Solid phase extraction and preconcentration of uranium(VI) and thorium(IV) on Duolite XAD761 prior to their inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric determination

A simple and effective method is presented for the separation and preconcentration of thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) by solid phase extraction on Duolite XAD761 adsorption resin. Thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) 9-phenyl-3-fluorone chelates are formed and adsorbed onto the Duolite XAD761. Thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) are quantitatively eluted with 2 mol L⁻¹ HCl and determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The influences of analytical parameters including pH, amount of reagents, amount of Duolite XAD761 and sample volume, etc. were investigated on the recovery of analyte ions. The interference of a large number of anions and cations has been studied and the optimized conditions developed have been utilized for the trace determination of uranium and thorium. A preconcentration factor of 30 for uranium and thorium was achieved. The relative standard deviation (N = 10) was 2.3% for uranium and 4.5% for thorium ions for 10 replicate determinations in the solution containing 0.5 μg of uranium and thorium. The three sigma detection limits (N = 15) for thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) ions were found to be 4.5 and 6.3 ng L⁻¹, respectively. The developed solid phase extraction method was successively utilized for the determination of traces thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) in environmental samples by ICP-MS.     

Synthesis of salicylaldehyde-modified mesoporous silica and its application as a new sorbent for separation, preconcentration and determination of uranium by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

A new functionalized mesoporous silica (MCM-41) using salicylaldehyde was utilized for the separation, preconcentration and determination of uranium in natural water by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of trace levels of U(VI) were optimized. The preconcentration factor was 100 (1.0 mL of elution for a 100 mL sample volume). The analytical curve was linear in the range 2-1000 μg L⁻¹ and the detection limit was 0.5 ng mL⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) under optimum conditions was 2.5% (n = 10). Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the separation and determination of uranium at pH 5. The sorbent exhibited excellent stability and its sorption capacity under optimum conditions has been found to be 10 mg of uranium per gram of sorbent. The method was applied for the recovery and determination of uranium in different water samples.     

Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of uranium, thorium, and zirconium using the partial least squares method after their preconcentration by α-benzoin oxime modified Amberlite XAD-2000 resin

A new solid phase extraction method for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of uranium, thorium, and zirconium in water samples is proposed. The procedure is based on the adsorption of U(VI), Th(IV) and Zr(IV) ions on a column of Amberlite XAD-2000 resin loaded with α-benzoin oxime prior to their simultaneous spectrophotometric determination with Arsenazo III using orthogonal signal correction partial least squares method. The enrichment factor for preconcentration of uranium, thorium, and zirconium was found to be 100. The detection limits for U(VI), Th(IV) and Zr(IV) were 0.50, 0.54, and 0.48 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The precision of the method, evaluated as the relative standard deviation obtained by analyzing a series of 10 replicates, was below 4% for all elements. The practical applicability of the developed sorbent was examined using synthetic seawater, natural waters and ceramic samples.     

Simultaneous preconcentration of uranium(VI) and thorium(IV) from aqueous solutions using a chelating calix[4]arene anchored chloromethylated polystyrene solid phase

A new chelating polymeric sorbent is developed using Merrifield chloromethylated resin anchored with calix[4]arene-o-vanillinsemicarbazone for simultaneous separation and solid phase extractive preconcentration of U(VI) and Th(IV). The “upper-rim” functionalized calix[4]arene-o-vanillinsemicarbazone was covalently linked to Merrifield resin and characterized by FT-IR and elemental analysis. The synthesized chelating polymeric sorbent shows superior binding affinity towards U(VI) and Th(IV) under selective pH conditions. Various physico-chemical parameters that influence the quantitative extraction of metal ions were optimized. The optimum pH range and flow rates for U(VI) and Th(IV) were 6.0-7.0 and 1.0-4.0 ml min⁻¹ and 3.5-4.5 and 1.5-4.0 ml min⁻¹, respectively. The total sorption capacity found for U(VI) and Th(IV) was 48734 and 41175 μg g⁻¹, respectively. Interference studies carried out in the presence of diverse ions and electrolyte species showed quantitative analyte recovery (98-98.5%) with lower limits of detection, 6.14 and 4.29 μg l⁻¹ and high preconcentration factors, 143 and 153 for U(VI) and Th(IV), respectively. The uptake and stripping of these metal ions on the resin were fast, indicating a better accessibility of the metal ions towards the chelating sites. The analytical applicability of the synthesized polymeric sorbent was tested with some synthetic mixtures for the separation of U(VI) and Th(IV) from each other and also from La(III), Cu(II) and Pb(II) by varying the pH and sequential acidic elution. The validity of the proposed method was checked by analyzing these metal ions in natural water samples, monazite sand and standard geological materials.     

