Sequential injection monosegmented flow voltammetric determination of cadmium and lead using a bismuth film working electrode

A cost-effective sequential injection monosegmented flow analysis (SI-MSFA) with anodic stripping voltammetric (ASV) detection has been developed for determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II). The bismuth film working electrode (BiFE) was employed for accumulative preconcentration of the metals by applying a fixed potential of −1.10 V versus Ag/AgCl electrode for 90 s. The SI-MSFA provides a convenient means for preparation of a homogeneous solution zone containing sample in an acetate buffer electrolyte solution and Bi(III) solution for in situ plating of BiFE, ready for ASV measurement at a flow through thin layer electrochemical cell. Under the optimum conditions, linear calibration graphs in range of 10-100 μg L⁻¹ of both Cd(II) and Pb(II) were obtained with detection limits of 1.4 and 6.9 μg L⁻¹ of Cd(II) and Pb(II), respectively. Relative standard deviations were 2.7 and 3.1%, for 11 replicate analyses of 25 μg L⁻¹ Cd(II) and 25 μg L⁻¹ Pb(II), respectively. A sample throughput of 12 h⁻¹ was achieved with low consumption of reagent and sample solutions. The system was successfully applied for analysis of water samples collected from a draining pond of zinc mining, validating by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) method.     

Bismuth-dispersed xerogel-based composite films for trace Pb(II) and Cd(II) voltammetric determination

We report for the first time the synthesis of bismuth-modified (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and its application for the determination of lead and cadmium by anodic stripping voltammetry. Xerogels made from bismuth-modified MPTMS and mixtures of it with tetraethoxysilane, under basic conditions (NH₃·H₂O), were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. Bismuth-modified xerogels were mixed with 1.5% (v/v) Nafion in ethanol and applied on glassy carbon electrodes. During the electrolytic reductive deposition step, the bismuth compound on the electrode surface was reduced to metallic bismuth. The target metal cations were simultaneously reduced to the respective metals and were preconcentrated on the electrode surface by forming an alloy with bismuth. Then, an anodic voltammetric scan was applied in which the metals were oxidized and stripped back into the solution; the voltammogram was recorded and the stripping peak heights were related to the concentration of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions in the sample. Various key parameters were investigated in detail and optimized. The effect of potential interferences was also examined. Under optimum conditions and for preconcentration period of 4 min, the 3σ limit of detection was 1.3 μg L⁻¹ for Pb(II) and 0.37 μg L⁻¹ for Cd(II), while the reproducibility of the method was 4.2% for lead (n = 5, 10.36 μg L⁻¹ Pb(II)) and 3.9% for cadmium (n = 5, 5.62 μg L⁻¹ Cd(II)). Finally, the sensors were applied to the determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions in water samples.     

Disposable screen-printed sensors modified with bismuth precursor compounds for the rapid voltammetric screening of trace Pb(II) and Cd(II)

In this article, a study of novel screen-printed electrodes bulk-modified with five potential bismuth precursor compounds (bismuth citrate, bismuth titanate, bismuth oxide, bismuth aluminate and bismuth zirconate) is presented for the determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by anodic stripping voltammetry. During the electrolytic deposition step, the precursor was reduced and served as the source of bismuth. Different key parameters were investigated in detail such as the nature of the bismuth precursor compound, the precursor content in the carbon ink, the polarisation range of the sensors, the supporting electrolyte, the stripping waveform, the deposition time, the deposition potential and the long-term stability of the sensors under continuous use. Using bismuth citrate as the precursor, the limit of detection was 0.9 μg L⁻¹ for Pb(II) and 1.1 μg L⁻¹ for Cd(II). The reproducibility on the same sensor (expressed as % relative standard deviation, (n = 8)) was 5.4% for Pb(II) and 7.2% for Cd(II) at the 20 μg L⁻¹ level. Finally, the sensors were applied to the determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in water samples.     

