Biosorption of heavy metals on Aspergillus fumigatus immobilized Diaion HP-2MG resin for their atomic absorption spectrometric determinations

A solid phase extraction procedure based on biosorption of copper(II), lead(II), zinc(II), iron(III), nickel(II) and cobalt(II) ions on Aspergillus fumigatus immobilized Diaion HP-2MG has been investigated. The analytical conditions including amounts of A. fumigatus, eluent type, flow rates of sample and eluent solutions were examined. Good recoveries were obtained to the spiked natural waters. The influences of the concomitant ions on the retentions of the analytes were also examined. The detection limits (3sigma, N = 11) were 0.30 μg l⁻¹ for copper, 0.32 μg l⁻¹ for iron, 0.41 μg l⁻¹ for zinc, 0.52 μg l⁻¹ for lead, 0.59 μg l⁻¹ for nickel and 0.72 μg l⁻¹ for cobalt. The relative standard deviations of the procedure were below 7%. The validation of the presented procedure is performed by the analysis of three standard reference materials (NRCC-SLRS 4 Riverine Water, SRM 1515 Apple leaves and GBW 07605 Tea). The procedure was successfully applied for the determination of analyte ions in natural waters microwave digested samples including street dust, tomato paste, black tea, etc.     

Cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetric behaviour of guanine in the presence of copper at the static mercury drop electrode

The cathodic adsorptive electrochemical behavior of guanine in the presence of some metal ions at the static mercury drop electrode was investigated. A 1.0×10⁻³ mol l⁻¹ NaOH or a 2.0×10⁻² mol l⁻¹ Hepes buffer at pH 8.0 solutions were used as supporting electrolytes. The reduction peak potential for guanine was found to be around −0.15 V, which is very close to the mercury reduction wave. A new peak appears at −0.60 V in the presence of copper or at −1.05 V in the presence of zinc. A square wave voltammetric procedure for electroanalytical determination of guanine in 2.0×10⁻² mol l⁻¹ Hepes buffer at pH 8.0 containing 1.6×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹of copper ions, was developed. An accumulation potential of −0.15 V during 270 s for the prior adsorption of guanine at the electrode surface was used. The response of the system was found to be linear in the range of guanine concentration from 6.62×10⁻⁸ to 1.32×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹ and the detection limit was 7.0×10⁻⁹ mol l⁻¹. The influence of DNA bases such as adenine, cytosine and thymine was also examined. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the interfacial and redox mechanism.     

Exploiting flow injection and sequential injection anodic stripping voltammetric systems for simultaneous determination of some metals

Flow injection (FI) and sequential injection (SI) systems with anodic stripping voltammetric detection have been exploited for simultaneous determination of some metals. A pre-plated mercury film on a glassy carbon disc electrode was used as a working electrode in both systems. The same film can be repeatedly applied for at least 50 analysis cycles, thus reducing the mercury consumption and waste. A single line FI voltammetric system using an acetate buffer as a carrier and an electrolyte solution was employed. An injected standard/sample zone was mixed with the buffer in a mixing coil before entering a flow cell. Metal ions were deposited on the working electrode by applying a potential of −1.1 V vs Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The stripping was performed by anodically scanning potential of working electrode to +0.25 V, resulting a voltammogram. Effects of acetate buffer concentration, flow rate and sample volume were investigated. Under the selected condition, detection limits of 1 μg l⁻¹ for Cd(II), 18 μg l⁻¹ for Cu(II), 2 μg l⁻¹ for Pb(II) and 17 μg l⁻¹ for Zn(II) with precisions of 2–5% (n=11) were obtained. The SI voltammetric system was similar to the FI system and using an acetate buffer as a carrier solution. The SI system was operated by a PC via in-house written software and employing an autotitrator as a syringe pump. Standard/sample was aspirated and the zone was then sent to a flow cell for measurement. Detection limits for Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) were 6, 3, 10 and 470 μg l⁻¹, respectively. Applications to water samples were demonstrated. A homemade UV-digester was used for removing organic matters in the wastewater samples prior to analysis by the proposed voltammetric systems.     

