept of ionic liquid analogue: a slightly crosslinked polymer-supported imidazolium trifluoroacetate salt (IL-CF₃COO⁻) that favorably combines the properties of ionic liquids (ILs) and the advantages of a solid support.The ionic liquid-supported material was evaluated for the first time as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent for selectively and quantitatively extracting pharmaceuticals from aqueous samples.The novel IL-CF₃COO⁻ was evaluated under reversed-phase (RP), weak anion exchange (WAX), strong anion exchange (SAX) and strong cation exchange (SCX) SPE procedures, and we found that SAX conditions are the most suitable for investigating the behaviour of the IL-CF₃COO⁻ material. Under SAX conditions, the IL-CF₃COO⁻ material was capable of selectively and quantitatively extracting a group of acidic compounds from aqueous samples, while washing basic analytes that were also present in the sample.The SPE method using IL-CF₃COO⁻ material was used to analyse 1000 ml of different aqueous samples (ultrapure, tap and river) with complete recovery of the acidic compounds studied. Moreover, the method provided clean chromatogram and high recoveries when percolating complex real samples, such as 1000 ml of river water and 250 ml of effluent wastewater from a sewage treatment plant spiked at low levels with the analytes studied.     

Preparation of in-house calibration source for the use in radioactivity analysis of the environmental samples: consideration of homogeneity

An in-house reference material has been prepared in Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research radioecology laboratory, for quality control purposes of gamma spectrometer systems. The material contains a known amount of uranium ore reference material (prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency and coded as IAEA-RGU-1) which is mixed with marine sediment collected from Kuwait bay. The IAEA-RGU-1 has been certified that it is in equilibrium state with the decay daughters, and stable to be used for quality control purposes. Nevertheless, the homogeneous distribution of the doped material with the prepared source should be verified. This has been examined using gamma spectrometry measurements in conjunction with analysis of variance statistical tools, Dixon, box plots and Grubbs tests. The calculated total uncertainty has been utilized to establish the recommended specific activity ranges of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁴Th, ²¹⁴Pb, ²¹⁴Bi and ²¹⁰Pb radioisotopes in the prepared source. The obtained results showed that the estimated uncertainty arising from the sample inhomogeneity has a significant contribution in the total uncertainty. The stability control charts of the ultra-low background gamma spectrometry system demonstrated the suitability of the prepared material for the purpose of quality control. However, the emitted gamma-rays from the prepared source covers the required energy range for determination of natural and artificial radionuclides in different species of environmental samples such as marine sediment, soil samples, and samples contaminated by naturally occurring radioactive material produced by oil industry. In addition, the material might be used for system calibration in case its traceability is proven. The experimental data revealed the significance of the homogeneity in preparing environmental samples for radioactivity measurements; in particular when small sample quantities of environmental samples are required to be analyzed.     

The estimation of barium in biological material by neutron activation analysis

Barium is estimated in biological material by thermal neutron activation analysis and measurement of¹³⁹Ba by γ-counting. The biological material is digested with nitric acid and scavenged with ferric hydroxide. A special fluoride precipitation removes calcium and strontium and the barium is recovered as the chromate. The method allows the analysis of up to 40 samples per day and the sensitivity is 0.1 μg after irradiation for 85 mins at 4·10¹²n·cm⁻²·sec⁻¹.     

Structure and electrical properties of Y,Fe-based perovskite mixed conducting composites fabricated by a modified polymer precursor method

In this work, samples of Y_0.07Sr_0.93Ti_1-xFe_xO_3-δ with 20, 40, 60 and 80 mol% of iron amount were prepared by a low-temperature polymer precursor method. The SEM-EDS analysis proved that analyzed Y_0.07Sr_0.93Ti_1-xFe_xO_3-δ samples were composites of two Ti- and Fe-rich perovskite samples. This kind of composite consists of two phases in which one has a good ionic and the other electronic conductivity, which makes such a composite a potential mixed ionic and electronic conductors (MIECs) material. The total electrical conductivities of analyzed samples were measured in air atmosphere (cathode conditions in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell). The values changed from ∼10⁻³ to 10⁻¹ S cm⁻¹ and depended on the ratio between two observed perovskite phases. The 0.12 S cm⁻¹ conductivity value at 800 °C for sample with the highest amount of Fe-rich perovskite in the structure makes this composite material a candidate for air electrode in electrochemical devices.     