Determination of trace heavy metals in herbs by sequential injection analysis-anodic stripping voltammetry using screen-printed carbon nanotubes electrodes

A method for the simultaneous determination of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) at low μg L⁻¹ concentration levels by sequential injection analysis-anodic stripping voltammetry (SIA-ASV) using screen-printed carbon nanotubes electrodes (SPCNTE) was developed. A bismuth film was prepared by in situ plating of bismuth on the screen-printed carbon nanotubes electrode. Operational parameters such as ratio of carbon nanotubes to carbon ink, bismuth concentration, deposition time and flow rate during preconcentration step were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the linear ranges were found to be 2-100 μg L⁻¹ for Pb(II) and Cd(II), and 12-100 μg L⁻¹ for Zn(II). The limits of detection (S_bl/S = 3) were 0.2 μg L⁻¹ for Pb(II), 0.8 μg L⁻¹ for Cd(II) and 11 μg L⁻¹ for Zn(II). The measurement frequency was found to be 10-15 stripping cycle h⁻¹. The present method offers high sensitivity and high throughput for on-line monitoring of trace heavy metals. The practical utility of our method was also demonstrated with the determination of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) by spiking procedure in herb samples. Our methodology produced results that were correlated with ICP-AES data. Therefore, we propose a method that can be used for the automatic and sensitive evaluation of heavy metals contaminated in herb items.     

Sensitive electrochemical sensor using a graphene–polyaniline nanocomposite for simultaneous detection of Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II)

This work describes the development of an electrochemical sensor for simultaneous detection of Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) using a graphene–polyaniline (G/PANI) nanocomposite electrode prepared by reverse-phase polymerization in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Two substrate materials (plastic film and filter paper) and two nanocomposite deposition methods (drop-casting and electrospraying) were investigated. Square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry currents were higher for plastic vs. paper substrates. Performance of the G/PANI nanocomposites was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry. The G/PANI-modified electrode exhibited high electrochemical conductivity, producing a three-fold increase in anodic peak current (vs. the unmodified electrode). The G/PANI-modified electrode also showed evidence of increased surface area under SEM. Square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry was used to measure Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) in the presence of Bi(III). A linear working range of 1–300 μg L⁻¹ was established between anodic current and metal ion concentration with detection limits (S/N = 3) of 1.0 μg L⁻¹ for Zn(II), and 0.1 μg L⁻¹ for both Cd(II) and Pb(II). The G/PANI-modified electrode allowed selective determination of the target metals in the presence of common metal interferences including Mn(II), Cu(II), Fe(III), Fe(II), Co(III), and Ni(II). Repeat assays on the same device demonstrated good reproducibility (%RSD < 11) over 10 serial runs. Finally, this system was utilized for determining Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) in human serum using the standard addition method.     

Determination of lead in the presence of morin-5′-sulfonic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate by adsorptive stripping voltammetry

A simple and sensitive electroanalytical method is developed for the determination of lead by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) in the presence of morin-5′-sulfonic acid (MSA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The Pb-MSA complex accumulates on the surface of a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) and peak current is measured by square wave voltammetry (SWV). The complex is reduced at −0.48 V and peak current increases when low concentrations of SDS are added to the sample solution. The experimental variables pH, MSA concentration (C_MSA); accumulation time (t_acc); accumulation potential (E_acc), and SDS concentration (C_SDS), as well as potential interferences, are investigated. Under the optimized conditions (pH 3.2; C_MSA: 0.5 μmol L⁻¹; t_acc: 60 s; E_acc: −0.35 V, and C_SDS: 20 μmol L⁻¹), peak current is proportional to the concentration of Pb(II) over the 0.1-32.0 μg L⁻¹ range, with a detection limit of 0.04 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation for a solution containing 5.0 μg L⁻¹ of Pb(II) solution was 1.5% for seven successive assays. The method was validated by determining Pb(II) in synthetic sea water (ASTM D665) spiked with ICP multi-element standard solution and in certified reference water (GBW08607). Finally, the method was successfully applied to the determination of Pb(II) in tap water and sea water after UV digestion.     

