Simple and versatile operational fractionation of Fe and Zn in dietary products by solid phase extraction on ion exchange resins

A simple and versatile protocol, based on use of solid phase extraction on strong ion exchangers and off-line detection by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, was devised to fractionate iron and zinc in common dietary food and beverages products, i.e., bee honeys, fruit juices and tea infusions. In the procedure proposed, cation exchanger Dowex 50Wx4 and anion exchanger Dowex 1x4 were used separately for distinguishing broadly meant the cationic metal fraction and the fraction of stable anionic metal complexes, respectively, after retention of metal species and their exhaustive elution by means of a 4.0 mol l⁻¹ HCl solution. The third fraction, referred to the residual metal species, was retrieved by difference between total soluble metal contents and sum of metal quantities in separated cationic and anionic fractions. The fractionation pattern observed for both metals was described and discussed.     

Fractionation analysis of manganese and zinc in beers by means of two sorbent column system and flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In the present article, a method of operational fractionation of Mn and Zn in beer using flame atomic absorption spectrometry was developed. The proposed fractionation scheme was based on use of a hydrophobic adsorbing resin Amberlite XAD7 (first column, 2 g resin bed) connected in a series with a strong cation exchanger Dowex 50Wx4 (second column, 1 g resin bed). After passing the samples of beers through the columns, distinct groupings of Mn and Zn species retained on the sorbents, i.e., hydrophobic fraction of polyphenols bound metal species and cationic metal species fraction, respectively, were determined in respective eluates obtained after complete recovery of Mn and Zn species with 10 ml of 2.0 mol l⁻¹ HNO₃ (first column) and 10 ml of 4.0 mol l⁻¹ HCl (second column). In addition, the effluents collected were analyzed prior to the evaluation of the third, residual fraction, presumably attributed to any hydrophilic anionic and inert metal species. The established fractionation patterns for Mn and Zn were discussed in reference to likely associations of metals with endogenous food bioligands and possible availability of the distinguished metal species classes. The quality of the results was proved by the recovery experiments.     

Manganese and zinc operational fractionation in beer by means of tandem ion exchange column assemblage and flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A straightforward method is presented for the operational fractionation of Mn and Zn in beer based on use of a tandem ion exchange column assemblage. Degassed beer samples were driven through the system comprising the weak anion exchanger Reillex 402 (first column) connected in a series with the strong cation exchanger Dowex 50Wx4 (second column). The relevant metal groupings retained on the exchangers, i.e., the fraction of the metals bound to the polyphenols, and the fraction of the cationic metal species, were determined respectively in the effluents (5-mL portions) sampled during the passage of the samples through the first column, and in the eluates obtained by the elution of Mn and Zn species (with 10 mL of 4.0 mol L⁻¹ HCl) from the second column, after passing the samples through the tandem column system. Additionally, the effluents obtained after loading the tandem column system with the samples were also collected and taken to the analysis in order to asses the donation of the third, residual fraction. The usefulness of the fractionation scheme is illustrated by the analysis of three bottled beers produced by a local brewery. The fractionation patterns established for Mn and Zn are discussed regarding the possible associations of the metals under consideration with different endogenous beer ligands.     

Fractionation of calcium and magnesium in honeys, juices and tea infusions by ion exchange and flame atomic absorption spectrometry

An analytical procedure was proposed to study the operational fractionation of Ca and Mg in bee honeys, fruit juices and tea infusions. The protocol devised was based on the solid phase extraction of distinct metal fractions on different sorbents, namely strong acidic cation exchanger Dowex 50Wx4, weak acidic cation exchanger Diaion WT01S and strong basic anion exchange resin Dowex 1x4. For the evaluation of the amounts of the metal fractions distinguished, a flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used off-line prior to the determination of Ca and Mg concentrations in the effluents obtained. It was established that Ca and Mg are mostly present in the analysed samples in the form of cationic species (96–100%). The accuracy of the entire fractionation scheme and sample preparation procedures involved was verified by the performance of the recovery tests.     