Non-chromatographic determination of ultratraces of V(V) and V(IV) based on a double column solid phase extraction flow injection system coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work, a non-chromatographic procedure for the on-line determination of ultratraces of V(V) and V(IV) is presented. The method involves a solid phase extraction-flow injection system coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (SPE-FI-ETAAS). The system holds two microcolumns (MC) set in parallel and filled with lab-made mesoporous silica functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APS) and mesoporous silica MCM-41, respectively. The pre-concentration of V(V) is performed by sorption onto the first MC (C1) filled with APS at pH 3, whilst that of V(IV) is performed by sorption onto the second column (C2) filled with mesoporous silica MCM-41 at pH 5. Aqueous samples containing both analytes are loaded and, after pre-concentration (pre-concentration factor PCF = 10, sorption flow rate = 1 mL min⁻¹, sorption time = 10 min), they are eluted in separate vessels with hydroxylammonium chloride (HC) 0.1 mol L⁻¹ in HCl 0.5 mol L⁻¹ (elution volume = 1 mL, elution flow rate = 0.5 mL min⁻¹). Afterwards, both analytes are determined through ETAAS with graphite furnace. Under optimized conditions, the main analytical figures of merit for V(V) and V(IV) are, respectively: detection limits (3 s): 0.5 and 0.6 μg L⁻¹, linear range: 2-100 μg L⁻¹ (both analytes), sensitivity: 0.015 and 0.013 μg⁻¹ L and sample throughput: 6 h⁻¹ (both analytes). Recoveries of both species were assayed in different water samples. Validation was performed through certified reference materials for ultratraces of total vanadium in river water.     

A novel multi-element coprecipitation technique for separation and enrichment of metal ions in environmental samples

A multi-element preconcentration-separation technique for heavy metal ions in environmental samples has been established. The procedure is based on coprecipitation of gold(III), bismuth(III), cobalt(II), chromium(III), iron(III), manganese(II), nickel(II), lead(II), thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) ions by the aid of Cu(II)-9-phenyl-3-fluorone precipitate. The Cu(II)-9-phenyl-3-fluorone precipitate was dissolved by the addition 1.0 mL of concentrated HNO₃ and then the solution was completed to 5 mL with distilled water. Iron, lead, cobalt, chromium, manganese and nickel levels in the final solution were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometer, while gold, bismuth, uranium and thorium were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The optimal conditions are pH 7, amounts of 9-phenyl-3-fluorone: 5 mg and amounts of Cu(II): 1 mg. The effects of concomitant ions as matrix were also examined. The preconcentration factor was 30. Gold(III), bismuth(III), chromium(III), iron(III), lead(II) and thorium(IV) were quantitatively recovered from the real samples. The detection limits for the analyte elements based on 3 sigma (n = 15) were in the range of 0.05-12.9 μg L⁻¹. The validation of the presented procedure was checked by the analysis of two certified reference materials (Montana I Soil (NIST-SRM 2710) and Lake Sediment (IAEA-SL-1)). The procedure was successfully applied to some environmental samples including water and sediments.     

