An Analytical Method for the Separation and Determination of As(III) and As(V) in Seepage and Acid Mine Drainage Water

To avoid changes in the original As species distribution in natural water after sampling, a method of immediate separation of As(V) by anion exchange at the sampling site was developed. The procedure consists of two steps. The total concentration of arsenic is determined in one part of the water sample acidified on site. Another part of the water samples is pressed through a column filled with an anion exchanger. The As(III) species that is not redox-stable remains in the effluent of the sorbents column and can be analyzed with conventional methods after stabilization by addition of conc. HNO₃. As(V) is sorbed by the exchanger material. The As(V) concentration can be calculated as the difference between As_sol and As(III), neglecting very low contents of methylated species. Oxidation of Fe(II) by air followed by co-precipitation of arsenic with iron hydroxide was applied in field experiments to minimize the As concentration in seepage and mining water.     

Arsenic Speciation Governs Arsenic Uptake and Transport in Terrestrial Plants

Arsenic is a carcinogenic metalloid that occurs in the environment in a variety of chemical forms, showing different mobility, bioavailability and toxicity. Terrestrial plants may accumulate large amounts of arsenic. To understand how terrestrial plants take up, transport and metabolise these arsenic species, it is essential to characterise arsenic speciation in plant tissues. Given that As species can be transformed from one form to another during sample preparation and the measurement process, arsenic speciation in biological extracts needs to be performed with great care. This paper describes the methods used to measure arsenic speciation in plant tissue and assesses the role of As speciation in As metabolism in higher plants.     

Arsenic Speciation in Urine and Blood Reference Materials

Acute and chronic exposure to arsenic is a growing problem in the industrialized world. Arsenic is a potent carcinogen and toxin in humans. In the body, arsenic is metabolized to produce several species, including inorganic forms, such as trivalent (As^III) and pentavalent (As^V), and the methylated metabolites such as monomethylarsonic acid, (MMA^V), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA^V), in addition to arsenobetaine (AsB) which is ingested and excreted from the body in the same form. Each of these species has been reported to possess a specific but different degree of toxicity. Thus, not only is the measurement of total As required, but also quantification of the individual metabolites is necessary to evaluate the toxicity and risk assessment of this element. There are a large number of reference materials that are used to validate methodology for the analysis of As in blood and urine, but they are limited to total As concentrations. In this study, the speciation of five arsenic metabolites is reported in blood and urine from commercial available control materials certified for total arsenic levels. The separation was performed with an anion exchange column using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as a detector. Baseline separation was achieved for As^III, As^V, MMA^V, DMA^V, and AsB, allowing us to quantify all five species. Excellent agreement between the total arsenic levels and the sum of the speciated As levels was obtained.     

Profile distribution of As(III) and As(V) species in soil and groundwater in Bozanta area

The profile distribution of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) species in soil and groundwater was investigated in the samples collected in 2005 from a hand-drilled well, in the Bozanta area, Baia Mare region, Romania. The total content of arsenic in the soil was in the range of 525–672 mg kg⁻¹ exceeding 21–27 times the action trigger level for sensitive soil. 0.9–11.3 % of the total content was soluble in water, 83.0–92.6 % in 10 mol dm⁻³ HCl and 2.6–13.3 % was the residual fraction. Arsenic(V) was the dominant arsenic species in the soil in the range of 405–580 mg kg⁻¹. The distribution and mobility of arsenic species was governed by soil pH and contents of Al, Fe, and Mn. The mobility of arsenic(V) decreased with depth, while that of arsenic(III) was high at the surface and in the proximity of groundwater. The total concentration of arsenic in groundwater was (43.40 ± 1.70) μg dm⁻³, which exceeded the maximum contaminant level of 10 μg dm⁻³. Presented at the 33rd International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 22–26 May 2006.     

土壤样品中砷的形态分析方法研究

对生态地球化学土壤样品,在Tessier修正顺序提取方法(即七步法)的基础上对提取方法、提取时间、提取溶液的处理方法进行优化选择,用超声法提取水溶态、离子交换态、碳酸盐结合态、腐殖酸结合态、铁锰氧化物结合态、强有机质结合态和残渣态七种形态的砷元素,用原子荧光光谱法测定各个形态砷的含量。优化后的方法测得As元素各形态的检出限均小于1.0μg/g,相对标准偏差(RSD)小于10%,准确度高,质量参数均满足生态地球化学土壤样品评价形态分析的需要。     

Arsenic Speciation in Plant Samples from the Iron Quadrangle, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Several plants, especially ferns, have been shown to tolerate and accumulate high arsenic concentrations in soils. The leaves and roots of the ferns Pteris vittata (Chinese brake) and Pityrogramma calomelanos as well as a medical plant (Baccharis trimera) were sampled together with their associated soils in a region impacted by ore mining, the Iron Quadrangle in Brazil, where arsenic concentrations in the soils vary sharply (6–900 μg g⁻¹). The bioaccumulation factors were found to be low compared to the literature data, which can be explained by the low water-soluble fraction of arsenic in soil. The arsenic species in the plants were mainly arsenite. In comparison to the rhizoid samples, the concentrations of arsenic were higher in the leaves of the fern samples. The medical plant behaved differently. The bioaccumulation factor was low (0.7), and trimethylarsine oxide was detected as the third arsenic species beside arsenite and arsenate in both the roots and the leaves.     