Preconcentration and Fractionation of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in Natural Water Samples Prior to Analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

The strong cation exchanger Dowex 50W-x4 was used for the enrichment of traces of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in mineral and mine waters as an alternative to the commonly applied procedures based on the application of chelating resins. The resin used was found suitable for complete retention of these metals both from the solutions of very low pH as well as those close to neutral, thus eliminating the need to buffer the samples. An analytical scheme based on filtration and solid phase extraction with Dowex 50W-x4 was proposed for partitioning Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb in the examined waters. The fraction of metals associated with the suspended particles was determined after filtration through a 0.45 µm pore size filter and decomposition of the deposited matter. For the evaluation of fractions of the labile metal species and the total dissolved metals, the untreated filtrates and the solutions resulting from their digestion, respectively, were passed through Dowex 50W-x4 cation exchange columns. The retrieval of the metals was completed using a 4.0 mol L⁻¹ solution of HCl. The described metal preconcentration and fractionation protocol offered the enrichment factor of 25 with detection limits equal to 22, 30, 92, 41, 70, 36 and 340 ng L⁻¹, respectively for Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb. Reasonably good precision and accuracy were attained.     

Fractionation and speciation of Cu,Zn and Fe in wine samples by atomic absorption spectrometry

A scheme is presented for fractionation of wine components and Fe, Cu and Zn determination in different fractions. The charge of the metal species was established using cation and anion exchange separation based on solid phase extraction. The resin XAD-8 was used for the separation of wine polyphenols in complexes with wine proteins and polysaccharides. Dowex ion exchange resins were used for the separation of cationic and anionic species of Fe, Cu and Zn. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry were used off-line for the quantitative determination of metals in the different fractions obtained.     

Pre-concentration of trace elements in short chain alcohols using different commercial cation exchange resins prior to inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometric detection

Chelex-100, Dowex 50W-x8 and Dowex MAC-3 exchange resins were investigated for separation and pre-concentration of trace amounts of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ti and Zn in alcohols with respect to retention and desorption characteristics. Dowex 50W-x8 was found to be the best sorbent with percentages recoveries >95%. In addition, Chelex-100 appeared to be suitable for the pre-concentration of Cu, Fe and Zn, whereas Dowex MAC-3 was selective for Cu and Fe. Therefore, Dowex 50W-x8 was used for further investigations. The relative standard deviations <4% (n = 20), limits of detection and quantification were 0.1–1.2 μg L⁻¹ and 0.3–1.5 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The SPE method was validated against a certified reference material and the results were in agreement with certified values. The accuracy of the optimized method was verified by the recovery test in the spiked alcohol samples. The accuracy and spike recovery test for different metal ions were in the range 98–102% and 95–105%, respectively. The optimized method was applied to the separation and pre-concentration of metal ions in different commercial alcohol samples.     

Towards multimodal HPLC separations on humic acid-bonded aminopropyl silica: RPLC and LEC behavior

In the present study, metal binding property of humic acid (HA) was successfully adapted to the ligand-exchange concept, and metal-loaded immobilized humic acid was used as a ligand exchanger stationary phase for separation of some nucleosides. Humic-acid bonded aminopropyl silica (EC-HA-APS) was turned into ligand exchanger forms by loading aqueous solutions of Cu²⁺, and Co²⁺ to the column (4.6 × 150; as mm) packed with EC-HA-APS. Metal ion solutions were loaded to the column in a stepwise manner where the concentration of metal ion solution being loaded to the column was increased gradually between 5 and 100 mM. The progress of metal loading process was monitored via the breakthrough curves propagated stepwise. Ligand-exchange chromatography (LEC) studies were performed on an HPLC system, and chromatographic behaviors of the studied nucleosides (i.e. uridine, Urd; thymidine, Tyd; cytidine, Cyd; adenosine, Ado; and guanosine, Guo) were investigated on Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺ loaded forms of the EC-HA-APS (Cu-EC-HA-APS and Co-EC-HA-APS). Effect of mobile phase composition, temperature, and the type of metal ion loaded to the column on the retentive behaviors of the compounds was studied, in detail. The studied solutes exhibited mixed-mode RPLC/LEC behavior on the stationary phase. Metal-loaded column (M-EC-HA-APS) was easily regenerated into its original form, EC-HA-APS, with 98 ± 2% metal recoveries, by using aqueous mixture of EDTA + NH₃ at pH = 7.5. Thus, the stationary phase exhibited a high flexibility between RPLC and LEC modes. This property, also, made it possible to convert the stationary phase into various ligand exchanger forms by loading different metal ions. Hence, capacity and selectivity of the stationary phase towards the studied species was manipulated easily by loading different metal ions to the stationary phase. Baseline separation for the studied species was achieved on Cu-EC-HA-APS and Co-EC-HA-APS and some differentiations were observed in capacity and selectivity, depending on the type of metal loaded. Thus, being as the first endeavor on usability of immobilized HA as a ligand exchanger stationary phase, the present study is believed to be useful to understand multifunctional character of HA-based solid/stationary phases.     

