Prevention of contamination and other accuracy risks in voltammetric trace metal analysis of natural waters

Summary Methods reliably excluding contamination during sampling of surface waters in the open ocean, in coastal waters and estuaries and in inland waters are described in detail. In the open sea the research vessel is a significant source of contamination by heavy metals. Therefore, it must be left in a boat and water is sampled in sufficient distance from the research vessel taking into account all further contamination risks. Sampling in coastal waters is performed preferably from motorboats or cutters (10–25 m length), the size of which permits sampling in front of the boat by means of a sampling bottle attached to a telescope bar. The choice of sampling points must take into account oceanographic parameters, like tidal currents, and ecological aspects, like harbours or estuaries as regions of highlevel pollution. The risks of contamination by the boat are minimised by travelling upstream during sampling in rivers.Taken in part from the Doctor Thesis L. Mart, RWTH Aachen 1979. — Part I: Fresenius Z. Anal. Chem. 296, 350 (1979)     

Temporal variation patterns of radon in mineral waters along the Cota Mil Highway, Caracas, Venezuela

Measurements of radon in potable mineral waters along the Cota Mil Highway at two sites, La Castellana with five sampling points within 20 meters of each other and two collection points at the San Jose site were carried out from November, 1997 to December, 1998. Temporal radon variation patterns will be presented for the seven sampling points, which had very different water flow rates and short-term variations. The extraction of the radon from mineral waters was accomplished in the laboratory a few hours after sampling and the measurements were performed employing a radiation monitor with a scintillation cell 18 hours latter to insure that the radon and its decay products were in equilibrium. The results suggest that the increase of radon from the middle of February to the middle of November can be related to the decrease in atmospheric temperature and rainfall. The large differences in the minimum and maximum values of radon and the short-term variations show the need for many measurements over a year to quantify a correct annual value to be employed in dose calculation for radiological impact studies on human health. Finally, we have also concluded that water sampling points with very low water flow rates are more suitable for investigating the possible relation between radon anomalies and seismic events.     

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters by use of solid-phase extraction, and its applications to brackish lake waters

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters has been developed for field analysis. This method is based on solid-phase extraction on a zirconium-loaded Sep-Pack Accell CM cartridge (Zr-SP) and is applicable to studies in which sampling is performed by use of a graduated syringe to prevent contamination and to ensure easy operation at sampling sites. The Zr-SP cartridge was prepared by passing 0.1 mol L(-1) zirconium solution through a Sep-Pak Accell CM cartridge, packed with cation exchange sorbent based on a silica matrix. The adsorption of phosphate and its desorption depend only on the pH of the solution. A water sample containing phosphate was adjusted to pH 2 and passed through the Zr-SP cartridge to collect it. The retained phosphate was quantitatively eluted with 0.5 mol L(-1) sodium hydroxide solution. The phosphate retained in the Zr-SP cartridge was stable for at least one month. The established preconcentration method was successfully applied to brackish lake waters to investigate seasonal changes in the distribution and behavior of phosphate in a brackish lake.     

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters by use of solid-phase extraction, and its applications to brackish lake waters

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of phosphate in environmental waters has been developed for field analysis. This method is based on solid-phase extraction on a zirconium-loaded Sep-Pack Accell CM cartridge (Zr-SP) and is applicable to studies in which sampling is performed by use of a graduated syringe to prevent contamination and to ensure easy operation at sampling sites. The Zr-SP cartridge was prepared by passing 0.1 mol L^–1 zirconium solution through a Sep-Pak Accell CM cartridge, packed with cation exchange sorbent based on a silica matrix. The adsorption of phosphate and its desorption depend only on the pH of the solution. A water sample containing phosphate was adjusted to pH 2 and passed through the Zr-SP cartridge to collect it. The retained phosphate was quantitatively eluted with 0.5 mol L^–1 sodium hydroxide solution. The phosphate retained in the Zr-SP cartridge was stable for at least one month. The established preconcentration method was successfully applied to brackish lake waters to investigate seasonal changes in the distribution and behavior of phosphate in a brackish lake.     

Heavy metals and nutrients in coastal,surface seawaters (Gulf of Trieste,Northern Adriatic Sea): an environmental study by factor analysis

Trace metals and nutrients were monitored voltammetrically and spectrophotometrically during a one-year period (1992/93) in the filtered fraction of coastal surface seawaters sampled with a monthly frequency at 6 different sites in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea), to evaluate the degree of pollution in an area receiving industrial, agricultural and urban wastes. The sites devoted to hatcheries of edible mussels are of particular interest. A multivariate statistical analysis of the collected concentration data by the principal component method allows to identify the sources and typology of pollution, and to discriminate between the quality of waters at the different sampling sites. The coastal waters in the Gulf of Trieste seem to be comparable to, or better than, waters of analogous areas in the Mediterranean Sea.     