Cation‐ and Anion‐Substituted Potassium Manganese Phosphate,KMnP3O9: Luminescence and Photocatalytic Studies

Phosphates as multifunctional materials were of vital importance in the environmental and energy fields. In the present work, a new cyclophosphate, potassium manganese phosphate (KMnP₃O₉) (hereafter KMPO), was prepared by solid state method. Cations (Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺) and anion (N^3?) were substituted into KMPO lattice via ion‐exchange and solid state methods, respectively. The as‐prepared materials were characterized by powder X–ray diffraction, SEM–EDS and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectra. Rietveld refinement was carried out for parent material. All the prepared materials were found to crystallize in the hexagonal lattice and isomorphous with KCoP₃O₉. The nitrogen content in N^3?‐substituted KMPO was estimated by EDS and O‐N‐H analysis. The bandgap energy of the cation‐ and anion‐substituted samples was lower compared to that of pristine KMPO. Gouy method was employed to determine the magnetic susceptibility of KMPO. The photoluminescence property of Mn²⁺ in all the samples was studied, and the color coordinates were calculated using CIE 1931 chromaticity. The photocatalytic activity of visible light active material, N^3?‐substituted KMPO, was examined against the degradation of methylene blue and methyl violet at ambient conditions.     

Determination and speciation of selenium in water samples collected from Muğla (Turkey) province by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work, determination of selenium in various water samples was done by using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. The most appropriate values of HCl concentration, NaBH₄ concentration, NaOH concentration, flow rate of argon and flow rate of waste solution were determined. The optimum concentration of the HCl, NaBH₄ and NaOH solutions were found to be 7.0 mol L^?1, 1.0% and 0.75%, respectively. The optimum flow rate of Ar gas and waste solution were also found to be 100.9 mL min^?1 and 4.0 mL min^?1, respectively. Values of LOD and LOQ were calculated separately for total Se and Se(IV). LOD and LOQ values were calculated 0.56 μg L^?1, 1.87 μg L^?1 for total Se and 0.72 μg L^?1, 2.40 μg L^?1 for Se(IV), respectively. The precision was evaluated by relative standard deviation (RSD%) was found to be 3.5% for total Se and 3.1% for Se(IV) (n = 11). A standard reference material (NIST 1643e) was used in order to check the accuracy of the proposed method. There was a good agreement between certified and found values for standard reference material. The method was applied to the analysis of total Se and Se(IV) concentrations in tap water samples collected from the various regions of Mu?la. Proposed method showed spike recovery ranges from 92% to 116% in water samples.     

Assessment of immobilized yeast for the separation and determination of platinum in environmental samples by flow-injection chemiluminescence and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in calcium alginate beads was used for separation and subsequent determination of Pt in environmental samples by flow-injection chemiluminescence (FI-CL) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The application of a yeast column resulted in an increase in the tolerable matrix ions concentration compared to direct measurements by both detection techniques. The developed FI-CL method of Pt determination based on the catalytic effect of Pt(IV) ions on luminol oxidation in alkaline medium is characterized by a low limit of detection (0.15 ng mL^?1), and good sensitivity and precision, and can be used for analysis of Pt in water samples. Determination of Pt in more complex environmental samples can be carried out by ETAAS (LOD?=?6 ng mL^?1) after introduction of a column clean-up step with 10 mM nitric acid. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analyzing the certified reference material of platinum ore (SARM-7), spiked grass, and road dust samples.     

Preparation and characterization of hybrid cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose/sodium alginate polyelectrolyte antimicrobial films

This study aimed to develop polyelectrolyte‐structured antimicrobial food packaging materials that do not contain any antimicrobial agents. Cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose was synthesized and characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Its nitrogen content was determined by Kjeldahl method. Polyelectrolyte‐structured antimicrobial food packaging materials were prepared using hydroxyethyl cellulose, cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose, and sodium alginate. Antimicrobial activity of materials was defined by inhibition zone method (disc diffusion method). Thermal stability of samples was evaluated by thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Surface morphology of samples was investigated by SEM. The obtained results prove that produced food packaging materials have good thermal and antimicrobial properties, and they can be used as food packaging material in many industries.     

Rapid separation and purification of uranium and plutonium from dilute-matrix samples

This work describes a streamlined approach to the separation and purification of trace uranium and plutonium in environmental swipe samples that contain a small amount of collected bulk material. We describe key modifications to conventional techniques that result in a relatively rapid, safe, cost-effective, and efficient U and Pu separation process. Simulated samples were produced by loading appropriate ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U, and ²⁴⁰Pu onto high purity cotton swipes. Uranium concentration and isotopic composition were measured by multi-collector inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Corresponding plutonium measurements were conducted with a three stage thermal ionization mass spectrometer. Quantitative U and Pu recoveries were observed with this method.     