A new tool for inorganic nitrogen speciation study: simultaneous determination of ammonium ion, nitrite and nitrate by ion chromatography with post-column ammonium derivatization by Nessler reagent and diode-array detection in rain water samples

The paper presents a new method for a simultaneous determination of inorganic nitrogen species in the oxidized (NO₂⁻, NO₃⁻) and reduced (NH₄⁺) form in rain water samples. The method is based on a system of nitrogen species separation employing ion exchange and diode-array detection. The ions are separated in a strong ion-exchanger, nitrites and nitrates are determined directly at 208 and 205 nm, respectively, while the ammonium ions are determined in the column hold-up time after a post-column derivatization by the Nessler reagent, at 425 nm. The use of a diode-array detector permits a simultaneous identification of the inorganic nitrogen species in 8 min. The detection limits obtained are: NO₂⁻, 0.1 mg L⁻¹; NO₃⁻, 0.05 mg L⁻¹; NH₄⁺, 1 mg L⁻¹. The method proposed has been successfully used for speciation analysis of inorganic nitrogen in precipitation.     

Synthesis,structure, dehydration transformations and ion exchange characteristics of iron-silicate with various Si and Fe contents as mixed oxides

The synthesis of a new series of impregnated metal oxides with different Fe/Si ratios (0.5, 1 and 2) was obtained by the direct precipitation method. Physico-chemical properties and molecular formula of the obtained products were identified with different analytical techniques, such as chemical stability, XRD, IR, elemental and thermal analyses. Thermal kinetic parameters, such as order (n) and activation energy (E_a), of the solid-state phase transformations of the first dehydration process have been studied for the obtained materials from DTA thermograms. The ion exchange applications and the sorption properties of the materials with some radioactive nuclides have been studied, depending on the Fe/Si molar ratios. These investigations indicated that the ion exchange capacities as well as the selectivities of different materials towards the studied nuclides show the order Co²⁺ > Cs⁺ > Na⁺ at a certain pH.     

Pre-concentration of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn using different off-line ion exchange procedures followed by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric detection

The chelating resin Metalfix Chelamine and the strong cation exchanger Dowex 50W-X4 were studied for the off-line pre-concentration of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn prior to the measurements by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Different approaches to the recovery of metals were investigated and compared: the elution with the solutions of HCl and HNO₃ and the decomposition of the resins with the adsorbed metals by means of the high-pressure microwave assisted system. Due to the problem arisen with the quantitative elution of the metals from the resins, which bound the analytes very strongly, the procedure of the digestion of the resin after the pre-concentration step was preferable to the plain elution, giving significantly better recoveries of the metals. The chosen procedure was applied for the determination of traces of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn in beer. For the analysis, mineralised and not mineralised beer samples were treated with Dowex 50W-X4 resin in order to assess the total content of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn and the fraction of the cationic labile species of the analytes, respectively. The increase in the sensitivity allowed determination of the selected metals at concentrations of order of 1 ng ml⁻¹. The accuracy of the entire procedure was verified by the recovery test in the spiked samples of beer. The proposed method provides full recovery for Cd (101±1%), Co (99±2%) and Zn (106±3%) and reasonably high recovery for Cu (84±1%) and Ni (89±1%).     

Simultaneous detection of cadmium, copper, and lead using a carbon paste electrode modified with carbamoylphosphonic acid self-assembled monolayer on mesoporous silica (SAMMS)

A new sensor was developed for simultaneous detection of cadmium (Cd²⁺), copper (Cu²⁺), and lead (Pb²⁺), based on the voltammetric response at a carbon paste electrode modified with carbamoylphosphonic acid (acetamide phosphonic acid) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on mesoporous silica (Ac-Phos SAMMS). The adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) technique involves preconcentration of the metal ions onto Ac-Phos SAMMS under an open circuit, then electrolysis of the preconcentrated species, followed by a square wave potential sweep towards positive values. Factors affecting the preconcentration process were investigated. The voltammetric responses increased linearly with the preconcentration time from 1 to 30 min or with metal ion concentrations ranging from 10 to 200 ppb. The responses also evolved in the same fashion as adsorption isotherm in the pH range of 2-6. The metal detection limits were 10 ppb after 2 min preconcentration and improved to 0.5 ppb after 20 min preconcentration.     

