An investigation of a flameless atomic-absorption method for determination of aluminium, calcium, iron and magnesium in sewage sludge

The methods currently used for the determination of aluminium, calcium, iron and magnesium in sewage sludge are time-consuming. A rapid flameless atomic-absorption procedure, utilizing homogenization of diluted samples as the only pretreatment, has been compared with wet and dry analytical methods followed by flame atomic-absorption analysis, in a statistically designed experiment. Low-sensitivity (secondary absorption) lines have been used for the flameless analysis. The flameless atomic-absorption method described is better than all the other methods tested, with the exception of the nitric-perchloric-hydrofluoric acid digestion procedure. The time saved is substantial and the method could be used advantageously for routine analysis.     

Comparison of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry of the metal content of sewage sludge with flame atomic absorption spectrometry in conjunction with different pretreatment methods

Determination of the metal content of sewage sludges is of increasing importance in order to assess the suitability of the sludge for disposal to agricultural land. The methods currently used for the determination of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc are time-consuming. A rapid electrothermal atomic absorption procedure with homogenization as the only pretreatment is compared with wet and dry pretreatment methods followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, in a statistically designed experiment. The precision of the rapid electrothermal atomic absorption procedure compares well with flame atomic absorption in conjunction with all pretreatment methods used. Time saved by the use of this method is substantial; the procedure could be used advantageously for routine analysis.     

Some observations on the determination of total heavy metals in sewage sludge by atomic absorption spectrophotometry after a pressurized acid digestion

An economical and simple method for the flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, Fe, and Zn in sewage sludges is described. Samples are treated with concentrated HNO₃ in a thermal oven using Pyrex glass tubes hermetically sealed with Bakelite screw caps. The effect of the digestion parameters, such as digestion time, acid volume, sample mass, and temperature, were studied. The precision and accuracy of this procedure were evaluated by the analysis of two BCR (Community Bureau of Reference, European Communities) certified sewage sludge samples (CRM 146 and 144).     

Determination of mercury in sewage sludge by direct slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Ultrasonic slurry sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) method was elaborated to the determination of Hg in sewage sludge samples with the use of KMnO₄+Pd modifier. The minimum sample amount required for slurry preparation with respect to sample homogeneity was evaluated by weighting masses between 3 and 30 mg directly into the autosampler cups. Validation of the proposed method was performed with the use of Certified Reference Materials of sewage sludge, CRM 007-040 and CRM 144R. Two sewage sludge samples from Poznañ (Poland) city were analysed using the present direct method and a method with sample digestion, resulting in no difference within statistical error.     

On-line microwave oven digestion flame atomic absorption analysis of solid samples

A manifold has been developed for on-line microwave oven digestion and flame atomic absorption spectrometric (FAAS) determination of metallic elements in solid samples. The use of a closed flow system permits sample treatment before analysis by FAAS, the direct injection of slurries avoids a filtration step and the interconnection of two conventional rotary injection valves allows the rapid introduction of samples and standards. The determination of lead in sewage sludge was employed as a test system for the proposed on-line sample digestion manifold. The procedure has a limit of detection of 0.2 μg Pb g^?1.     

Critical evaluation of analytical performance of atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for mercury determination

The analytical performance of cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for mercury determination have been investigated with the use of two reference materials SRM 2710 Montana I Soil and BCR-144R (sewage sludge from domestic origin). The digestion conditions and their influence on determination of mercury have been studied. Samples were decomposed by microwave digestion in closed vessels with the use of HCl alone or mixture of HCl+HNO₃+HF. The digestion solutions were analyzed by CV AAS using NaBH₄ as a reducing agent, by GF AAS with Pd or mixture of Pd/Rh as modifiers and by ICP-MS with Rh as internal standard. In the case of CV AAS, results were not dependent on digestion conditions. In the case of GF AAS and ICP-MS, results depended significantly on digestion conditions; in both cases, the use of the mixture of acids as defined above suppressed the signal of mercury. Therefore, in those cases, the microwave digestion with HCl is recommended. Detection limits of 0.003, 0.01 and 0.2 μg g⁻¹ were achieved by ICP-MS, CV AAS and GF AAS, respectively.     