Chemiluminescence assay of promethazine hydrochloride using acidic permanganate employing flow injection mode operated with syringe and peristaltic pumps

For the first time, promethazine hydrochloride chemiluminescence emission was monitored. The paper describes a new, specific and highly sensitive flow injection (FI) method for the determination of promethazine hydrochloride using both a peristaltic and a syringe pump. The method was based on the chemiluminescence emission intensity produced as a result of its oxidation reaction with permanganate in sulfuric acid medium. Reaction variables were thoroughly investigated employing chemometrical methods with few number of experiments. The optimum system and chemical conditions were 2.1519×10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹ permanganate in 0.01 mol l⁻¹ sulfuric acid when operating the peristaltic pump at a flow rate of 45 μl s⁻¹ and injecting the drug by a syringe pump operated at a speed of 40 μl s⁻¹. The method was found to be applicable in the concentration range of promethazine hydrochloride between 1.558×10⁻⁵ and 1.8697×10⁻³ mol l⁻¹ with a linear calibration plot of 0.992 correlation coefficient and the following equation: I=92.74+0.08048C. The method adopted proved to be highly suitable for the assay of promethazine hydrochloride in drug formulations without fear of interferences in dosage form.     

Use of silica gel chemically modified with zirconium phosphate for preconcentration and determination of lead and copper by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

An analytical method using silica gel chemically modified with zirconium (IV) phosphate for preconcentration of lead and copper, in a column system, and their sequential determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), was developed. Sample solutions are passed through a glass column packed with 100 mg of the sorbent material, at pH 4.5, and lead and copper are eluted with 1.0 mol l⁻¹ HNO₃ at a flow rate of 2.0 ml min⁻¹. The extraction of copper is affected by Fe(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) while only Fe(II) interferes in the lead determination. These interferences may be overcome with an appropriate addition of a KI or NaF solution. An enrichment factor of 30 was obtained for both metals. While the limits of detection (3σ) were 6.1 and 1.1 μg l⁻¹, for Pb and Cu, respectively, the limits of determination were 16.7 and 3.3 μg l⁻¹. The precision expressed as relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) obtained for 3.3 μg l⁻¹ of Cu and 16.7 μg l⁻¹ of Pb were 4.3 and 4.7%, respectively, calculated from ten measurements. The proposed method was evaluated with reference material and was applied for the determination of lead and copper in industrial and river waters.     

Determination of naringin in grapefruit juice by cathodic stripping differential pulse voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode

A highly sensitive cathodic stripping voltammetric method for the determination of naringin is presented. It is based on the formation and accumulation of two naringin–mercury complexes at the electrode surface, followed by reduction of the surface species during a differential pulse voltammetric scan. The cathodic stripping responses at −0.25 V and −0.42 V, are evaluated with respect to various experimental conditions, such as composition and pH of the supporting electrolyte, naringin concentration, accumulation potential and preconcentration time. The new method is suitable for the determination of naringin concentrations between 0.1 mg l⁻¹ (1.72×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹) and 40 mg l⁻¹ (6.88×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹). A 3σ limit of detection of 32 μg l⁻¹ (55 nmol l⁻¹) can be reached. The relative standard deviation (r.s.d.) is <1.5%. Recovery experiments yielded a mean recovery of 97% (r.s.d.=4.1%). The application of the procedure to the selective determination of naringin in grapefruit juice is demonstrated.     

Determination of physiological noble metals in human urine using liquid-liquid extraction and Zeeman electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

An extremely sensitive, reliable and simple procedure is described for the determination of physiological palladium, platinum and gold in human urine. The urine samples were adjusted to pH 4 (Pd, Au) or pH 5 (Pt), followed by conversion of the analytes to their pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate complexes. These complexes were separated from the matrix by liquid-liquid extraction into 4-methyl-2-pentanone resulting in a 25-fold enrichment. Determination was by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS) using longitudinal inverse alternating current Zeeman-effect background correction. The limits of detection calculated from three standard deviations of the blank values were 20 ng l⁻¹ for Pd and Au and 70 ng l⁻¹ Pt. Within-day precision (n = 10, 5 μg l⁻¹) ranged 5.2%–7.7%. The procedure is successfully applied to determine urinary palladium, platinum and gold in nine unexposed persons. Palladium levels in urine ranged < 20–80 ng l⁻¹ (arithmetical MEAN=38.7 ng l⁻¹), while gold levels ranged < 20–130 ng l⁻¹ (36.0 ng l⁻¹). Physiological platinum levels in urine were all < 70 ng l⁻¹. The accuracy of the procedure was checked by analyzing a series of urine samples by a second independent method (magnetic sector field inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) in combination with UV photolysis.     