Chemical enrichment and separation of uranyl ions in aqueous media using novel polyurethane foam chemically grafted with different basic dyestuff sorbents

The new type of the grafted polyurethane foam sorbents were prepared by coupling polyether polyol, toluene diisocyanate and basic dyestuff (Methylene blue, Rhodamine B and Brilliant green). The Me.B-PUF, Rh.B-PUF and Br.G-PUF were characterized using UV/vis, IR and TGA. The adsorption properties and chromatographic behaviour of these new adsorbents for preconcentration and separation of uranium(VI) ions at low concentrations from aqueous thiocyanate media were investigated by a batch process. The maximum sorption of U(VI) was in the pH ranges 1-4. The kinetics of sorption of the U(VI) by the Grafted-PUF were found to be fast with half life of sorption (t_1/2) in 2.43 min. The average sorption capacity of different sorbents 0.124 meq g⁻¹ for uranyl ions, enrichment factors ≈40 and the recovery 98-100% were achieved (R.S.D. ≈ 0.73%). The basic dyestuff Grafted-PUF could be used many times without decreasing their capacities significantly. The value of the Gibbs free energy (ΔG) for the sorbents is −7.3 kJ mol⁻¹, which reflects the spontaneous nature of sorption process. The sorption mechanism of the metal ion onto Grafted-PUF was also discussed.     

Amberlite XAD-4 functionalized with succinic acid for the solid phase extractive preconcentration and separation of uranium(VI)

Amberlite XAD-4 resin has been functionalized with succinic acid by coupling it with dibromosuccinic acid after acetylation. The resulting resin has been characterized by FT-IR, elemental analysis and TGA and has been used for preconcentrative separation of uranium(VI) from host of other inorganic species prior to its determination by spectrophotometry. The optimum pH value for quantitative sorption of uranium(VI) in both batch and column modes is 4.5-8.0 and desorption can be achieved by using 5.0 ml of 1.0 mol l⁻¹ HCl. The sorption capacity of functionalized resin is 12.3 mg g⁻¹. Calibration graphs were rectilinear over the uranium(VI) concentrations in the range 5-200 μg l⁻¹. Five replicate determinations of 50 μg of uranium(VI) present in 1000 ml of solution gave a mean absorbance of 0.10 with a relative standard deviation of 2.56%. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank was found to be 2 μg l⁻¹. Various cationic and anionic species at 200-fold amounts do not interfere during the preconcentration of 5.0 μg of uranium(VI) present in 1000 ml (batch) or 100 ml (column) of sample solution. Further, adsorption kinetic and isotherm studies were also carried out by a batch method to understand the nature of sorption of uranium(VI) with the succinic acid functionalized resin. The accuracy of the developed solid phase extractive preconcentration method in conjunction with Arsenazo III procedure was tested by analyzing marine sediment (MESS-3) and soil (IAEA soil-7) reference material. Further, the above procedure has been successfully employed for the analysis of soil and sediment samples.     

Hybrid mesoporous materials for on-line preconcentration of Cr(VI) followed by one-step scheme for elution and colorimetric determination at ultratrace levels

An hybrid mesoporous material synthesised in our laboratories for solid phase extraction (SPE) in flow through systems has been used for analytical purposes. The solid was obtained from mesoporous silica MCM-41 functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane by Sol-Gel methodology. In order to exploit the large sorption capacity of the material together with the possibility of modeling it for anions retention, a microcolumn (MC) filled with the solid was inserted in a flow system for preconcentration of Cr(VI) and its determination at ultratrace levels in natural waters. The analytical methodology involved a reverse flow injection system (rFI) holding a MC filled with the solid for the analyte extraction. Elution and colorimetric detection were carried out with 1-5 diphenylcarbazide (DPC) in sulfuric acid. DPC produced the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) together with the generation of a cationic red complex between Cr(III) and 1-5 diphenylcarbazone which was easily eluted and detected with a visible spectrophotometer. Moreover, the filling material got ready for the next sample loading remaining unspoiled for more than 300 cycles.The effect of several variables on the analytical signal as well as the influence of cationic and anionic interferences were discussed. Particular attention was given to sulfuric acid interference since it is the required media for the complex generation.Under optimal conditions, 99.8% of Cr(VI) recovery was obtained for a preconcentration time of 120 s (sample and DPC flow rates = 1 mL min⁻¹) and an elution volume of 250 μL. The limit of detection (3 s) was found to be 0.09 μg L⁻¹ Cr(VI) with a relative standard deviation (n = 10, 3 μg L⁻¹) of 1.8.Since no Cr(III) was retained by the solid material and Cr(VI) was completely adsorbed, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) determinations of Cr(III) were also performed by simply measuring its concentration at the end of the microcolumn after Cr(VI) retention by the mesoporous solid.Applications to the determination of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) in natural waters and the validation of the methodology were also studied.     