Sequential injection anodic stripping voltammetry with monosegmented flow and in-line UV digestion for determination of Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) in water samples

A cost-effective sequential injection system incorporating with an in-line UV digestion for breakdown of organic matter prior to voltammetric determination of Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) of a small scale voltammetric cell was developed. A low-cost small scale voltammetric cell was fabricated from disposable pipet tip and microcentrifuge tube with volume of about 3 mL for conveniently incorporated with the SI system. A home-made UV digestion unit was fabricated employing a small size and low wattage UV lamps and flow reactor made from PTFE tubing coiled around the UV lamp. An in-line single standard calibration or a standard addition procedure was developed employing a monosegmented flow technique. Performance of the proposed system was tested for in-line digestion of model water samples containing metal ions and some organic ligands such as strong organic ligand (EDTA) or intermediate organic ligand (humic acid). The wet acid digestion method (USEPA 3010a) was used as a standard digestion method for comparison. Under the optimum conditions, with deposition time of 180 s, linear calibration graphs in range of 10-300 μg L⁻¹ Zn(II), 5-200 μg L⁻¹ Cd(II), 10-200 μg L⁻¹ Pb(II), 20-400 μg L⁻¹ Cu(II) were obtained with detection limit of 3.6, 0.1, 0.7 and 4.3 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Relative standard deviation were 4.2, 2.6, 3.1 and 4.7% for seven replicate analyses of 27 μg L⁻¹ Zn(II), 13 μg L⁻¹ Cd(II), 13 μg L⁻¹ Pb(II) and 27 μg L⁻¹ Cu(II), respectively. The system was validated by certified reference material of trace metals in natural water (SRM 1640 NIST). The developed system was successfully applied for speciation of Cd(II) Pb(II) and Cu(II) in ground water samples collected from nearby zinc mining area.     

Ligandless cloud point extraction of Cr(III), Pb(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Bi(III), and Cd(II) ions in environmental samples with Tween 80 and flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination

A cloud point extraction (CPE) procedure has been developed for the determination trace amounts of Cr(III), Pb(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Bi(III), and Cd(II) ions by using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The proposed cloud point extraction method was based on cloud point extraction of analyte metal ions without ligand using Tween 80 as surfactant. The surfactant-rich phase was dissolved with 1.0 mL 1.0 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ in methanol to decrease the viscosity. The analytical parameters were investigated such as pH, surfactant concentration, incubation temperature, and sample volume, etc. Accuracy of method was checked analysis by reference material and spiked samples. Developed method was applied to several matrices such as water, food and pharmaceutical samples. The detection limits of proposed method were calculated 2.8, 7.2, 0.4, 1.1, 0.8 and 1.7 μg L⁻¹ for Cr(III), Pb(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Bi(III), and Cd(II), respectively.     

Electrochemical determination of arsenic(III) on mercaptoethylamine modified Au electrode in neutral media

A simple, rapid and sensitive sensing platform for the detection of As(III) has been fabricated in neutral media based on the mercaptoethylamine modified Au electrode. A wide detection range of 0.2–300 μg L⁻¹ and a low detection limit of 0.02 μg L⁻¹ were obtained with a preconcentration time of 100 s under optimal conditions. Compared with previous studies, this work shows obvious advantages that it not only suppresses the Cu(II) interference, but also can detect the As(III) in natural water samples at the original pH avoiding high concentration acidic media. Moreover, the practical application of the proposed method was verified in the lake water sample determination.     

A novel flow injection chemiluminescence determination of Cr(VI) with Dichlorotris(1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II)

A selective novel reverse flow injection system with chemiluminescence detection (rFI-CL) for the determination of Cr(VI) in presence of Cr(III) with Dichlorotris (1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II), (Ru(phen)₃Cl₂), is described in this work. This new method is based on the oxidation capacity of Cr(VI) in H₂SO₄ media. First, the Ruthenium(II) complex is oxidized to Ruthenium(III) complex by Cr(VI) and afterwards it is reduced to the excited state of the Ruthenium(II) complex by a sodium oxalate solution, emitting light inside the detector. The intensity of chemiluminescence (CL) is proportional to the concentration of Cr(VI) and, under optimum conditions, it can be determined over the range of 3-300 μg L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.9 μg L⁻¹. The RSD was 8.4% and 1.5% at 5 and 50 μg L⁻¹, respectively. For the rFI-CL method various analytical parameters were optimized: flow rate (1 mL min⁻¹), H₂SO₄ carrier concentration (20% w/V), Ru(phen)₃Cl₂ concentration (5 mM) and sodium oxalate concentration (0.1 M). The effect of Cr(III), Fe(III), Al(III), Cd(II), Zn(II), Hg(II), Pb(II), Ca(II) and Mg(II), was studied. The method is highly sensitive and selective, allowing a fast, on-line determination of Cr(VI) in the presence of Cr(III). Finally, the method was tested in four different water samples (tap, reservoir, well and mineral), with good recovery percentage.     