Heavy metals and nutrients in coastal, surface seawaters (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea): an environmental study by factor analysis

Trace metals and nutrients were monitored voltammetrically and spectrophotometrically during a one-year period (1992/93) in the filtered fraction of coastal surface seawaters sampled with a monthly frequency at 6 different sites in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea), to evaluate the degree of pollution in an area receiving industrial, agricultural and urban wastes. The sites devoted to hatcheries of edible mussels are of particular interest. A multivariate statistical analysis of the collected concentration data by the principal component method allows to identify the sources and typology of pollution, and to discriminate between the quality of waters at the different sampling sites. The coastal waters in the Gulf of Trieste seem to be comparable to, or better than, waters of analogous areas in the Mediterranean Sea.     

Validation of the thermodynamic model of inorganic arsenic in non polluted river waters of the Basque country (Spain)

The thermodynamic model of inorganic arsenic was validated by comparing the predicted As(III) concentration with the experimentally determined one in several river waters samples of the Basque Country (Spain) collected in two sampling campaigns: spring and autumn 2000. This model takes into account the acid-base equilibria of As(III) and As(V) together with the redox equilibria between the H₃AsO₃ and H₃AsO₄ species. A correct prediction of As(III) concentration requires the knowledge of the total concentration of arsenic, pH, redox potential (referred to hydrogen electrode), and ionic strength values of the solution. The estimation of the activity coefficients of the arsenic species was performed by means of the Modified Bromley’s Methodology (MBM).In order to perform the experimental As(III) determination, an analytical method was implemented by using an ion exchange separation of As(III)/As(V) on a continuous FIA-IE-HG-AAS system. The total arsenic concentration was determined together with total concentration of the main alkaline or alkaline-earth metals and anions in the natural waters. Temperature compensated measurements of the pH and redox potentials were made in-situ at the sampling sites.For both seasonal campaigns, the agreement between predicted and experimental As(III) is really high for those samples belonging to non polluted river waters.     

Determination of silver in environmental samples by tungsten wire preconcentration method-electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A preconcentration method for silver in environmental waters involving adsorption on a tungsten wire, followed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry with a tungsten tube atomizer is described. The optimal immersing time was 90 s. The best pH for the adsorption of silver was 3. Under the optimal conditions, the detection limit for silver by the tungsten wire preconcentration method was 5.0 ng l⁻¹ (3S/N) and the relative standard deviation was 8.2%. The effects of large amounts of concomitants on the preconcentration of silver were evaluated. Even though 10³- to 10⁴-fold excess of matrix elements existed in water, the silver response was not significantly affected by the matrix elements. The method with preconcentration on a tungsten wire was applied to the determination of silver in waters and proved to be sensitive, simple, and convenient. This adsorption method can be utilized in in situ sampling of ultra-trace silver in environmental samples (waters). Furthermore, after sampling it is easy to carry and store the tungsten wire without contamination for a long time.     

Development and application of methods using SPE,HPLC-DAD,LC-ESI-MS/MS and GFAAS for the determination of herbicides and metals in surface and drinking water

A preliminary study of the pollution in surface and drinking waters caused by herbicides and metals in the Municipal Water Supply System (CORSAN) in Rio Grande city, RS, Brazil, is reported. The occurrence of 5 herbicides and 9 metals was studied in surface and drinking water through the analysis of 2 sampling spots at CORSAN. The analytical determination was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE), high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for herbicides, and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) for metals. The concentrations of herbicides in the surface water were very low; however, the herbicide clomazone was detected in more than 50% of the samples analysed in concentration exceeding 1.0?µg L^?1. The concentration of metals was below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by the Brazilian regulation.     

GC/MS analysis of pesticides in the Ferrara area (Italy) surface water: a chemometric study

The development of a network to monitor surface waters is a critical element in the assessment, restoration and protection of water quality. In this study, concentrations of 42 pesticides--determined by GC-MS on samples from 11 points along the Ferrara area rivers--have been analyzed by chemometric tools. The data were collected over a three-year period (2002-2004). Principal component analysis of the detected pesticides was carried out in order to define the best spatial locations for the sampling points. The results obtained have been interpreted in view of agricultural land use. Time series data regarding pesticide contents in surface waters has been analyzed using the Autocorrelation function. This chemometric tool allows for seasonal trends and makes it possible to optimize sampling frequency in order to detect the effective maximum pesticide content.     