Determination of Lead in Lipstick by Direct Solid Sampling High-Resolution Continuum Source Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry: Comparison of Two Digestion Methods

A new analytical procedure for the determination of lead in lipstick has been developed using direct solid sampling high resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (SS HR CS GFAAS). The performance of this method has been compared to acid digestion methods for sample preparation, with or without hydrofluoric acid (HF) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection. Good reliability was obtained for all three methods; the results obtained for certified reference materials with concentrations between 1 and 20 ppm were in agreement with the certified values. However, for materials with complex matrices, such as pearl or Ca-Na borosilicate, only ICP-MS with HF sample digestion or AAS with direct solid sampling allowed complete recovery of lead. To avoid the use of hazardous acids, the development of SS HR CS GFAAS is an interesting alternative. With the AAS method, a characteristic mass of 13.2 pg of lead was obtained, and the limit of detection was 0.005 µg/g. The performance of the method was evaluated by determining lead in lipstick. The use of the solid sampling technique constitutes a good alternative for accurate and rapid determination of lead content in lipstick and cosmetic raw materials, with a suitable limit of detection and a reduced risk of contamination or of analyte loss. Another alternative would be to use ICP-MS determination in conjunction with microwave-assisted acid digestion without the use of HF, which implies accepting a quantification of “nearly total” lead, closer to a “bio-extractible” fraction.     

微波消解-磷钼蓝分光光度法测定城市污泥中总磷浓度

建立了微波消解-磷钼蓝分光光度法测定城市污泥中总磷的方法。在微波环境中硝酸-过氧化氢能够将城市污泥中无机磷盐和含磷有机物消解为正磷酸盐,在弱酸性条件下,正磷酸盐在铋盐的催化条件下与钼酸铵-抗坏血酸生成磷钼蓝,于分光光度计波长690nm处进行测定总磷浓度。方法的相对标准偏差0.63%～0.95%,加标回收率为101%～102%,能够满足对城市污泥中总磷浓度的测定要求。     

微波制样的应用

介绍了微波制样在分析化学中的应用，包括微波试样消解，微波加热水样测定CODcr，微波加热水解蛋白质测定各种氨基酸，以及微波萃取等。特别是对微波试样消解在应用中的一些问题，作了较详细的叙述。     

On-line microwave-assisted digestion of solid samples for their flame atomic spectrometric analysis

A new procedure has been developed for the on-line digestion of solids in a microwave oven. The direct injection in a water carrier flow of dispersions of solid samples in concentrated nitric acid, the merging of these slurries with 30% (v/v) H(2)O(2) and the microwave-assisted digestion in a Teflon coil of 100 cm permit a fast and quantitative extraction of Cu and Mn from different solid matrices, such as vegetables, powdered dietary products and sewage sludges. The development of an appropriate interphase, in which digested samples are cooled and degassified, previous to their introduction into the nebulizer of a flame atomic absorption spectrometer, makes possible the full automatization of the digestion and measurement steps of the elemental analysis of solids and it provides a sample frequency of 180 injections per hour. The developed procedure has also been applied for Pb and Zn determination in certified sewage sludge samples, with accurate results obtained for Pb but low results found for Zn.     

Simultaneous Determination of Total Nitrogen and Metal Elements in Tobaccos by High Performance Ion Chromatography

A simple method, developed primarily for simultaneous determination of total nitrogen and inorganic cations by high performance ion chromatographic (HPIC), was optimized for digestion of flue‐cured tobaccos, and compared with the traditional Kjeldahl method and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Nitrogen determination by either Dumas method or Kjeldahl method is time‐consuming and tedious. Metal elements determination by either inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) or AAS may be more expensive and requires specialist equipment. The use of HPIC to simultaneous determine total nitrogen as ammonium ion and metal elements as inorganic cations after sample digestion significantly improves the speed of the analysis compared with the conventional methods. The cation‐exchange column and suppressed conductivity detector was used for determination of ammonium and inorganic cations in the presence of the elevated levels of sulfuric acid found in digested sample. The propsoed digestion method was accurate and precise, and required little investment. The determination of ammonium and inorganic cations was linear from 15 pg·L^?1 up to 25 ng·L^?1. The results obtained by the HPIC method were compared with those for the conventional methods approach for the determination of total nitrogen and metal elements. The application of the HPIC method is also demonstrated for a variety of other plant samples matrices.     