Sorption characteristics and chromatographic separation of gold (I and III) from silver and base metal ions using polyurethane foams

The influence of different parameters on the sorption profiles of trace and ultra traces of gold (I) species from the aqueous cyanide media onto the solid sorbents ion exchange polyurethane foams (IEPUFs) and commercial unloaded polyurethane foams (PUFs) based polyether type has been investigated. The retention of gold (I) species onto the investigated solid sorbents followed a first-order rate equation with an overall rate constant k in the range 2.2-2.8 ± 0.2 s⁻¹. The sorption data of gold (I) followed Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. Thus, the a dual-mode of sorption mechanism involving absorption related to “weak base anion exchanger” and an added component for “surface adsorption” seems the most likely proposed dual mechanism for retention profile of gold (I) by the IEPUFs and PUFs solid sorbents. The capacity of the IEPUFs and PUFs towards gold (I) sorption calculated from the sorption isotherms was found to be 11.21 ± 1.8 and 5.29 ± 0.9 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The chromatographic separation of the spiked inorganic gold (I) from de ionized water at concentrations 5-15 μg mL⁻¹ onto the developed IEPUFs and PUFs packed columns at 10 mL min⁻¹ flow rate was successfully achieved. The retained gold (I) species were then recovered quantitatively from the IEPUFs (98.4 ± 2.4%, n = 5) and PUFs (95.4 ± 3.4%, n = 5) packed columns using perchloric acid (60 mL, 1.0 mol L⁻¹) as a proper eluating agent. Thiourea (1.0 mol L⁻¹)-H₂SO₄ (0.1 mol L⁻¹) system was also used as eluating agent for the recovery of gold (I) from IEPUFS (95.4 ± 5.4%, n = 3) and also PUFs (93.4 ± 4.4%, n = 3) packed columns. The performance of the IEPUFs and PUFs packed columns in terms of the height equivalent to the theoretical plates (HETP), number of plates (N), and critical and breakthrough capacities towards gold (I) species were evaluated. The developed IEPUFs packed column was applied successfully for complete retention and recovery (98.5 ± 2.7) of gold (III) species spiked onto tap- and industrial wastewater samples at <10 μg Au mL⁻¹ after reduction to gold (I). The IEPUFs packed column was applied satisfactorily for complete retention and recovery (98.5 ± 2.7) of total inorganic gold (I) and/or gold (III) species spiked to tap- and industrial wastewater samples at <10 μg mL⁻¹ gold. Chromatographic separation of gold (I) from silver (I) and base metal ions (Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn) using IEPUFS packed columns was satisfactorily achieved. The proposed method was applied successfully for the pre-concentration and separation from anodic slime and subsequent FAAS determination of analyte with satisfactory results (recoveries >95%, relative standard deviations <4.0%).     

Aluminum phosphate dispersed on a cellulose acetate fiber surface: Preparation, characterization and application for Li, Na and K separation

Cellulose acetate fibers with supported highly dispersed aluminum phosphate were prepared by reacting aluminum-containing cellulose acetate (Al₂O₃=3.5 wt.%; 1.1 mmol g⁻¹ aluminum atom per gram of the material) with phosphoric acid. Solid-state NMR spectra (CPMAS ³¹P NMR) data indicated that HPO₄²⁻ is the species present on the fiber surface. The specific concentration of acidic centers, determined by ammonia gas adsorption, is 0.50 mmol g⁻¹. The ion exchange capacities for Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ ions were determined from ion exchange isotherms at 298 K and showed the following values (in mmol g⁻¹): Li⁺=0.03, Na⁺=0.44 and K⁺=0.50. The H⁺/Li⁺ exchange corresponds to the model of the ideal ion exchange with a small value of the corresponding equilibrium constant K=1.1×10⁻². Due to the strong cooperative effect, the H⁺/Na⁺ and H⁺/K⁺ ion exchange is non-ideal. These ion exchange equilibria were treated with the use of models of fixed bi- or tridentate centers, which consider the surface of the sorbent as an assemblage of polyfunctional sorption centers. Both the observed ion exchange capacities with respect to the alkaline metal ions and the equilibrium constants were discussed by taking into consideration the sequence of the ionic hydration radii for Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺. The matrix affinity order for the ions decreases as the hydration radii of the cations increase, i.e. Li⁺>Na⁺>K⁺. The high values of the separation factors S_Na⁺/Li⁺ and S_K⁺/Li⁺ (up to several hundred) provide quantitative separation of Na⁺ and K⁺ from Li⁺ from a mixture containing these three ions.     