Feasibility of internal standardization in the direct and simultaneous determination of As, Cu and Pb in sugar-cane spirits by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Bismuth and Sb were evaluated as internal standards (IS) to minimize matrix effects on the direct and simultaneous determination of As, Cu, and Pb in cachaça by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using W-coated platform plus Pd-Mg(NO₃)₂ as modifier. For 20 μL injected sample, calibration within the 0.5-10 μg L⁻¹ As, 100-1000 μg L⁻¹ Cu and 0.5-30 μg L⁻¹ Pb intervals were established using the ratios As absorbance to Sb absorbance, Cu absorbance to Bi absorbance and Pb absorbance to Bi absorbance versus analytes concentration, respectively. Typical linear correlations of 0.998, 0.999 and 0.999 were, respectively, obtained. The proposed method was applied for direct determination of As, Cu and Pb in 10 commercial cachaça samples and results were in agreement with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at 95% confidence level. The found characteristic masses were 30 pg As, 274 pg Cu and 39 pg Pb. The useful lifetime of the graphite tube was around 760 firings. Recoveries of As, Cu and Pb added to cachaça samples varied, respectively, from 98% to 109%, 97% to 108% and 98% to 104% with internal standards and from 48% to 54%, 53% to 92% and 62% to 97% without internal standards. The limits of detection were 0.13 μg L⁻¹ As, 22 μg L⁻¹ Cu and 0.05 μg L⁻¹ Pb. The relative standard deviations (n = 12) for a spiked sample containing 20 μg L⁻¹ As, Pb and 500 μg L⁻¹ Cu were 1.6%, 1.0%, and 1.8% with IS and 4.3%, 5.2%, and 5.5% without IS.     

Adsorption studies of Cd(II) onto Al2O3/Nb2O5 mixed oxide dispersed on silica matrix and its on-line preconcentration and determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

The present study describes the adsorption characteristic of Cd(II) onto Nb₂O₅/Al₂O₃ mixed oxide dispersed on silica matrix. The characterization of the adsorbent has been carried out by infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRF) and specific surface area (S_BET). From batch experiments, adsorption kinetic of Cd(II) was described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir linear isotherm fitted to the experimental adsorption isotherm very well, and the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 17.88 mg g⁻¹. Using the effective material, a method for Cd(II) preconcentration at trace level was developed. The method was based on on-line adsorption of Cd(II) onto SiO₂/Al₂O₃/Nb₂O₅ at pH 8.64, in which the quantitative desorption occurs with 1.0 mol L⁻¹ hydrochloric acid towards FAAS detector. The experimental parameters related to the system were studied by means of multivariate analysis, using 2⁴ full factorial design and Doehlert matrix. The effect of SO₄²⁻, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ foreign ions showed no interference at 1:100 analyte:interferent proportion. Under the most favorable experimental conditions, the preconcentration system provided a preconcentration factor of 18.4 times, consumption index of 1.08 mL, sample throughput of 14 h⁻¹, concentration efficiency of 4.35 min⁻¹, linear range from 5.0 up to 35.0 μg L⁻¹ and limits of detection and quantification of 0.19 and 0.65 μg L⁻¹ respectively. The feasibility of the proposed method for Cd(II) determination was assessed by analysis of water samples, cigarette sample and certified reference materials TORT-2 (Lobster hepatopancreas) and DOLT-4 (Dogfish liver).     