Flow injection for the determination of Se(IV) and Se(VI) by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry with microwave oven on-line prereduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV)

An on-line flow injection system has been developed for the selective determination of Se(IV) and Se(VI) in citric fruit juices and geothermal waters by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry with microwave-aided heating prereduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV). The samples and the prereductant solutions (4 mol l⁻¹ HCl for Se(IV) and 12 mol l⁻¹ HCl for Se(VI)) which circulated in a closed-flow circuit were injected by means of a time-based injector. This mixture was displaced by a carrier solution of 1% v/v of hydrochloric acid through a PTFE coil located inside the focused microwave oven and mixed downstream with a borohydride solution to generate the hydride. The linear ranges were 0–120 and 0–100 μg l⁻¹ of Se(IV) and Se(VI), respectively. The detection limits were 1.0 μg l⁻¹ for Se(IV) and 1.5 μg l⁻¹ for Se(VI). The precision (about 2.0–2.5% RSD) and recoveries (96–98% for Se(IV) and 94–98% for Se(VI)) were good. Total selenium values were also obtained by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry which agreed with the content of both selenium species. The sample throughput was about 50 measurements per hour. The main advantage of the method is that the selective determination of Se(IV) and Se(VI) in citric fruit juices and geothermal waters is performed in a closed system with a minimum sample manipulation, exposure to the environment, minimum sample waste and operator attention.     

Copper determination in natural water samples by using FAAS after preconcentration onto amberlite XAD-2 loaded with calmagite

A procedure for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of copper in natural water samples, has been proposed. It is based on the adsorption of copper(II) ions onto a column of Amberlite XAD-2 resin loaded with calmagite reagent. This way amounts of copper within the range from 0.0125 to 25.0 μg, in a sample volume of 25 to 250 ml, and pH from 3.7 to 10.0 was concentrated as calmagite complex in a column of 0.50 g of Amberlite XAD-2 resin. Copper (II) ion was desorpted by using 5.0 ml of 2 mol l⁻¹ hydrochloric acid. Detection and determination limits of the proposed procedure for 250 ml sample volume were 0.15 and 0.50 μg l⁻¹, respectively. Selectivity test showed that (in the indicated concentration), calcium(II) (500 mg l⁻¹), magnesium(II) (500 mg l⁻¹), strontium(II) (50 mg l⁻¹), iron(III) (10 mg l⁻¹), nickel(II) (10 mg l⁻¹), cobalt(II) (10 mg l⁻¹), cadmium(II) (10 mg l⁻¹) and lead(II) (10 mg l⁻¹) did not interfere in copper determination by this procedure. Precision of the method, evaluated as the relative standard deviation by analyzing a series of seven replicates, was 2.42% for a copper mass of 1.0 μg in a sample volume of 100 ml. The accuracy of the proposed procedure was evaluated by means of copper determination in reference biological samples. The achieved results were in good agreement with certified values. The extractor system had a sorption capacity of 1.59 μmol of copper per gram of resin loaded with calmagite. The proposed procedure was applied for copper determination by FAAS in natural water samples. Samples were collected from different places of Salvador city, Bahia, Brazil. The achieved recovery, measured by the standard addition technique, showed that the proposed procedure had good accuracy. A good enrichment factor (50×) and simplicity are the main advantages in this analytical procedure.     

An on-line flow-injection microwave-assisted mineralization and a precipitation/dissolution system for the determination of molybdenum in blood serum and whole blood by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