电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定地质样品中的钨、钼、锡

改进了电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法(ICP-AES)同时测定多金属矿石等地质勘查样品中钨、钼、锡的溶样方法。采取酸溶和碱熔结合,先用硝酸和高氯酸及氢氟酸溶样,用盐酸(1+1)浸取再过滤,滤渣及滤纸灰化后再碱熔,最后用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法(ICP-AES)测定钨、钼、锡。克服了传统的酸溶法导致锡的测定结果偏低和碱熔法易堵塞ICP-AES矩管和雾化器的两大弊端,方法经国家一级标准物质验证,精密度和准确度均能达到日常分析的要求。     

Comparison of ten digestion procedures for the determination of arsenic in soils by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Ten different digestion methods were investigated for the determination of arsenic in soils by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry. These methods included a dry ashing/digestion, several acid-leaching procedures, and digestions in a pressure decomposition vessel or a Kjeldahl apparatus. A certified reference sample was analysed and the results obtained for five other soil samples were compared with the data obtained by spectrophotometry. A nitric/sulphuric acid digestion was the most suitable. A brief interference study is reported.     

Twin-spray flame atomic-absorption spectrometric determination of antimony, bismuth and mercury in geochemical samples

A new flame atomic-absorption method for determination of antimony, bismuth and mercury, called the twin-spray method, has been established. The operating conditions and potential interferences have been investigated in detail. Under the optimized conditions the sensitivities obtained are 20, 30 and 70 times higher for antimony, bismuth and mercury respectively, than those of conventional AAS. The method can be used to determine as little as 0.00n% of antimony, 0.000n% of bismuth and 0.0n% of mercury in geochemical samples. The procedures are very simple and easy and need no extra apparatus for hydride generation.     

Influence of volatile hydride-forming elements on antimony determination by atomic-absorption spectrometry with hydride-generation

A study was undertaken to determine the interfering effects of arsenic, bismuth, germanium, lead, selenium, tin and tellurium on trace determination of antimony by atomic-absorption spectrometry with hydride-generation. A 1% NaBH(4) solution was used as reductant and a small amount of oxygen was added to the hydrogen produced, to support the combustion and atomization of SbH(3). The interference from selenium in the determination of antimony is removed if potassium iodide-ascorbic acid solution or copper sulphate is added to the sample solution. The interference of tin and tellurium can also be avoided by adding potassium iodide-ascorbic acid solution. A possible interference mechanism is discussed.     

Simultaneous determination of Cd,Cr, Cu,Ni, Pb and Zn in sewage sludge by slurry introduction ICP-OES method

In order to evaluate the slurry nebulisation method as an alternative method for analysis of sewage sludge, the metal content of sludge samples of different origins was determined. The concentrations of six elements: Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined by introducing the sludge as a slurry into an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Calibration was performed by using aqueous standard solutions. For comparison, the sewage sludge was also digested by microwave digestion and introduced into the plasma as an aqueous solution. The accuracy of the method was checked by analysing a sewage sludge certified reference material (CRM 007-040 Sewage Sludge). The Student's t-test showed that values obtained using slurry nebulisation were close to the certified values at a 95% confidence level. The values of elements Cd 11.1?±?0.8; Cr 37.7?±?3.3; Cu 563.3?±?38.4; Pb 119.2?±?10.1; Zn 729?±?68.2?mg?kg^?1 obtained using this method were comparable with those obtained using the conventional method. The slurry method can, therefore, be successfully applied to the determination of content of each element in sewage sludge with RSD less than 3%, without the need to predissolve them. This could avoid the use of hazardous chemicals, incomplete dissolution and loss of volatile analytes.     

A comparison of two digestion procedures for the determination of selenium in biological material

Two digestion procedures have been tested on samples of flour, blood and urine for application in the determination of selenium by hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry. The first utilizes a mixture of concentrated nitric, perchloric and sulphuric acids and the second a mixture of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, concentrated nitric acid and 6M hydrochloric acid. The accuracy of the procedures was tested by analysis of standard reference materials and by comparison with results from neutron-activation analysis. It was found that the "magnesium method" can replace the more common procedure, which includes perchloric acid, for the sample types investigated in this paper.     