Sorption characteristics and separation of tellurium ions from aqueous solutions using nano-TiO2

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO₂) were employed for the sorption of Te(IV) ions from aqueous solution. A detailed study of the process was performed by varying the sorption time, pH, and temperature. The sorption was found to be fast, equilibrium was reached within 8 min. When the concentration of Te(IV) was below 40 mg L⁻¹, at least 97% of tellurium was adsorbed by nano-TiO₂ in the pH range of 1-2 and 8-9. The sorbed Te(IV) ions were desorbed with 2.0 mL of 0.5 mol L⁻¹ NaOH. The sorption data could be well interpreted by the Langmuir model with the maximum adsorption capacity of 32.75 mg g⁻¹ (20 ± 0.1 °C) of Te(IV) on nano-TiO₂. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the sorption of Te(IV) onto nano-TiO₂ were also studied. The kinetic experimental data properly correlated with the second-order kinetic model (k₂ = 0.0368 g mg⁻¹ min⁻¹, 293 K). The overall rate process appeared to be influenced by both boundary layer diffusion and intra-particle diffusion. The mean energy of adsorption was calculated to be 17.41 kJ mol⁻¹ from the Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherm at room temperature. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters for the sorption were estimated, and the ΔH⁰ and ΔG⁰ values indicated the exothermic and spontaneous nature of the sorption process, respectively. Finally, Nano-TiO₂ as sorbent was successfully applied to the separation of Te(IV) from the environmental samples with satisfactory results (recoveries >95%, relative standard deviations was 2.0%).     

Determination of uranium and thorium in complex samples using chromatographic separation, ICP-MS and spectrophotometric detection

The paper describes a research of possible application of UTEVA and TRU resins and anion exchanger AMBERLITE CG-400 in nitrate form for the isolation of uranium and thorium from natural samples. The results of determination of distribution coefficient have shown that uranium and thorium bind on TRU and UTEVA resins from the solutions of nitric and hydrochloric acids, and binding strength increases proportionally to increase the concentration of acids. Uranium and thorium bind rather strongly to TRU resin from the nitric acid in concentration ranging from 0.5 to 5 mol L⁻¹, while large quantities of other ions present in the sample do not influence on the binding strength. Due to the difference in binding strength in HCl and HNO₃ respectively, uranium and thorium can be easily separated from each other on the columns filled with TRU resin. Furthermore, thorium binds to anion exchanger in nitrate form from alcohol solutions of nitric acid very strongly, while uranium does not, so they can be easily separated. Based on these results, we have created the procedures of preconcentration and separation of uranium and thorium from the soil, drinking water and seawater samples by using TRU and UTEVA resins and strong base anion exchangers in nitrate form. In one of the procedures, uranium and thorium bind directly from the samples of drinking water and seawater on the column filled with TRU resin from 0.5 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ in a water sample. After binding, thorium is separated from uranium with 0.5 mol L⁻¹ HCl, and uranium is eluted with deionised water. By applying the described procedure, it is possible to achieve the concentration factor of over 1000 for the column filled with 1 g of resin and splashed with 2 L of the sample. Spectrophotometric determination with Arsenazo III, with this concentration factor results in detection limits below 1 μg L⁻¹ for uranium and thorium. In the second procedure, uranium and thorium are isolated from the soil samples with TRU resin, while they are separated from each other on the column filled with anion exchanger in alcohol solutions. Anion exchanger combined with alcohol solutions enables isolation of thorium from soil samples and its separation from a wide range of elements, as well as spectrophotometric determination, ICP-MS determination, and other determination techniques.     