An on-line flow injection (FI) precipitation–dissolution system with microwave-assisted sample digestion has been developed for the electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) determination of trace or ultratrace amounts of molybdenum in human blood serum and whole blood samples. After the exposure of the sample to microwave radiation, the on-line precipitation of molybdenum was achieved by the merging-zone of a 0.5-ml plug of sample with a plug of potassium ferrocyanide, which were carried downstream with a solution of 0.5 mol l⁻¹ of HNO₃. The interfering effects of iron and copper were minimized by the introduction of a flow of a 5% (w/v) sodium potassium tartrate (for iron) and 2% (w/v) of thiourea (for copper and zinc) in a 5% (v/v) ammonia and 2% (v/v) ammonium chloride solution previous to the precipitation reaction. The reddish-brown precipitate of molybdenyl ferrocyanide was collected on the walls of a knotted reactor. The precipitate was dissolved with the introduction of 1 ml of a 3.0 mol l⁻¹ NaOH solution and the best performance in terms of detection limit and precision was achieved when a sub-sample of 140 μl was collected in a capillary of a sampling arm assembly, to introduce 20 μl volumes into the atomizer by means of positive displacement with air through a time-based injector. A detection limit (3σ) of 0.1 μg Mo l⁻¹ using an aqueous standard solution was obtained. The method is quantitative and is applied over the range 0.2–20.0 μg Mo l⁻¹. The precision of the method evaluated by ten replicate analyses of aqueous standard solutions containing 0.5 and 1.0 μg Mo l⁻¹ was 2.8 and 3.1% (relative standard deviation, RSD) (for n=5), respectively. Whereas, the precision evaluated by five replicate analysis of a serum and a whole blood sample were 3.3 and 3.8% RSD. An enrichment factor of ca. 3.5 was achieved with the introduction of 0.5 ml aqueous standard solutions at a sample flow rate of 1.0 ml min⁻¹. Recoveries of spiked molybdenum in blood serum and whole blood were in the ranges 96–102 and 94–98%, respectively. The results obtained for two human whole blood certified reference materials were in good agreement with the indicative values.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of total amount of nitrite and nitrate in biological sample with a new fluorescent probe 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-(3',4'-diaminophenyl)-difluoroboradiaza-s-indacence

A new synthesized fluorescent probe, 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-(3′,4′-diaminophenyl)-difluoroboradiaza-s-indacence (TMDABODIPY), has been used to detect nitrite. When TMDABODIPY reacted with nitrite, a weak fluorescent triazole formed in 0.2 mol l⁻¹ HCl medium at room temperature. The fluorescence quenching intensity was linear over a nitrite concentration of 0.04–0.32 μmol l⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.3 nmol l⁻¹ (S/N=3). The proposed method has been applied to the determination of total amount of nitrite and nitrate (reduced by Zn powder) in human serum and urine of health and hypertension persons with recoveries of 91.83–101.80%.     

Simultaneous determination of total arsenic and total selenium in Chinese medicinal herbs by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry in tartaric acid medium

By HG-AFS, a new method was proposed for simultaneous determination of total arsenic and total selenium existed in the Chinese medicinal herbs in tartaric acid medium. The effects of analytical conditions and coexisting ions on the fluorescence signal intensity of analytes were investigated. The proposed method was provided with linear response ranges above 22 μg l⁻¹ for As and 44 μg l⁻¹ for Se, and the detection limits of 0.13 and 0.12 μg l⁻¹ were obtained for As and Se respectively. The recoveries of 93.8–96.1% for As and 95.3–99.1% for Se, and the precision of 1.2–3.8% and 2.4–5.3% (R.S.D., n = 8) respectively, were obtained via simultaneous determined four samples of Chinese medicinal herbs and three certified botanic reference materials successfully. The proposed method has the advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity and high efficiency.     

Analysis of acrylamide in coffee and dietary exposure to acrylamide from coffee

An analytical method for analysing acrylamide in coffee was validated. The analysis of prepared coffee includes a comprehensive clean-up using multimode solid-phase extraction (SPE) by automatic SPE equipment and detection by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry using electrospray in the positive mode. The recoveries of acrylamide in ready-to-drink coffee spiked with 5 and 10 μg l⁻¹ were 96±14% and 100±8%, respectively. Within laboratory reproducibility for the same spiking levels were 14% and 9%, respectively. Coffee samples (n = 25) prepared twice by coffee machines and twice by a French Press Cafetière coffee maker contained 8±3 μg l⁻¹ and 9±3 μg l⁻¹ acrylamide. Five ready-to-drink instant coffee prepared twice contained 8±2 μg l⁻¹. Hence, the results do not show significant differences in the acrylamide contents in ready-to-drink coffee prepared by coffee machine, French Press or from instant coffee. Medium roasted coffee contained more acrylamide (10 μg l⁻¹) than dark roasted coffee (5 μg l⁻¹). Males aged 35–45 years, drinking on average 1.1 l coffee per day are exposed to the highest doses of acrylamide from coffee. The dietary intake of acrylamide from coffee comprises, on an average, 10 μg day⁻¹ for males and 9 μg day⁻¹ for females aged 35–45 years. Probabilistic modelling of the exposure of Danish consumers (all adults) to acrylamide from coffee shows a mean exposure of 6.5 μg day⁻¹ and a 95 percentile of 18 μg day⁻¹.     

