Multivariate Optimization in Preconcentration Procedure for Manganese Determination in Seawater Samples by FAAS

In the present paper, a preconcentration procedure for manganese determination in seawater samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is proposed. It is based on the solid phase extraction of manganese(II) ions as a 4-(2-pyridylazo-resorcinol) (PAR) chelate using activated carbon as sorbent. Optimization of the experimental parameters (pH, activated carbon mass, PAR mass and shaking time) was carried out using a two-level full factorial design (2⁴) and two Doehlert matrix designs. The results of the factorial design, considering the analysis of variance (ANOVA), demonstrate that all these factors and their interactions (pH × PAR mass; pH × activated carbon mass and activated carbon mass × shaking time) are statistically significant. Final optimization was carried out using Doehlert matrix designs considering the results of the factorial design. The validation process evaluated the following parameters: effect of other metal ions, calibration curve, precision, accuracy and robustness. The procedure allows manganese determination in seawater samples with limits of detection (3/S) and quantification (10/S) of 16ngL^–1 and 53ngL^–1 respectively, and a preconcentration factor of 152. The analysis of certified reference materials demonstrated that the proposed procedure can also be used for manganese determination in biological samples. The procedure is not affected by matrix interferences and could be satisfactorily applied in manganese determination in seawater samples. Manganese determination in surface seawater samples collected from the shore of Salvador city, Brazil, was performed, and concentrations ranging from 0.51 to 2.59µgL^–1 were found.     

A new functionalized resin and its application in preconcentration system with multivariate optimization for nickel determination in food samples

In this work, Amberlite XAD-2 resin functionalized with 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid was synthesized, characterized and applied as a new packing material for an on-line system to nickel preconcentration. The method is based on the sorption of Ni(II) ions in a minicolumn containing the synthesized resin, posterior desorption using an acid solution and measurement of the nickel by spectrophotometry (PAR method). The optimization of the system was performed using factorial design and Doehlert matrix considering five variables: eluent concentration, PAR solution pH, sample flow rate, PAR solution concentration and sample pH. Signals were measured as peak height by using an instrument software. Using the experimental conditions defined in the optimization, the method allowed nickel determination with achieved sampling rate of 25 samples per hour, detection limit (3 s) of 2 μg l⁻¹ and precision (assessed as the relative standard deviation) of 8.2-2.6%, for nickel solutions of 10.0-200.0 μg l⁻¹ concentration, respectively. The experimental enrichment factor of the proposed system was 46, for 120 s preconcentration time. The proposed procedure was applied for nickel determination in food samples. Recoveries of spike additions (5 or 10 μg g⁻¹) to food samples were quantitative (94-110%).     

Application of factorial designs and Doehlert matrix in optimization of experimental variables associated with the preconcentration and determination of vanadium and copper in seawater by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

In the present paper a procedure for preconcentration and determination of vanadium and copper in seawater using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) is proposed, which is based on solid-phase extraction of vanadium (IV), vanadium (V) and copper (II) ions as 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) complexes by active carbon. The optimization process was carried out using two-level full factorials and Doehlert matrix designs. Four variables (PAN mass, pH, active carbon mass and shaking time) were regarded as factors in the optimization. Results of the two-level full factorial design 2⁴ with 16 runs for vanadium extraction, based on the variance analysis (ANOVA), demonstrated that the factors pH and active carbon mass, besides the interaction (pH×active carbon mass), are statistically significant. For copper, the ANOVA revealed that the factors PAN mass, pH and active carbon mass and the interactions (PAN mass×pH) and (pH×active carbon mass) are statistically significant. Doehlert designs were applied in order to determine the optimum conditions for extraction. The procedure proposed allowed the determination of vanadium and copper with detection limits (3σ/S) of 73 and 94 ng l⁻¹, respectively. The precision, calculated as relative standard deviation (R.S.D.), was 1.22 and 1.37% for 12.50 μg l⁻¹ of vanadium and copper, respectively. The preconcentration factor was 80. The recovery achieved for determination of vanadium and copper in the presence of several cations demonstrated that this procedure improved the selectivity required for seawater analysis. The procedure was applied to the determination of vanadium and copper in seawater samples collected in Salvador City, Brazil. Results showed good agreement with other data reported in the literature.     