Development of an analytical method for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sewage sludge by the use of gas chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardants. As a consequence of their widespread use, they have been released into the environment. PBDEs are lipophilic organic contaminants that enter wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from urban, agricultural and industrial discharges. Because of their low aqueous solubility and resistance to biodegradation, up to 90% of the PBDEs are accumulated in the sewage sludge during the wastewater treatment. To assess the possibilities for sludge re-use, a reliable determination of the concentrations of these PBDEs is of crucial importance. Six PBDE congeners (BDE 28, BDE 47, BDE 99, BDE 100, BDE 153 and BDE 154) are listed as priority substances under the EU Water Framework Directive. In the present work a simple analytical method with minimal sample-preparation steps was developed for a sensitive and reliable determination of the six PBDEs in sewage sludge by the use of gas chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS). For this purpose an extraction procedure was optimised. Different extracting agents (methanol (MeOH), acetic acid (AcOH)/MeOH mixture (3:1) and 0.1 mol L⁻¹ hydrochloric acid (HCl) in MeOH) followed by the addition of a Tris-citrate buffer (co-extracting agent) and iso-octane were applied under different modes of extraction (mechanical shaking, microwave- and ultrasound-assisted extraction). Mechanical shaking or the microwave-assisted extraction of sewage sludge with 0.1 mol L⁻¹ HCl in MeOH and the subsequent addition of the Tris-citrate buffer and the iso-octane extracted the PBDEs from the complex sludge matrix most effectively. However, due to easier sample manipulation during the extraction step, mechanical shaking was used. The PBDEs in the organic phase were quantified with GC-ICP-MS by applying a standard addition calibration method. The spike recovery test (recoveries between 95 and 104%) and comparative analyses with the species-specific isotope-dilution (ID) GC-ICP-MS confirmed the accuracy of the developed analytical procedure. The procedure is sensitive (limits of detection (LODs) for PBDEs congeners between 0.2 and 0.3 ng g⁻¹), repeatable and reproducible (RSDs 2.2–5.7%) and was applied for the determination of PBDEs in sewage sludge samples collected three times at the municipal WWTP over a period of 16 years.     

Non-dispersive atomic-fluorescence spectrometry of trace amounts of bismuth by introduction of its gaseous hydride into a premixed argon (entrained air)-hydrogen flame

A method has been developed for the determination of bismuth by generation of its gaseous hydride and introduction of the hydride into a premixed argon (entrained air)-hydrogen flame, the atomic-fluorescence lines from which are all detected by use of a non-dispersive system. The detection limit is 5 pg/ml, or 0.1 ng of bismuth, but the reagent blank found in a 20-ml sample volume was approximately 2 ng of bismuth. Analytical working curves obtained by measuring peak-heights and integrated peak-areas of the signals are linear over a range of about four orders of magnitude from the detection limit. Perchloric, phosphoric and sulphuric acids up to 2.0M concentration give no interference, but nitric acid gives slight depression of the signal. The presence of silver, gold, nickel, palladium, platinum, selenium and tellurium in 1000-fold ratio to bismuth causes pronounced depression of the signal, whereas mercury and tin slightly enhance the atomic-fluorescence signal. The method has been applied to the determination of bismuth in aluminium-base alloys and sulphide ores with use of the standard additions method. The results are in good agreement with those obtained by flame atomic-absorption spectrometry and optical emission spectrometry with an inductively coupled plasma.     

Determination of silver, bismuth, cadmium, copper, iron, nickel and zinc in lead- and tin-base solders and white-metal bearing alloys by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry

A simple atomic-absorption spectrophotometry method is described for the determination of silver, bismuth, cadmium, copper, iron, nickel and zinc in lead- and tin-base solders and white-metal bearing alloys, with use of a single sample solution. The sample is dissolved in a mixture of hydrobromic acid and bromine, then fumed with sulphuric acid. The lead sulphate is dissolved in concentrated hydrochloric acid. The method is particularly suitable for the determination of silver and bismuth, which are co-precipitated with lead sulphate. The other elements can also be determined after removal of the lead sulphate by filtration.