Electrochemiluminescence sensor using tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) immobilized in Eastman-AQ55D–silica composite thin-films

An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor with good long-term stability and fast response time has been developed. The sensor was based on the immobilization of tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) into the Eastman-AQ55D–silica composite thin films on a glassy carbon electrode. The ECL and electrochemistry of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ immobilized in the composite thin films have been investigated, and the modified electrode was used for the ECL detection of oxalate, tripropylamine (TPA) and chlorpromazine (CPZ) in a flow injection analysis system and showed high sensitivity. Because of the strong electrostatic interaction and low hydrophobicity of Eastman-AQ55D, the sensor showed no loss of response over 2 months of dry storage. In use, the electrode showed only a 5% decrease in response over 100 potential cycles. The detection limit was 1 μmol l⁻¹ for oxalate and 0.1 μmol l⁻¹ for both TPA and CPZ (S/N=3), respectively. The linear range extended from 50 μmol l⁻¹ to 5 mmol l⁻¹ for oxalate, from 20 μmol l⁻¹ to 1 mmol l⁻¹ for TPA, and from 1 μmol l⁻¹ to 200 μmol l⁻¹ for CPZ.     

Reverse flow injection spectrophotometric determination of iron(III) using norfloxacin

A reversed flow injection colorimetric procedure for determining iron(III) at the μg level was proposed. It is based on the reaction between iron(III) with norfloxacin (NRF) in 0.07 mol l⁻¹ ammonium sulfate solution, resulting in an intense yellow complex with a suitable absorption at 435 nm. Optimum conditions for determining iron(III) were investigated by univariate method. The method involved injection of a 150 μl of 0.04% w/v colorimetric reagent solution into a merged streams of sample and/or standard solution containing iron(III) and 0.07 mol l⁻¹ ammonium sulfate in sulfuric acid (pH 3.5) solution which was then passed through a single bead string reactor. Subsequently the absorbance as peak height was monitored at 435 nm. Beer's law obeyed over the range of 0.2–1.4 μg ml⁻¹ iron(III). The method has been applied to the determination of total iron in water samples digested with HNO₃–H₂O₂ (1:9 v/v). Detection limit (3σ) was 0.01 μg ml⁻¹ the sample through of 86 h⁻¹ and the coefficient of variation of 1.77% (n=12) for 1 μg ml⁻¹ Fe(III) were achieved with the recovery of the spiked Fe(III) of 92.6–99.8%.     

Analytical method for the determination of the aminoglycoside gentamicin in hospital wastewater via liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of gentamicin residues in hospital wastewater has been developed using kanamycin as a surrogate standard. The method consists of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and detection by ion-pair chromatography with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ES-tandem MS). The SPE was performed on a weak cation exchanger. Filtration should be avoided in the sample preparation, otherwise a significant loss of gentamicin occurs. Chromatographic separation on a C₁₈-column was achieved using a ternary eluent containing methanol, water and 20 mmol l⁻¹ heptafluorobutyric acid solution. Mean relative recoveries of the analytes in hospital wastewater varied between 107 and 111%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.20 μg l⁻¹ in hospital wastewater. Gentamicin was found in native hospital wastewater in a concentration range between 0.4 and 7.6 μg l⁻¹.     