Determination of As(III) and As(V) ions by chemiluminescence method

A new chemiluminescence (CL) method for the selective determination of As(III) and As(V) ions in aqueous solution has been studied using a FIA system. The method is based on the increased CL intensity with the addition of As(V) ion into a solution of lucigenin and hydrogen peroxide. The addition of As(III) ion into the solution did not change the CL intensity. Total concentration of As ions was determined after pre-oxidation of As(III) to As(V) with hydrogen peroxide in basic solution. The As(III) content was estimated by subtracting the content of As(V) ion from total As concentration. The effects of concentrations of KOH and H₂O₂, and flow rates of reagents on CL intensity have been investigated. The calibration curve for As(V) ion was linear over the range from 1.0×10^-2 to 10 μg/g, the coefficient of correlation was 0.997 and the detection limit was 5.0×10^-3 μg/g under the optimal experimental conditions.     

Effect of the Mineralization Method on Arsenic Determination in Marine Organisms by Hydride Generation Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The efficiency of several mineralization methods for As determination in marine organisms has been evaluated. Wet mineralization in closed reactors at 150°C with acids (HNO₃/HClO₄/H₂SO₄) and K₂S₂O₈ and microwave-assisted digestion with HNO₃/H₂O₂ or with HNO₃/H₂O₂/HCl does not quantitatively destroy the organic matter of fish. This was ascertained by comparing the As content obtained by HG-AFS with that obtained by ICP-MS. Dry-ashing destroys organic As species and the resulting As recovery when HG-AFS is applied is similar to that obtained by ICP-MS. Similar arsenic contents were obtained for all the mineralization methods tested when arsenic was analysed by ICP-MS. These results indicate that when HG-AFS is applied for arsenic determination, the organic matter should be completely oxidised (e.g. by UV photo-oxidation and K₂S₂O₈) to transform organic arsenic compounds into those able to generate hydrides. The results have been validated with a fish candidate reference material (CRM) (EU SEAS plaice) with a known content of total arsenic. Arsenic speciation after 1:1 methanol-water extraction (which provides quantitative arsenic recovery after two consecutive extractions) by HPLC-ICP-MS shows that cuttlefish only contains arsenobetaine, which explains the difficulty of mineralization.     

Arsenic Speciation Analysis in Solutions Treated with Zeolites

Experiments have been carried out to study the behaviour of organoarsenicals treated with zeolites by means of speciation analysis. IC-ICP-MS was applied to identify and quantify arsenite, arsenate and the following organoarsenicals: monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), tetramethylarsonium bromide (TMA⁺), arsenobetaine (AsB) and arsenocholine (AsC). Zeolites loaded with ferrous ions did not significantly increase the retention of inorganic arsenic species compared to the native zeolites, while there was a ten-fold removal of arsenate relating to arsenite. The formation of As(V) and DMA in the leachates containing clinoptilolites and mordenites was confirmed in the presence of natural and synthetic zeolites. Arsenobetaine and arsenocholine yielded higher levels of arsenate than the methylated species.     

土壤中砷形态分析研究进展

本文评述了近年来国内外土壤中砷形态分析的主要研究方法,包括联用分析法、分级提取法和同步辐射X-射线线吸收光谱法。联用分析法包括气相色谱联用法、毛细管电泳联用法和高效液相色谱联用法。重点介绍了目前应用范围较广的高效液相色谱-等离子体质谱(HPLC-ICP-MS)联用法和高效液相色谱-氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱(HPLC-HG-AFS)联用法。同步辐射X-射线线吸收光谱法近几年发展迅速,是最具发展潜力的形态分析方法。     

Arsenic Speciation in Marine Sediments: Effects of Redox Potential and Reducing conditions

Abstract

The speciation of arsenic in the environment is among others controlled by reduction, methylation and oxidation processes and therefore influenced by the prevailing redox conditions. In this study we have analyzed sediments taken from La Coruña estuary in the north west of Spain. Inorganic (trivalent and pentavalent) and the organic (MMA and DMA) arsenic speciation is related to Eh, Fe and Mn load. The various of the arsenic species concentration and other parameters was analyzed at different depths in some of the sampling points. Low arsenic concentrations (1–10 μg·g^–1) were found. In spite of oxidising conditions (Eh values between 31–96 mV), most of the samples showed a higher As(V) percentage than As (III). Principal component analysis was made to see a sample groups and the results showed that speciation depends on reducing conditions (Eh and Mn).     