Development of an on-line preconcentration system for zinc determination in biological samples

An on-line preconcentration system for zinc determination in 24-h urine, blood plasma and erythrocyte matrices by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was used. This procedure was based on adsorption of Zn(II) ions onto a minicolumn filled with silica gel, chemically modified with niobium(V) oxide (Nb₂O₅-SiO₂). The determination of the optimum conditions for Zn(II) preconcentration was done using two-level full factorial and Doehlert designs. In the optimization procedure, four variables (sample pH, eluent concentration, sample flow rate and eluent flow rate) were investigated. The results obtained from the full factorial design demonstrated that the sample pH and sample flow rate variables, and their interactions, were statistically significant. A Doehlert matrix was used in order to determine the optimum conditions for the sample pH and sample flow rate. The optimized conditions for sample pH and flow rate sampling were 6.6 and 7.1 ml min⁻¹, respectively, to obtain the maximum Zn(II) preconcentration and determination in the biological samples studied. Parameters of analytical curve, precision, effect of other ions in the proposed system and accuracy were achieved to assess the proposed method. The accuracy was confirmed by analysis of certified reference materials (urine Seronorm™ Trace Elements) and recovery tests in blood plasma and erythrocyte samples. Detection limit (3σ/S) of 0.77 μg l⁻¹, precision (calculated as relative standard deviation) of 1.5% for Zn(II) concentration of 10 μg l⁻¹ (n = 7) and a sampling frequency of 27 samples/h were obtained from the proposed system.     

On-line liquid-liquid extraction system using a new phase separator for flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of ultra-trace cadmium in natural waters

A robust flow injection (FI) on-line liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) preconcentration/separation system associated with a newly designed gravitational phase separator, coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was developed. The performance of the system was illustrated for cadmium determination at the μg l⁻¹ level. The non-charged cadmium complex with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) was extracted on-line into isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK). The organic phase was effectively separated from a large volume of aqueous phase and is led into a 100 μl loop of an injection valve before its introduction into the nebulizer. The system was optimized and offered good performance characteristics with unlimited life time of phase separator, greater flow rate ratios and improved flexibility, as compared with other solvent extraction preconcentration systems. With a sampling frequency of 33 h⁻¹, the enhancement factor was 155, the detection limit was 0.02 μg l⁻¹, the relative standard deviation was 3.2% at 2.0 μg l⁻¹ Cd concentration level and the calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 0.06-6.0 μg l⁻¹. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by analyzing a certified reference material of water and by recovery measurements on spiked samples. Finally, it was successfully applied to the analysis of tapwater, river and seawater samples.     

On-line preconcentration and determination of nickel in natural water samples by flow injection-inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (FI-ICP-OES)

An on-line nickel preconcentration and determination system implemented with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) associated to flow injection (FI) was studied. Trace amounts of nickel were preconcentrated by sorption on a conical minicolumn packed with activated carbon (AC) at pH 5.0. The nickel was removed from the minicolumn with 20% nitric acid. An enrichment factor of 80-fold for a sample volume of 50 ml was obtained. The detection limit (DL) value for the preconcentration method proposed was 82 ng l⁻¹. The precision for ten replicate determinations at the 0.5 μg l⁻¹ Ni level was 3.0% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.), calculated from the peak heights obtained. The calibration graph preconcentration method for nickel was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997 at levels near the detection limits (DL) up to at least 100 μg l⁻¹. The method was successfully applied to the determination of nickel in natural water samples.     

Factorial design for multivariate optimization of an on-line preconcentration system for platinum determination by ultrasonic nebulization coupled to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

A system for on-line preconcentration and determination of platinum by ultrasonic nebulization (USN) coupled to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was studied. It is based on the chemical sorption of platinum on a column packed with polyurethane foam loaded with thiocyanate reagent. The optimization step was carried out using two level full factorial design. Three variables (pH, loading flow rate (LFR) and eluent concentration) were regarded as factors in the optimization. Results of the two level factorial design 2³ with three replicates of the central point for platinum preconcentration, based on the variance analysis (ANOVA), demonstrated that the factors and their interactions are not statistically significant. The proposed procedure allowed the determination of platinum with a detection limit of 0.28 μg l⁻¹. The precision for 10 replicate determinations at 10.0 μg l⁻¹ Pt level was 3.8% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.), calculated from the peak heights obtained. A total enhancement factor of 100 was obtained with respect to ICP-OES using pneumatic nebulization (10 for USN and 10 for preconcentration). A sampling frequency of 50 samples per hour was obtained. The effect of other ions in concentrations agreeing with water samples was studied. The addition/recovery experiments in the samples analyzed demonstrated the accuracy and applicability of the system developed for platinum determination in spiked water samples.     