Pre-evaluation of metal ions as a catalyst on chemiluminometric sequential injection analysis with luminol-H2O2 system

Catalytic effect of metal ions on luminol chemiluminescence (CL) was investigated by sequential injection analysis (SIA). The SIA system was set up with two solenoid micropumps, an eight-port selection valve, and a photosensor module with a fountain-type chemiluminescence cell. The SIA system was controlled and the CL signals were collected by a LabVIEW program. Aqueous solutions of luminol, H₂O₂, and a sample solution containing metal ion were sequentially aspirated to the holding coil, and the zones were immediately propelled to the detection cell. After optimizing the parameters using 1 × 10⁻⁵ M Fe³⁺ solution, catalytic effect of some metal species was compared. Among 16 metal species examined, relatively strong CL responses were obtained with Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺, VO²⁺, VO₃⁻, MnO₄⁻, Co²⁺, and Cu²⁺. The limits of detection by the present SIA system were comparable to FIA systems. Permanganate ion showed the highest CL sensitivity among the metal species examined; the calibration graph for MnO₄⁻ was linear at the concentration level of 10⁻⁸ M and the limit of detection for MnO₄⁻ was 4.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ M (S/N = 3).     

Synthesis and characterization of zirconium(IV) iodovanadate and its use as electron exchanger

Samples of zirconium(IV) iodovanadate have been synthesized under varying mixing ratios by adding a mixture of aqueous solution of 0.1 M potassium iodate and 0.1 M sodium metavanadate to aqueous solution of 0.1 M zirconium oxychloride at pH 1. The ion exchange capacity of the material for Na⁺ ion was found to be 2.20 meq g⁻¹ of dry exchanger. The material has been characterized on the basis of chemical composition, FTIR and TGA. The chemical stability of the product has been checked in neutral, acidic and basic media. The product has been used as electron exchanger. The oxidation of Fe(II), Sn(II), ascorbic acid and thioglycolic acid was achieved by batch-equilibrium technique successfully. The maximum redox capacity of the exchanger has been found to be 4.20 meq g⁻¹ of exchanger by column process.     

Overcoming matrix interferences in ion-exchange solid phase extraction of As, Cr, Mo, Sb, Se and V species from leachates of cement-based materials using multiple extractions

Solid phase extraction (SPE) methods based on multiple extractions have been developed to overcome matrix interferences in the charge-based fractionation analysis of As, Cr, Mo, Sb, Se and V leached from cement-based materials. Disposable SPE tubes packed with 500 mg strong anion-exchange (SAX) or strong cation-exchange (SCX) sorbents were used to extract the anionic and cationic species of the elements, respectively. The multiple extractions were based on the percolation of a small sample volume (5.0 mL) through a series of identical ion-exchange tubes. For most of the elements, more than 90% of the anionic species were extracted from a sample containing up to 16 g L⁻¹ NO₃⁻ by passing the aliquot through five identical SAX tubes. Percolating a sample aliquot through three identical SCX cartridges gave more than 99% retention for Cr(III) from leachates containing a high concentration of interfering metal cations. The anionic and cationic analytes showed only slight non-specific adsorption on the SCX and SAX sorbents, respectively, except for V(V) on the SCX sorbent. A condition was established for the quantitative elution of the retained analytes from the ion-exchange sorbents with 1.0 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃. The multiple ion-exchange SPE procedures were validated using spike recovery tests. The methods were used to determine the anionic and cationic fractions of the target elements in concrete leachates covering a broad range of pH (3.8-13.4). The elements were found to exist predominantly as anions in the alkaline and neutral leachates. A high fraction (85%) of cationic Cr was detected in the most acidic leachate (pH 3.8).     

Phenol removal from aqueous solution by adsorption and ion exchange mechanisms onto polymeric resins