Speciation of chromium in waste waters by coupled column ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

An application of coupled column ion chromatography (IC)-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is presented for speciation of chromium in waste waters. By coupling an anion column with a cation column, both the cationic Cr(III) and anionic Cr(VI) species can be analyzed with detection limits below 0.5 μg/1. The separation of the interfering ions (chloride, chlorate, perchlorate, sulphate, sulphite, sulphide, thiosulphate, carbonate, cyanide and some organic compounds) from the chromium peaks is discussed, and the use of different chromium isotopes for data acquisition is compared. Based on the results, m/z 52 was considered as an ideal isotope for speciation of chromium in waste waters by the coupled column IC-ICP-MS, because it did not suffer from polyatomic interferences and due to the high sensitivity for chromium. The analysis of the waste water samples should be performed as soon as possible after sampling according to the stability tests of the species.     

Direct,On-Site,On-Cartridge Toxicokinetic Sampling Prior to On-Line SPE: A Feasibility Study

A recently developed sample introduction method prior to on-line SPE and liquid chromatography, termed “sorbent sampling” [1], was tested for its applicability in bioanalysis. The proof of principle described in this article demonstrates the applicability of sorbent sampling for a pharmacokinetic (PK) study with carbamazepine in rats. In this experiment two rats were dosed with carbamazepine and at several time intervals plasma samples were taken. Every sample was applied to and stored on a sorbent sample cartridge, while the remaining plasma was collected for processing by a conventional autosampler for comparison purposes. Quantitation was performed with and without the use of internal standard and the performance of the methods was verified. Results obtained with the sorbent sampling technique are comparable to those obtained with a conventional method. Sorbent sampling proved to be suitable for PK studies with a few practical challenges left. Although sorbent sampling is not yet commercially available, this feasibility study indicates that the sorbent sampling technique is a promising new method of sampling for bioanalytical purposes in biopharmaceutical R&D, with significant advantages such as zero sample loss, reduced animal or human sampling volumes (and hence reduction of animal usage), reduced risk of carry-over and fully automated sample preparation and analysis.     

近岸海域水环境监测的质量保证

叙述了近岸海域水环境采样前的准备及采样计划的编制、监测站住布设、样品采集贮存与运输、实验室分析、数据处理和传输等水环境监测的全过程，提出近岸海域监测的质量保证体系。     

Direct determination of hydrazine,methylhydrazine, and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine by zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with amperometric detection

A promising alternative to ion-chromatographic methods currently used for the direct determination of hydrazines is provided by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). In this work, we propose a method for the simultaneous determination of hydrazine, methylhydrazine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine in natural waters and soils based on a combination of chromatographic separation on a zwitterionic sulfobetaine stationary phase (Nucleodur HILIC) in the HILIC mode with amperometric detection.

Effects of different factors on the retention of analytes were studied and the optimum conditions of analysis were found. We recommend a mixture of acetonitrile with an aqueous phosphate buffer solution of pH 2.5 (78:22 v/v) with an ionic strength of 20 mM as a mobile phase. Detection in the direct current mode was performed at a working electrode potential of 1.1 V.

The advantages of the method are the high efficiency of separation, rapidity, high sensitivity and a wide dynamic range of analyte concentrations, covering four orders of magnitude. The attained LOD values for analytes lie in the range 0.07–0.13 μg L^–1, which is two orders of magnitude lower than those in currently used methods of ion chromatography with electrochemical and mass spectrometric detection.

The method was validated on samples of natural waters of different origin using the added–found technique. It was found that the error of analysis did not exceed 10% for river and ground waters and increased to 20–30% for peat bog surface waters.

The possibility of application of the developed method to the analysis of soils was shown on samples of peat bog soils selected at places of impact of the first steps of carrier rockets and polluted by rocket fuel based on 1,1-dimethylhydrazine.     

Estimating sampling and analysis uncertainties to assess the fitness for purpose of a water quality monitoring network

In order to verify that the protocols used for water quality monitoring of surface waters within the Long-term Environmental Research Monitoring and Testing System (OPE), located in the north-eastern part of France in relation with a geological disposal for radioactive waste project, are fit for purpose, a validation study was conducted following the methodology described in the Eurachem/citac and Nordtest guidance documents on uncertainty arising from sampling. As one of the objectives of the OPE water monitoring programme was to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of water quality, quality requirements were set to having a measurement variance, including sampling and analytical contributions, less than 20 % of the total variance to minimise the impact of measurement over the observed environmental variability. The replicate method was then selected in order to estimate the measurement uncertainty, including the sampling contribution, as well as the spatial and temporal variability of water quality of surface waters. To minimise costs, a single-split level was selected. Analytical uncertainties were assessed from inter-laboratory data and/or internal quality control data from the last 2–5 years. Finally, ANOVA was applied to the data sets after elimination of outliers. Results showed that for pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity and nitrate, the sampling uncertainty was negligible, whereas for other parameters such as dissolved oxygen, total suspend solids, total organic carbon, nitrite and phosphate, the sampling contribution to the measurement uncertainty was largely significant. For all parameters except calcium, the sampling and analytical protocols were considered fit for purpose.     