Solid-phase extraction system for Pb (II) ions enrichment based on multiwall carbon nanotubes coupled on-line to flame atomic absorption spectrometry

The present paper proposes the application of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a solid sorbent for lead preconcentration using a flow system coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The method comprises the preconcentration of Pb (II) ions at a buffered solution (pH 4.7) onto 30 mg of MWCNTs previously oxidized with concentrated HNO₃. The elution step is carried out with 1.0 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃. The effect of the experimental parameters, including sample pH, sampling flow rate, buffer and eluent concentrations were investigated by means of a 2⁴ full factorial design, while for the final optimization a Doehlert design was employed. Under the best experimental conditions the preconcentration system provided detection and quantification limits of 2.6 and 8.6 μg L⁻¹, respectively. A wide linear range varying from 8.6 up to 775 μg L⁻¹ (r > 0.999) and the respective precision (relative standard deviation) of 7.7 and 1.4% for the 15 and 200 μg L⁻¹ levels were obtained. The characteristics obtained for the performance of the flow preconcentration system were a preconcentration factor of 44.2, preconcentration efficiency of 11 min⁻¹, consumptive index of 0.45 mL and sampling frequency estimated as 14 h⁻¹. Preconcentration studies of Pb (II) ions in the presence of the majority foreign ions tested did not show interference, attesting the good performance of MWCNTs. The accuracy of the method was assessed from analysis of water samples (tap, mineral, physiological serum and synthetic seawater) and common medicinal herbs submitted to the acid decomposition (garlic and Ginkgo Biloba). The satisfactory recovery values obtained without using analyte addition method confirms the feasibility of this method for Pb (II) ions determination in different type of samples.     

Application of three-variables Doehlert matrix for optimisation of an on-line pre-concentration system for zinc determination in natural water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

This article describes an on-line pre-concentration system for zinc determination in environmental samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). It was based on the sorption of zinc(II) ions in a minicolumn of polyurethane foam loaded with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol (PAR). The optimisation step was carried out using two-level full factorial and a Doehlert design. Three variables (sampling flow rate, buffer concentration and pH) were regarded as factors in the optimisation. Results of the two-level full factorial design 2³ for 8 runs (in duplicate) based on the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that all the factors in the tested levels are statistically significant. Besides, the interaction (sampling flow rate×buffer concentration) was also statistically significant. A three-variables Doehlert design was applied in order to determine the best condition for pre-concentration and determination of zinc. The validation process was assessed as: parameters of the analytical curve, precision, effect of other ions in the proposed system, robustness test and accuracy. The proposed system allowed determination of zinc with detection limit (3σ/S) of 0.28 μg l⁻¹, and a precision (reproducibility), calculated as relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 10.0 and 3.7% for zinc concentration of 1.0 and 5.0 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The achieved pre-concentration factor was 91.23 and the sampling frequency was 48 samples per hour. The achieved recovery for zinc determination in presence of several cations demonstrated that this procedure could be applied for analysis of water samples. The accuracy was confirmed by analysis of three certified reference materials. This procedure was applied for zinc determination in several kinds of water samples including saline aqueous waste from oil Refinery.     

Determination of cadmium and lead in table salt by sequential multi-element flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In the present paper, a simultaneous pre-concentration procedure for the sequential determination of cadmium and lead in table salt samples using flame atomic absorption spectrometry is proposed. This method is based on the liquid-liquid extraction of cadmium(II) and lead(II) ions as dithizone complexes and direct aspiration of the organic phase for the spectrometer. The sequential determination of cadmium and lead is possible using a computer program. The optimization step was performed by a two-level fractional factorial design involving the variables: pH, dithizone mass, shaking time after addition of dithizone and shaking time after addition of solvent. In the studied levels these variables are not significant. The experimental conditions established propose a sample volume of 250 mL and the extraction process using 4.0 mL of methyl isobutyl ketone. This way, the procedure allows determination of cadmium and lead in table salt samples with a pre-concentration factor higher than 80, and detection limits of 0.3 ng g⁻¹ for cadmium and 4.2 ng g⁻¹ for lead. The precision expressed as relative standard deviation (n = 10) were 5.6 and 2.6% for cadmium concentration of 2 and 20 ng g⁻¹, respectively, and of 3.2 and 1.1% for lead concentration of 20 and 200 ng g⁻¹, respectively. Recoveries of cadmium and lead in several samples, measured by standard addition technique, proved also that this procedure is not affected by the matrix and can be applied satisfactorily for the determination of cadmium and lead in saline samples. The method was applied for the evaluation of the concentration of cadmium and lead in table salt samples consumed in Salvador City, Bahia, Brazil.     

Ultratrace determination of cadmium by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry after preconcentration with a simplified cloud point extraction methodology

A simplified micelle-mediated extraction methodology for the preconcentration of ultratrace levels of cadmium as a prior step to its determination by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) has been developed. The methodology is based on the cloud point extraction (CPE) of cadmium at pH 8 by using the non-ionic surfactant polyethyleneglycolmono-p-nonylphenylether (PONPE 7.5) without adding any chelating agent. Cadmium cold vapor was generated from 2 ml of the extracted surfactant-rich phase by means of sodium tetrahydroborate (3%, w/v) as a reducing agent and hydrochloric acid (0.2 mol l⁻¹) as a carrier solution. Several important variables that affect the cloud point extraction and cold vapor cadmium generation efficiency were investigated and optimized. The preconcentration of only 50 ml of solution in the presence of 0.06% (v/v) PONPE 7.5 gives an enhancement factor of 62. The calibration graph using the preconcentration system was linear in the range of 4-100 ng l⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992. Detection limit (3 s) obtained in the optimal conditions was 0.56 ng l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for six replicate determinations at 20 ng l⁻¹ Cd level was 3.2%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the ultratrace determination of cadmium in water samples.     