The removal of phenol from aqueous solution was evaluated by using a nonfunctionalized hyper-cross-linked polymer Macronet MN200 and two ion exchange resins, Dowex XZ (strong anion exchange resin) and AuRIX 100 (weak anion exchange). Equilibrium experimental data were fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms at different pHs. The Langmuir model describes successfully the phenol removal onto the three resins. The extent of the phenol adsorption was affected by the pH of the solution; thus, the nonfunctionalized resin reported the maximum loading adsorption under acidic conditions, where the molecular phenol form predominates. In contrast both ion exchange resins reported the maximum removal under alkaline conditions where the phenolate may be removed by a combined effect of both adsorption and ion exchange mechanisms. A theoretical model proposed in the literature was used to fit the experimental data and a double contribution was observed from the parameters obtained by the model. Kinetic experiments under different initial phenol concentrations and under the best pH conditions observed in the equilibrium experiments were performed. Two different models were used to define the controlling mechanism of the overall adsorption process: the homogeneous particle diffusion model and the shell progressive model fit the kinetic experimental data and determined the resin phase mechanism as the rate-limiting diffusion for the phenol removal. Resins charged after the kinetic experiments were further eluted by different methods. Desorption of nonfunctionalized resin was achieved by using the solution (50% v/v) of methanol/water with a recovery close to 90%. In the case of the ion exchange resins the desorption process was performed at different pHs and considering the effect of the competitive ion Cl⁻. The desorption processes were controlled by the ion exchange mechanism for Dowex XZ and AuRIX 100 resins; thus, no significant effect for the addition of Cl⁻ under acidic conditions was observed, while under alkaline conditions the total recovery increased, specially for Dowex XZ resin.     

Total metal concentrations in serum of dialysis patients and fractionation of Cu, Rb, Al, Fe and Zn in spent continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis fluids

Total metal concentrations were determined in the serum of 12 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients and in fresh and spent CAPD fluids by electrothermal and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS, FAAS). Concentrations of Cu in serum of CAPD patients ranged from 720 to 1780 ng cm⁻³, Rb from 128 to 346 ng cm⁻³, Al from 10 to 72 ng cm⁻³, Fe from 800 to 2300 ng cm⁻³ and Zn from 659 to 1310 ng cm⁻³. The accuracy of the analytical procedure was checked by the analysis of the reference material Seronom™, Trace Elements in Serum. Good agreement between the certified and determined values was obtained for Al, Cu, Fe and Zn. The data on the total metal concentrations in CAPD fluids indicated that during CAPD fluid exchange the losses of Cu from 5.0 to 35 ng cm⁻³, of Rb from 50 to 110 ng cm⁻³ and of Al from 3.0 to 14.0 ng cm⁻³ occurred through the peritoneal membrane. Although fresh CAPD fluids contained traces of Fe (3.0-5.0 ng cm⁻³), the transfer of this element took place through the peritoneal membrane into spent CAPD fluid (13.0-38.0 ng cm⁻³). Zn concentrations were in general lower in spent (20.0-80 ng cm⁻³) than in fresh CAPD fluids (∼100 ng cm⁻³). To follow the mechanisms of the transfer of trace elements through the peritoneal membrane of CAPD patients, fractionation of metals was carried out in spent CAPD fluids by size exclusion chromatography with UV and AAS detection, applying Superdex HR 10/30 column. The chromatographic run was followed at 278 nm and separated metal species also determined ‘off line’ in 1 cm³ fractions by ETAAS or FAAS. From the UV chromatograms and AAS analysis of trace elements in the separated fractions it was demonstrated that Cu, Al, Fe and Zn were bound to proteins and only partially to low molecular weight (LMW) species, while Rb was associated exclusively with LMW species. For characterisation of the high molecular weight (HMW) binding proteins, fractions containing trace elements were subjected to SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. Al and Fe were presumably bound to transferrin, but due to its low concentration in spent CAPD fluids, it was not possible to confirm its presence in the separated fractions. About 10% of Al and 15% of Fe corresponded to LMW species. A fraction of HMW proteins of Cu in spent CAPD fluids was most probably bound to albumin and Zn to albumin and globulins. About 50% of Cu and Zn existed in LMW proteins, while Zn was also found partially in ionic form.     

Application of tandem column solid phase extraction and flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the determination of inorganic and organically bound forms of iron in wine

A tandem column solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure has been devised to examine the fractionation of Fe in wine. Wine was filtered through a 0.45 μm filter and then, the filtrate was driven through an adsorbing Amberlite XAD-7HP column followed by a cation exchange Dowex 50W-x8-200 column. Three different Fe groupings are discriminated and assessed, including hydrophobic species of Fe bound to phenolic substances and related species (phenolic fraction), cationic species comprising simple Fe ions and labile Fe forms (cationic fraction), in addition to anionic and/or neutral Fe complexes with organic acids (residual fraction). The suitability of the procedure has been evaluated analyzing four bottled red wines. The results obtained were verified using another tandem column assemblage in which an adsorbing Amberlite XAD-16 column was exchanged by the Amberlite XAD-7HP column. The fractionation pattern ascertained for Fe in analyzed wines is discussed in reference to previously published works. In addition, a conditioning treatment and preparation of Amberlite XAD resins have been revised.