The determination of molybdenum in water and biological samples by graphite furnace atomic spectrometry after polyurethane foam column separation and preconcentration

A system for molybdenum separation and enrichment aiming its determination in water and biological samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is proposed. The procedure is based on the sorption of the molybdenum (VI) thiocyanate complex onto a mini-column packed with polyurethane foam (PUF). The elution is accomplished by a 3.0 mol l⁻¹ nitric acid solution. Flow variables were optimized and an enrichment factor of 10 as well as a limit of detection (LOD) (3 s) of 0.08 μg l⁻¹ in the sample solution were achieved. The coefficient of variation showed values of 3 and 2% for molybdenum solutions of 2.0 and 10.0 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by the good concordance between found and certified values in the analysis of certified reference materials (CRMs) (CASS-3 Nearshore Seawater, NIST 1547 Peach Leaves, NIST 1515 Apple Leaves and NIST 1572 Citrus Leaves). The procedure was also applied for the molybdenum determination in mineral waters as well as in produced water samples. The results obtained for the mineral water samples compared well with those obtained by ICP-MS. Concerning the produced water samples, in spite of their large salinity, recoveries of 90 to 120% at the 1 μg l⁻¹ were observed.     

Evaluation of an on-line coupled continuous flow liquid membrane extraction and precolumn system as trace enrichment technique by liquid chromatographic determination of bisphenol A

An on-line coupled continuous flow liquid membrane extraction (CFLME) and C₁₈ precolumn system was developed for sample preconcentration in liquid chromatography determination. After preconcentration by CFLME, which is based on the combination of continuous flow liquid–liquid extraction and supported liquid membrane, bisphenol A (BPA) was enriched in 960 μl of 1 mol l⁻¹ NaOH used as acceptor. This acceptor was on-line neutralized and transported onto the C₁₈ precolumn where analytes were absorbed and focused. Then the focused analytes were injected onto a C₁₈ analytical column for separation and detected at 220 nm with a diode array detector. CFLME related parameters such as flow rates, pH of donor and acceptor, and enrichment time were optimized. The proposed method presents a detection limit of 0.03 μg l⁻¹ (S/N=3) when 60 ml samples was enriched with an enrichment time of 30 min. Compared with C₁₈ based column-switching procedure, this proposed procedure presents similar sample throughput and lower detection limits. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine BPA in tap water, river water, and municipal sewage effluent samples.     

Determination of nanomolar concentrations of phosphate in freshwaters using flow injection with luminol chemiluminescence detection

A simple and rapid flow injection (FI) method is reported for the determination of phosphate (as molybdate reactive P) in freshwaters based on luminol chemiluminescence (CL) detection. The molybdophosphoric heteropoly acid formed by phosphate and ammonium molybdate in acidic conditions generated chemiluminescence emission via the oxidation of luminol. The detection limit (3× standard deviation of blank) was 0.03 μg P l⁻¹ (1.0 nM), with a sample throughput of 180 h⁻¹. The calibration graph was linear over the range 0.032–3.26 μg P l⁻¹ (r²=0.9880) with relative standard deviations (n=4) in the range 1.2–4.7%. Interfering cations (Ca(II), Mg(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Co(II), Fe(II) and Fe(III)) were removed by passing the sample through an in-line iminodiacetate chelating column. Silicate interference (at 5 mg Si l⁻¹) was effectively masked by the addition of tartaric acid and other common anions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, HCO₃⁻, NO₃⁻ and NO₂⁻) did not interfere at their maximum admissible concentrations in freshwaters. The method was applied to freshwater samples and the results (26.1±1.1–62.0±0.4 μg P l⁻¹) were not significantly different (P=0.05) from results obtained using a segmented flow analyser method with spectrophotometric detection (24.4±4.45–84.0±16.0 μg P l⁻¹).     

Simultaneous flow injection determination of calcium and fluoride in natural and borehole water with conventional ion-selective electrodes in series

An on-line automated system for the simultaneous flow injection determination of calcium and fluoride in natural and borehole water with conventional calcium-selective and fluoride-selective membrane electrodes as sensors in series is described. Samples (30 μl) are injected into a TISAB II (pH=5.50) carrier solution as an ionic strength adjustment buffer. The sample-buffer zone formed is first channeled to a fluoride-selective membrane electrode and then via the calcium-selective membrane electrode to the reference electrodes. The system is suitable for the simultaneous on-site monitoring of calcium (linear range 10⁻⁵–10⁻² mol l⁻¹ detection limit 1.94×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ recovery 99.22%, RSD<0.5%) and fluoride (linear range 10⁻⁵–10⁻² mol l⁻¹ detection limit 4.83×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ recovery 98.63%, RSD=0.3%) at a sampling rate of 60 samples h⁻¹.