Simultaneous determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry based on graphite nanofibers-Nafion composite modified bismuth film electrode

A bismuth-film modified graphite nanofibers-Nafion glassy carbon electrode (BiF/GNFs-NA/GCE) was constructed for the simultaneous determination of trace Cd(II) and Pb(II). The electrochemical properties and applications of the modified electrode were studied. Operational parameters such as deposition potential, deposition time, and bismuth ion concentration were optimized for the purpose of determination of trace metal ions in 0.10 M acetate buffer solution (pH 4.5). Under optimal conditions, based on three times the standard deviation of the baseline, the limits of detection were 0.09 μg L⁻¹ for Cd(II) and 0.02 μg L⁻¹ for Pb(II) with a 10 min preconcentration. In addition, the BiF/GNFs-NA/GCE displayed good reproducibility and selectivity, making it suitable for the simultaneous determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in real sample such as river water and human blood samples.     

An rhodamine-based fluorescence probe for iron(III) ion determination in aqueous solution

An “off-on” rhodamine-based fluorescence probe for the selective signaling of Fe(III) has been designed exploiting the guest-induced structure transform mechanism. This system shows a sharp Fe(III)-selective fluorescence enhancement response in 100% aqueous system under physiological pH value and possesses high selectivity against the background of environmentally and biologically relevant metal ions including Al(III), Cd(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Mg(II), Ba(II), Pb(II), Na(I), and K(I). Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity enhancement of this system is linearly proportional to Fe(III) concentration from 6.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 7.2 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.4 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹.     

Sensitive and ultra-fast determination of arsenic(III) by gas-diffusion flow injection analysis with chemiluminescence detection

A novel chemiluminescence gas-diffusion flow injection system for the determination of arsenic(III) in aqueous samples is described. The analytical procedure involves injection of arsenic(III) samples and standards into a 0.3 mol L⁻¹ hydrochloric acid carrier stream which is merged with a reagent stream containing 0.2% (w/v) sodium borohydride and 0.015 mol L⁻¹ sodium hydroxide. Arsine, generated in the combined carrier/reagent donor stream, diffuses across the hydrophobic Teflon membrane of the gas-diffusion cell into an argon acceptor stream and then reacts with ozone in the flow-through chemiluminescence measuring cell of the flow system. Under optimal conditions, the method is characterized by a wide linear calibration range from 0.6 μg L⁻¹ to 25 mg L⁻¹, a detection limit of 0.6 μg L⁻¹ and a sample throughput of 300 samples per hour at 25 mg L⁻¹ and 450 samples per hour at 25 μg L⁻¹.     

Chemically modified silica gel with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde for selective solid-phase extraction and preconcentration of Cr(III), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) by ICP-OES

Silica gel-bound amines phase modified with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (p-DMABD) was prepared based on chemical immobilization technique. The product (SG-p-DMABD) was used as an adsorbent for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) Cr(III), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) prior to their determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The uptake behaviors of SG-p-DMABD for extracting these metal ions were studied using batch and column procedures. For the batch method, the optimum pH range for Cr(III) and Ni(II) extraction was ≥ 3, for Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) extraction it was ≥ 4. For simultaneous enrichment and determination of all the metals on the newly designed adsorbent, the pH value if 4.0 was selected. All the metal ions can be desorbed with 2.0 mL of 0.5 mol L^− 1 of HCl. The results indicate that SG-p-DMABD has rapid adsorption kinetics using the batch method. The adsorption capacity for these metal ions is in the range of 0.40-1.15 mmol g^− 1, with a high enrichment factor of 125. The presence of commonly coexisting ions does not affect the sorption capacities. The detection limits of the method were found to be 1.10, 0.69, 0.99, 1.10 and 6.50 μg L^− 1 for Cr(III), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II), respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the method under optimum conditions was 5.0% (n = 8) for all metal ions. The method was applied to the preconcentration of Cr(III), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) from the certified reference material (GBW 08301, river sediment) and water samples with satisfactory results.     