Feasibility of Separation and Quantification of Inorganic Arsenic Species Using Ion-Exchange Membranes and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Analytical methods for the determination of inorganic arsenic species have attracted much attention due to the high toxicity of these compounds and related legislative regulations for food. A new method for the separation and quantitation of As(III) and As(V) was developed using ion-exchange membranes and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Using the anion-exchange polymer membrane, As(V) was selectively collected on the membrane, and As(III) was filtered through the membrane. The separated As(V) on the membrane was directly determined by LIBS. The As(III) in the filtrate was subsequently oxidized to As(V) and collected by the membrane for LIBS analysis. The detection limit for As(V) was estimated to be 10?mg/kg. The recovery efficiencies for the arsenic species as standards were in the range of 97–99%. This method was applied for the analysis As-spiked water certified reference materials, and the results showed that the recovery for As(V) was 98.9%. This new speciation method is cost-effective, simple, and low labor-intensive for the quantitation of inorganic arsenic.     

Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination of Arsenic After Volatilization of As(III) with Chloride Ions

 The generation of volatile species of As(III) as a means to introduce arsenic into a flame atomic absorption spectrometer has been studied. The method is based on the reaction between As(III) and chloride ions in sulphuric acid medium. The reaction is performed in a discontinuous or batch mode. With this method 130 μl of a solution containing 17.5% (w/v) sodium chloride and As(III) are injected by a 500 ml.min⁻¹ N₂ carrier gas flow into 1 ml of concentrated sulphuric acid. The gaseous compounds generated are introduced into the spectrometer through the nebulizer and As is determined. Received October 3, 1998. Revision January 6, 1999.     

Speciation Determination of Chromium(VI) and Chromium(III) in Soil Samples after Cloud Point Extraction

Abstract

To measure the different activity of chromium(VI) and chromium(III) in soil samples, chromium(VI) and total chromium (CrVI + CrIII) was extracted by KCl extracting agent and alkali fusion, respectively. Cloud point extraction (CPE) for speciation determination of chromium with double-slotted quartz tube atom trap–flame atomic absorption spectrometry (STAT-FAAS) was developed. Preconcentration of chromium(VI) and total chromium in different pH solutions was achieved by CPE, with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) as the chelating agent and Triton X-114 as the cloud point extractant. The conditions of CPE and determination were studied. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factor was 50 for chromium from the initial 100-mL sample solution to the final 2-mL determined solution. Compared to the FAAS method, the sensitivity was improved seven-fold for chromium by the STAT-FAAS method. The limit of detection was 0.082 µg/L for chromium.     

砷形态分析方法进展

对光变分析法,高效液相色谱法,毛细管电泳法以及气相色谱法在砷形态分析中的应用进行了评述,比较了各种方法的优缺点,引用文献82篇。     

Extraction of Arsenic(V) from Water Using Emulsion Liquid Membrane

In this article, the extraction of arsenic(V) from water by means of emulsion liquid membrane is investigated. The influence of operating factors such as stirring speed, concentration of sulfuric acid in the external aqueous phase, concentration of sodium sulfate in internal stripping phase, and concentration of carrier in the membrane phase on the extraction efficiency are investigated and their optimum values, which provide the maximum recovery of arsenic, are determined. Taguchi experimental design is used in order to reduce the number of experiments. The optimum amounts for the extraction of arsenic from water, based on the results, are: stirring speed, 500 rpm; concentration of sulfuric acid in the feed, 1.5 g mol/lit; concentration of reagent in internal phase, 1.5 g mol/lit; and concentration of carrier in 3 ml kerosene which is added to the membrane phase, 0.1 g mol/lit.     

Solubility and Raman Spectroscopic Study of As(III) Speciation in Organic Compound-Water Solutions. A Hydration Approach for Aqueous Arsenic in Complex Solutions

Solubilities of arsenolite (As₂O₃, cub.) were measured from 22 to 90°C in water–acetone, water–acetic acid, and water—formic acid solutions of compositions ranging from the pure organic compound to pure water. Raman spectra were obtained at ambient temperature on As-containing water–acetic acid and water–acetone solutions. Results show that arsenic solvation by these organic compounds is negligible and hydroxide species dominate As speciation over a wide range of water activity (a_{H 2 O}> 0.01). The solubility data were analyzed using an approach based on stoichiometric hydration reactions. Results show that As₂O₃ solubility can be described as a function of water activity, independently of the nature of the organic compound, by involving two neutral As hydroxide complexes: As(OH)₃ and As(OH)₃·4H₂O. Stability constants derived for these species indicate that hydration weakens with increasing temperature. Calculations using these constants show that at low temperatures the tetrahydrate As(OH)₃·4H₂O is dominant in water-rich solutions; by contrast, in high-temperature crustal fluids, As(OH)₃ becomes the major As species. The proposed hydration model can be used to analyze solubility of arsenic-bearing minerals and arsenic transport in complex H₂O–CO₂—electrolyte solutions encountered in natural and industrial environments.