Nucleophilic attack by bromide ions as a first step of conversion of Se(VI) to Se(IV)

Numerous commonly used analytical methods allow only determination of a total amount of selenium in a given sample. Electroanalytical methods as well as those based on hydride generation or on formation of piazselenol allow only determination of Se(IV). To determine Se(VI) by these procedures, present alone or in mixtures with Se(IV), it is first necessary to convert Se(VI) to Se(IV). Such conversion is effective in the presence of excess of halides in acidic media or by photoreduction. In the often used conversion of Se(VI) in the presence of chlorides or less frequently of that of bromides, it has been assumed that the halide ion acts as a reducing agent. Kinetic studies of conversion of Se(VI) in acidic solutions containing an excess of bromide ions indicated that the rate determining first step of the reaction with Se(VI) is a nucleophilic substitution of the OH₂⁺ group in the protonated form of H₂SeO₄ by bromide ions. For the overall reaction with rate −d[Se(VI)]/dt = k₁[H⁺][Br⁻]^1.15[Se(IV)] the rate constant 1 × 10⁻³ L² mol⁻² s⁻¹ was found. The following formation of Se(IV) from the bromo derivative is a fast reaction probably resulting in elimination of HBrO.     

Preconcentration and determination of ultra-trace amounts of U(VI) and Th(IV) using titan yellow-impregnated Amberlite XAD-7 resin

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of ultra trace amounts of U(VI) and Th(IV) ions by spectrophotometric method after solid-phase extraction on a new extractant-impregnated resin (EIR) has been reported. The new EIR was synthesised by impregnating a weakly polar polymeric adsorbent, Amberlite XAD-7, with titan yellow (TY) as extractant. The analytical method is based on the simultaneous adsorption of analyte ions in a mini-column packed with TY/XAD-7 and performing sequential elution with 0.5% (w/v) Na₂CO₃ for uranium and 2.0 M HCl for thorium. The influences of the analytical parameters including pH, salting out agent and sample volume were investigated. The interference effects of foreign ions on the retention of the analyte ions were also explored. The limits of detection for U(VI) and Th(IV) were as low as 50 and 25 ng L^?1, respectively. Relative standard deviations (n = 7) for U(VI) and Th(IV) were 3.1% and 2.9%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of ultra trace amounts of U(VI) and Th(IV) in different real matrices including industrial wastewater samples and environmental waters. The proposed method was validated using three certified reference materials and the results were in good agreement with the certified values.     

Design and evaluation of a thorium (IV) selective optode

A novel optical sensor has been proposed for sensitive determination of thorium (IV) ion in aqueous solutions. The thorium sensing membrane was prepared by incorporating 4-(p-nitrophenyl azo)-pyrocatechol (NAP) as ionophore in the plasticized PVC membrane containing tributyl phosphate (TBP) as plasticizer. The membrane responds to thorium ion by changing color reversibly from yellow to red-brown in glycine buffer solution at pH 3.5. The proposed sensor displays a linear range of 8.66 × 10⁻⁶-2.00 × 10⁻⁴ M with a limit of detection of 6 × 10⁻⁶ M. The response time of the optode was about 8.8-12.5 min, depending on the concentration of Th (IV) ions. The selectivity of optode to Th (IV) ions in glycine buffer is good. The sensor can readily be regenerated by exposure to a solution mixture of sodium fluoride and 5-sulfosalicylic acid (dihydrate) (0.01 M each). The optode is fully reversible. The proposed optode was applied to the determination of thorium (IV) in environmental water samples.     