A Novel Electrochemical Sensor Based on Silsesquioxane/Nickel (II) Phthalocyanine for the Determination of Sulfanilamide in Clinical and Drug Samples

This paper describes the immobilization of nickel (II) phthalocyanine‐tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt (NiTsPc) in 3‐n‐propyl(3‐methylpyridinium) silsesquioxane chloride (Si3Pic⁺Cl^?). This hybrid material was synthetized and characterized by ²⁹Si NMR CP‐MAS, FTIR and DRS. The modified material, designated as Si3Pic⁺Cl^?/NiTsPc, was used to build carbon paste electrodes to determine sulfanilamide (SFL) by differential pulse voltammetry. The modified electrode showed a higher current response when compared to the bare carbon paste electrode. The evaluation of SFL was possible in the presence of salicylic acid, commonly used in solid ointment compositions in a high concentration. Theoretical calculations using density functional theory were done aiming to shed light at dimerization process at SFL. The oxidation peak increased with increasing concentrations of SFL in the range of 35–301 μmol L^?1. The LOD and LOQ values obtained were 12 and 35 μmol L^?1 of SFL, respectively. The novel electrochemical sensor was successfully applied for the determination of SFL in pet drug samples, urine and serum through the standard addition method. Validation was performed through a comparison with values obtained by the molecular absorption spectrometry method and there were no significant differences in the results, as confirmed by the statistical paired t‐test. This demonstrates the promise of a new approach for analytical application in clinical and drug samples of sulfonamide compounds.     

Sorption-scintillation determination of Sr in natural water

A porous composite material is described for determination of radionuclides in aquatic objects of the environment. Possibilities have been studied for the use of this material in monitoring of ⁹⁰Sr content in natural waters. The composite is a scintillator with through pores, the surface of which is impregnated by a sorbent that is selective with respect to strontium. The structure of the material allows combination of two processes—concentrating the radionuclide and measuring its activity. Studies were carried out using both model systems based on reference radioactive solutions and samples of natural water contaminated with radionuclides. It is shown that the use of the proposed method for analysis of natural water allows determination in water of 4×10⁻² Bq l⁻¹ of ⁹⁰Sr, which is by two orders of magnitude lower than its maximum acceptable concentration.     

Arsenic speciation in water and biota samples at trace levels by ion chromatography inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

A sensitive, reliable, simple and rapid analytical method was developed for the determination of arsenite [As(III)], arsenate [As(V)] and arsenobetaine (AsB) species using ion chromatography combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS). Inorganic and organic arsenic species were separated with an anion exchange column (Dionex AS9) and a 50 mM sodium bicarbonate mobile phase (pH 10) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. %RSD values were found to be lower than 5.1% for all arsenic species. The limits of detection (LOD) obtained for As(III), As(V) and AsB were 16.5 ng L^?1, 14.1 ng L^?1 and 6.2 ng L^?1, respectively. The developed analytical method was tested using AsB certified reference material (NMIJ CRM 7901-a), and spring water certified reference material (UME CRM 1201) for accuracy check. This method was applied for the quantitative determination of arsenic species in different water samples and chicken samples as a solid matrix.     

Determination of isotopic thorium in biological samples by combined alpha-spectrometry and neutron activation analysis

The determination of isotopic thorium by alpha-spectrometric methods is a routine practice for bioassay and environmental measurement programs. Alpha-spectrometry has excellent detection limits (by mass) for all isotopes of thorium except²³²Th due to its extremely long half-life. This paper reports a pre-concentration neutron activation analysis (PCNAA) method for²³²Th that may be performed following alpha-spectrometry if a suitable source preparation material is utilized. Human tissues and other samples were spiked with²²⁹Th and the thorium was isolated from the sample using ion exchange chromatography. The thorium was then electrodeposited from a sulfate-based medium onto a vanadium planchet, counted by alpha-spectrometry, and then analyzed for²³²Th by neutron activation analysis. The radiochemical yield was determined from the alpha-spectrometric method. Detection limits for²³²Th by this PCNAA method are approximately 50 times lower than achieved by alphaspectrometry.     

电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定镍基钎料中硼

探讨了电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法(ICP-AES)测定镍基钎料中硼的分析条件.试样经王水低温溶解,然后高温发硫酸烟,选择182.641 nm作为分析谱线,同时采用基体匹配法配制标准样品,不仅有效降低了基体效应,同时解决了无标校正的问题,校准曲线的线性范围为0~0.06 mg/mL,相关系数为0.999 98.方法应用于实际样品分析,方法检出限为3×10^(-5)mg/mL(n=11),方法相对标准偏差为0.32%~0.65%,回收率为99.2%~100.6%.     