Simultaneous determination of Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) as 2-(5′-bromo-2′-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol complexes by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry at a carbon paste electrode

A simple and precise square-wave adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (SW-AdCSV) method has been described for simultaneous determination of Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) in water samples using a carbon paste electrode. In 0.1 mol L⁻¹ acetate buffer (pH 5) containing 50 μmol L⁻¹ of 2-(5′-bromo-2′-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (5-Br-PADAP), Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) were simultaneously determined as metal-complexes with 5-Br-PADAP following preconcentration onto the carbon paste electrode by adsorptive accumulation at +1.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl). Insignificant interference from various cations (K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Al³⁺, Bi³⁺, Sb³⁺, Se⁴⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, V⁵⁺, Ti⁴⁺ and NH₄⁺), anions (HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, NO³⁻, SO₄²⁻ and PO₄³⁻) and ascorbic acid was noticed. Limits of detection of 0.066, 0.108 and 0.093 μg L⁻¹ and limits of quantitation of 0.22, 0.36 and 0.31 μg L⁻¹ Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III), respectively, were achieved by the described method. The described stripping voltammetry method was successfully applied for simultaneous determination of Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) in ground, tap and bottled natural water samples.     

Antimony speciation in soils: improving the detection limits using post-column pre-reduction hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (HPLC/pre-reduction/HG-AFS)

HG-AFS is highly sensitive and low cost detection system and its use for antimony chemical speciation coupled to HPLC is gaining popularity. However speciation analysis in soils is strongly hampered because the most efficient extractant reported in the literature (oxalic acid) strongly inhibits the generation of SbH₃ by Sb(V), the major species in this kind of matrix, severely affecting its detection limits. The purpose of this research is to reduce the detection limit of Sb(V), by using a post column on-line reduction system with l-cysteine reagent (HPLC/pre-reduction/HG-AFS). The system was optimized by experimental design, optimum conditions found were 2% (w/v) and 10 °C temperature coil. Detection limits of Sb(V) and Sb(III) in oxalic acid (0.25 mol L⁻¹) were improved from 0.3 and 0.1 μg L⁻¹ to 0.07 and 0.07 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The methodology developed was applied to Chilean soils, where Sb(V) was the predominant species.     

Determination of the different oxidation states of As and Sb by a new electrochemical hydride generator coupled with atomic fluorescence spectrometry

A novel disk electrochemical hydride generator has been developed for the determination of As and Sb. Compared with the traditional thin-layer cell, the disk cell combined the advantages of quick assembly and easy operation. This electrochemical system for hydride generation in neutral buffer solutions has been studied for analytical usefulness in coupling with atomic fluorescence spectrometry. It was found that the use of neutral phosphate buffer solution could markedly increase the fluorescence intensity of As(III) and Sb(III) and reduce the impact of cathode erosion on the stability of signal intensity. At the same time, the fluorescence intensity of As(V) and Sb(V) were almost suppressed totally. The detection limits (3σ) of 0.031 μg L⁻¹ As(III) and 0.026 μg L⁻¹ Sb(III) in aqueous solutions were obtained, respectively. The precisions (n = 11) for 20 μg L⁻¹ As(III) and Sb(III) were 2.0% and 2.7%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for determination of different oxidation states of As and Sb in environmental samples.     

Speciation of dissolved inorganic antimony in natural waters using liquid phase semi-microextraction combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Liquid-liquid extraction preconcentration technique which allows the achievement of extremely high ratio between the aqueous and organic phase was specified as semi-microextraction. A modified highly effective liquid phase semi-microextraction (LSME) procedure was developed for preconcentration and determination of ultra trace levels of inorganic antimony species in environmental waters using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) for quantification. Antimony(III) species were selectively extracted as dithiocarbamate complexes from 100 mL aqueous phase into 250 μL xylene at pH range of 5-8. Total Sb was determined using the same extraction system over a sample acidity range of pH 0-1.2 without the need for pre-reduction of Sb(V) to Sb(III). The concentration of Sb(V) was obtained as the difference between that of total antimony and Sb(III). With an 8 min extraction an enrichment factor of 400 was achieved. The limit of detection (3 s) was 2 ng L⁻¹ Sb. The method was not affected by the presence of up to 0.01% humic acid, 0.025 mol L⁻¹ EDTA, 0.01 mol L⁻¹ tartaric acid and 0.001 mol L⁻¹ F⁻. Recoveries of spiked Sb(III) and Sb(V) in river, tap, and sea water samples ranged from 93 to 108%. The results for total antimony concentration in the river water reference material SLRS-5 were in good agreement with the information value. The procedure was applied to the determination and quantification of dissolved antimony species in natural waters.