Merging zones in flow injection analysis : Part 6. determination of calcium in natural waters, soil and plant materials with glyoxal bis(2-hydroxyanil)

A flow injection procedure is proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of calcium in natural waters, soil extracts and plant digests, employing glyoxal bis(2-hydroxyanil) as the colour-forming reagent. The necessary dissociation of this reagent, which is rather slow, proceeds outside the analytical path, and the merging-zones approach is used for reagent addition. Composition of reagents, dissociation time of the colourforming reagent, ethanol content in the carrier streams and interferences are described. In the analysis of plant and soil materials, zone sampling is required for initial sample dilution. The proposed systems are very stable and permit a sampling rate of 180 determinations per hour. Relative standard deviations are less than 1%. The results compare well with those obtained by inductively-coupled argon-plasma atomic emission spectrometry.     

Estimation of Aluminum Speciation in Surface Waters of Low Ionic Strength by a Simple Computer Model

Abstract

A simple computer model based on chemical equilibrium calculation for evaluating the aluminum speciation in surface waters of low ionic strength (I < 1 × 10^?4 M) was presented in this paper. The speciations of aluminum obtained by this model have been compared with those obtained experimentally and the reasons for the observed differences have been discussed. This model has been applied to the estimation of aluminum speciation in practical surface waters sampling from areas of the United Kingdom, United States and People's Republic of China. Some valuable conclusions are obtained.     

Adsorption characteristics of traces of radium on membrane filters,glass and polyethylene

Adsorption of radium was studied on glass and polyethylene from aqueous solutions containing 8–40 pg·dm^{–3 224}Ra and on membrane filters, glass and polyethylene bottles from waste and river waters containing 2–170 pg·dm^{–3 226}Ra. The adsorption from aqueous solutions was determined as a function of pH and composition of the solutions and interpreted as due to ion exchange of Ra²⁺ ions for counter ions in the electric double layer on glass and polyethylene or due to chemisorption of RaSO₄ (RaCO₃) ion pairs on glass. Borosilicate glass adsorbed radium substantially more than polyethylene. The adsorption of dissolved forms of radium from the waste and river waters during storage and membrane filtration of the waters was negligible, but a significant loss of particulate forms of radium was sometimes observed during the storage. It has been recommended to separate dissolved and particulate forms of radium soon after the sampling and to prefer polyethylene to glass as container material for storage of dissolved forms of radium.     

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of runoff water and vegetation from abandoned mining of Pb–Zn ores

The present work reports on the heavy metal content: Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in running waters and vegetation around abandoned mining areas. Two species of mosses (Dicranum sp. and Pleurocarpus sp.) and three different species of wild grass (Bromus sp., Rumex sp. and Pseudoavena sp.) growing on the surrounding areas of old lead–zinc mines (Aran Valley, Pyrenees, NE Spain) have been analyzed. Both water and vegetation were collected in two different sampling places: (a) near the mine gallery water outlets and (b) on the landfill close to the abandoned mineral concentration factories. For the heavy metal content determination, two different techniques were used: total reflection X-ray fluorescence for water analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence for vegetation study. Surface waters around mine outlets exhibit anomalous content of Co, Ni, Zn, Cd. Stream waters running on mining landfills exhibit higher Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb than those of the waters at the mine gallery outlets. The results allow us to assess the extent of the environmental impact of the mining activities on the water quality. The intake of these elements by vegetation was related with the sampling place, reflecting the metal water content and the substrate chemistry. Accumulation of metals in mosses is higher than those exhibited in wild grasses. Furthermore, different levels of accumulation were found in different wild grass. Rumex sp. presented the lowest metal concentrations, while Pseudoavena sp. reported the highest metal content.     

Graphite furnace atomic absorption analysis of marine samples for trace metals

Trace element determinations by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry which are pertinent to the analysis of marine samples are highlighted. Results for the direct introduction of solids, slurries and dissolved samples of fauna, sediments and saline waters are discussed. Examples drawn from recent literature show that typical samples which benefit most from direct solid sampling are those that do not require the very highest accuracy or precision. No clear consensus amongst users of this technique has emerged regarding the choice between peak height or area recording or the need to standardize by aqueous calibration, the method of additions or use of matrix matched solids. Slurry sampling overcomes several limitations associated with direct solid sampling and whereas generalizations serve little purpose in assessing the applicability of the direct solid sampling approach, slurry sampling holds great promise for widespread use. Examples of external and in situ concentration techniques necessary to augment the relative detection power of the system for the analysis of saline waters are also given. These include an examination of “classical” procedures utilizing chelation-solvent extraction, immobilized ligands and precipitation methods as well as techniques which rely on sequestration in the furnace of volatile analyte species generated in external cells.