Ion-imprinted interpenetrating network gels for solid-phase extraction of heavy metal ions

In the present work, ion-imprinted interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) gels were prepared by free radical/cationic hybrid polymerisation of acrylamide (AAm) and 1,4-butanediol vinyl ether (BVE). These gels were respectively used for separation of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions in natural water samples. Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of metal ions were optimised with respect to different experimental parameters by column procedures in detail. The optimum pH value for the adsorption of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions on these sorbents was 6.0. Complete elution of the adsorbed metal ions from the sorbent was carried out using 1.0 mol/L of HCl solution. The optimum sample flow rate and eluent flow rate were, respectively, 1.0 and 0.3 mL/min. Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the separation and determination of the target ions. The accuracy of the proposed method was validated by analysis of the standard reference material (GBW 08301, river sediment). The measured contents of metal ions in the reference material were in good agreement with the certified values. The presented method was successfully applied for the determination of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions in three different water samples (well water, seawater and waste water).     

The determination of cadmium,copper, iron,lead and zinc in aerosols by atomic-absorption spectrometry

The determination of five elements in filter papers loaded with air particulate matter has been investigated. After a wet destruction of about 10 cm² of filter material by a standard procedure, analysis was carried out with a flame atomic absorption method for zinc and a flameless procedure for Cd, Cu, Fe and Pb. Furnace program parameters for each of the elements in different acid solutions are reported. The interferences of some common anions and the most abundant cations in aerosol material are described. For some urban and industrial samples, the results are compared with those obtained by energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence. Accuracy was checked against standard samples.     

18O/16O ratio measurements of inorganic and organic materials by elemental analysis-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry continuous-flow techniques

We have used a high‐precision, easy, low‐cost and rapid method of oxygen isotope analysis applied to various O‐bearing matrices, organic and inorganic (sulfates, nitrates and phosphates), whose ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios had already been measured. It was first successfully applied to ¹⁸O analyses of natural and synthetic phosphate samples. The technique uses high‐temperature elemental analysis–pyrolysis (EA‐pyrolysis) interfaced in continuous‐flow mode to an isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) system. Using the same pyrolysis method we have been able to generate a single calibration curve for all those samples showing pyrolysis efficiencies independent of the type of matrix pyrolysed. We have also investigated this matrix‐dependent pyrolysis issue using a newly developed pyrolysis technique involving 'purge‐and‐trap' chromatography. As previously stated, silver phosphate being a very stable material, weakly hygroscopic and easily synthesized with predictable ¹⁸O/¹⁶O values, could be considered as a good candidate to become a reference material for the determination of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios by EA‐pyrolysis‐IRMS. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of 36Cl in environmental samples collected in the JCO by AMS

Long-lived chlorine, ³⁶Cl (T_1/2 = 301,000 y) in environmental samples has been measured by the AMS system installed in Tandem Accelerator Center, University of Tsukuba. A tri-carbon-molecular ¹²C₃ ^- pilot beam method is used to stabilize the terminal voltage of the tandem. A small amount of pure carbon graphite is well mixed into a AgCl target material for creating Cl^- and ¹²C₃ ^- in the ion source. A ³⁶S isobaric interference in the system is eliminated to determine ³⁶Cl in environmental samples by chemical procedure. Some samples containing chlorine such as soil, chemical reagents and table salt have been collected in the JCO criticality accident site and analyzed to detect neutron-induced ³⁶Cl. The experimental result has been compared with a theoretical calculation.     

On-line preconcentration and determination of Au(III) in various environmental/industrial samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A rapid and simple on-line method is described for the determination of Au(III) in various samples. The method is based on the sorption of gold(III) on Lewatit MonoPlus TP207 chelating resin including the iminodiacetate group, which is used as sorbent material and packed in a minicolumn. The chemical variables such as the pH of the sample solution, eluent type, interfering ions and concentrations of reagents, and instrumental variables such as sample loading volume, reagents flow rates, and tubing length, which affect the efficiency of the method were studied and optimised. Au(III) was sorbed on the chelating resin, from which it could be eluted with 3 mol L^?1 HCl, and then introduced directly to the nebuliser-burner system of FAAS. The limit of detection of the method was 0.2 µg L^?1 while the relative standard deviation was <4.0% for 20 µg L^?1 Au(III) concentration. The preconcentration factor was found to be 106 while the optimised sample volume was 15.3 mL. The accuracy of the method was verified by analysing the certified reference material. The developed method was applied successfully for the determination of gold in different samples with satisfactory results.