Smart thorium and uranium determination exploiting renewable solid-phase extraction applied to environmental samples in a wide concentration range

A smart fully automated system is proposed for determination of thorium and uranium in a wide concentration range, reaching environmental levels. The hyphenation of lab-on-valve (LOV) and multisyringe flow injection analysis (MSFIA), coupled to a long path length liquid waveguide capillary cell, allows the spectrophotometric determination of thorium and uranium in different types of environmental sample matrices achieving high selectivity and sensitivity levels. Online separation and preconcentration of thorium and uranium is carried out by means of Uranium and TEtraValents Actinides resin. The potential of the LOV–MSFIA makes possible the full automation of the system by the in-line regeneration of the column and its combination with a smart methodology is a step forward in automation. After elution, thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) are spectrophotometrically detected after reaction with arsenazo-III. We propose a rapid, inexpensive, and fully automated method to determine thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) in a wide concentration range (0–1,200 and 0–2,000 μg L^-1 Th and U, respectively). Limits of detection reached are 5.9 ηg L^-1 of uranium and 60 ηg L^-1 of thorium. Different water sample matrices (seawater, well water, freshwater, tap water, and mineral water), and a channel sediment reference material which contained thorium and uranium were satisfactorily analyzed with the proposed method.     

Voltammetric determination of Se(IV) and Se(VI) in saline samples—Studies with seawater, hydrothermal and hemodialysis fluids

Determination of Se(IV) and Se(VI) in high saline media was investigated by cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV). The voltammetric method was applied to assay selenium in seawater, hydrothermal and hemodialysis fluids. The influence of ionic strength on selenium determination is discussed. The CSV method was based on the co-electrodeposition of Se(IV) with Cu(II) ions and Se(VI) determined by difference after sample UV-irradiation for photolytic selenium reduction. UV-irradiation was also used as sample pre-treatment for organic matter decomposition. Detection limit of 0.030 μg L⁻¹ (240 s deposition time) and relative standard deviation (RSD) of 6.19% (n = 5) for 5.0 μg L⁻¹ of Se(IV) were calculated. Linear calibration range for selenium was observed from 1.0 to 100.0 μg L⁻¹. Concerning the pre-treatment step, best results were obtained by using 60 min UV-irradiation interval in H₂O₂/HCl medium. Se(VI) was reduced to the Se(IV) electroactive species with recoveries between 91.7% and 112.9%. Interferents were also investigated.     

Silica gel modified with 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-phenylurea for selective solid-phase extraction and preconcentration of Sc(III) from environmental samples

A new method that utilizes 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-phenylurea-modified silica gel as a solid-phase extractant has been developed for preconcentration of trace Sc(III) prior to the measurement by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of trace level of Sc(III) were optimized using batch and column procedures in detail. The optimum pH value for the separation of Sc(III) on the new sorbent was 4 and complete elution of Sc(III) from the sorbent surface was carried out using 1.0 mL of 0.1 mol L⁻¹ HCl. Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the separation and determination of the analyte. The maximum static adsorption capacity of the sorbent at optimum conditions was found to be 32.5 mg g⁻¹ while the time of 95% adsorption was less than 2 min. The detection limit of present method was found to be 0.091 μg g⁻¹, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 3.0% (n = 8). The method was successfully applied for the preconcentration of trace Sc(III) in the environmental samples with satisfactory results.     

Synthesis and applications of surface-grafted Th(IV)-imprinted polymers for selective solid-phase extraction of thorium(IV)

A new functional monomer N-(o-carboxyphenyl)maleamic acid (CPMA) was synthesized and chosen for the preparation of surface-grafted ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs) specific for thorium(IV). Polymerizable double bond was introduced to silica gel surface by amidation reaction between -NH₂ and maleic anhydride. In the ion-imprinting process, thorium(IV) was complexed with the carboxyl groups, then was imprinted in the polymers grafted to the silica gel surface. The imprinted Th(IV) was removed with 3 mol L⁻¹ HCl. The obtained imprinted particles exhibited excellent selectivity and rapid kinetics process for Th(IV). The relatively selective factor (α_r) values of Th(IV)/La(III), Th(IV)/Ce(III), Th(IV)/Nd(III), Th(IV)/U(VI), and Th(IV)/Zr(IV) were 85.7, 88.9, 26.6, 64.4, and 433.8, respectively, which were greater than 1. The precision (R.S.D.), the detection limit (3σ), and the quantification limit (10σ) of the method were 1.9%, 0.51 ng mL⁻¹ and 1.19 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The prepared IIPs as solid-phase extractants were successfully applied for the preconcentration of trace thorium in natural and certified samples prior to its determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) with satisfactory results.     

Selective enrichment of U(VI), Th(IV) and La(III) from high acidic streams using a new chelating ion-exchange polymeric matrix

An off-line extraction chromatographic technique has been developed using Amberlite XAD-16 (AXAD-16)-N,N-dihexylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonic acid, as the stationary phase for the extraction of uranium, thorium and lanthanum from nuclear spent fuels as well as from geological and natural water resources. The chemical modifications of the polymeric matrix were monitored using FT-IR spectroscopy, CHNPS elemental analysis and also by thermo gravimetric analysis for water regain measurements. Various physio-chemical parameters influencing the quantitative metal ion extraction by the resin phase were optimized by both static and dynamic methods. The developed resin matrix showed good distribution ratio values under wide concentrations of acidity and pH conditions. Moreover, the sequential separation of analytes is also possible at sample pH 6.5. Also, the polymeric matrix showed superior metal sorption capacities and rapid metal exchange kinetics with a high sample flow rate value of 26 cm³ min⁻¹ for all the three analytes. Thus, reducing the time of analyte extraction from large number of samples anticipated in nuclear waste management programs. The quantitative metal ion recovery of >99.8% was effected with 0.5 M (NH₄)₂CO₃ solution. The method was highly sensitive with lower limits of detections to be 10, 20 and 15 ng cm⁻³ for U(VI), Th(IV) and La(III), respectively, with a better pre-concentration values of 333 for U(VI) and Th(IV) and 400 for La(III), respectively paving way for its applicability in pre-concentrating trace analytes from large sample volumes. The analytical data were within 4.2% R.S.D. reflecting the reproducibility and reliability of the developed method.     

Preconcentration of uranium(VI) and thorium(IV) from aqueous solutions using low-cost abundantly available sorbent

Olive cake as low-cost abundantly available sorbent has been characterized by N₂ at 77 K adsorption, porosity analysis, elemental analysis and IR spectra and has been used for preconcentrating of uranium(VI) and thorium(IV) ions prior to their determination spectrophotometrically. The optimum pH values for quantitative sorption of U(VI) and Th(IV) are 4–7 and 3–7, respectively. The enrichment factor for the preconcentration of U(VI) and Th(IV) were found to be 125 and 75 in the given order. The sorption capacity of olive cake is in the range of 2,260–15,000 μg g⁻¹ for Th(IV) and in the range of 1,090–17,000 μg g⁻¹ for U(VI) at pH 3–7. The sorbent exhibits good reusability and the uptake and stripping of the studied ions were fairly rapid. The elution of U(VI) and Th(IV) was performed with 0.3–1 M HCl/1–2 M HNO₃ and 0.3–0.8 M HCl/1 M HNO₃, respectively. The precision of the method was 1.8 RSD% for U(VI) and 2.5 RSD% for Th(IV) in a concentration of 1.00 μg mL⁻¹ for 10 replicate analysis. The influence of some electrolytes and cations as interferents was discussed. Separation of U(VI) and Th(IV) from other metal ions in synthetic solution was achieved.