Use of Nb(2)O(5)-SiO(2) in an automated on-line preconcentration system for determination of copper and cadmium by FAAS

A procedure for the determination of trace level of copper(II) and cadmium(II) by FAAS using an on-line preconcentration system has been proposed. In this system, copper and cadmium ions were adsorbed onto a minicolumn packed with silica gel modified with niobium(V) oxide (Nb₂O₅-SiO₂), followed by nitric acid elution in reverse mode and determination on-line by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) without interference of the matrix. Chemical and flow variables as well as concomitant ions were studied in the developed procedure. The enrichment factor for copper(II) and cadmium(II) was 34.2 and 33.0, respectively, using a preconcentration time of 2 min. The limit of detection for copper(II) and cadmium(II) was 0.4, and 0.1 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The precision of the method, evaluated as the relative standard deviation in solutions containing 15 μg l⁻¹ of copper and 10 μg l⁻¹ of cadmium, by analyzing a series of seven replicates, was 1.8 and 1.6%, respectively. The accuracy was assessed through recovery experiments of certified material and water samples.     

Preconcentration and speciation of chromium in drinking water samples by coupling of on-line sorption on activated carbon to ETAAS determination

An on-line flow injection (FI) preconcentration-electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) method is developed for trace determination of chromium in drinking water samples by sorption on a conical minicolumn packed with activated carbon (AC) at pH 5.0. The chromium was removed from the minicolumn with 1.0% (v/v) nitric acid. An enrichment factor (EF) of 35-fold for a sample volume of 10 ml was obtained. The detection limit (DL) value for the preconcentration method proposed was 3.0 ng l⁻¹. The precision for 10 replicate determinations at the 0.5 μg l⁻¹ Cr level was 4.0% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.), calculate with the peak heights obtained. The calibration graph using the preconcentration system for chromium was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992 at levels near the detection limits up to at least 50 μg l⁻¹. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in drinking water samples.     

Determination of REEs in seawater by ICP-MS after on-line preconcentration using a syringe-driven chelating column

A syringe-driven chelating column (SDCC) was applied to develop an on-line preconcentration/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for preconcentration and determination of rare earth elements (REEs) in seawater samples. The present on-line preconcentration system consists of only one pump, two valves, an SDCC, an ICP-MS, several connectors, and Teflon tubes. Optimizations of adsorption pH condition, sample loading flow rate, and integration range were carried out to achieve optimum measurement conditions for REEs in seawater sample. Six minutes was enough for a preconcentration and measurement cycle using 10 mL of seawater sample, where the detection limits for different REEs were in the range of 0.005 pg mL⁻¹ to 0.09 pg mL⁻¹. Analytical results of REEs in a seawater certified reference material (CRM), NASS-5, confirmed the usefulness of the present method. Furthermore, concentrations of REEs in Nikkawa Beach coastal seawater were determined and discussed with shale normalized REE distribution pattern.     

A permeation liquid membrane system for determination of nickel in seawater

The use of a permeation liquid membrane system for the preconcentration and separation of nickel in natural and sea waters and subsequent determination by atomic absorption spectroscopy is presented. 2-Hydroxybenzaldehyde N-ethylthiosemi-carbazone (2-HBET) in toluene is used as the active component of the liquid membrane. A study strategy based on a simplex design has been followed. Several chemical and physical parameters were optimized. Maximum permeation coefficient was obtained at a feed solution pH of 9.4, 0.3 mol l⁻¹ of HNO₃ in the stripping solution and 1.66 mmol l⁻¹ of 2-HBTE in toluene as carrier. The precision of the method was 4.7% at 95% significance level and a detection limit of 0.012 μg l⁻¹ of nickel was achieved. The preconcentration procedure showed a linear response within the studied concentration range from 3 to 500 μg l⁻¹ of Ni in the feed solution. The method was validated with different spiked synthetic seawater and certified reference water samples: TMDA-62 and LGC 6016, without matrix interferences and showing good concordance with the certified values, being the relative errors −5.9% and −2.2%, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the average preconcentration yield for real seawater samples was 98 ± 5%, with a nickel preconcentration factor of 20.83 and metal concentrations ranging between 2.8 and 5.4 μg l⁻¹.     

Application of Doehlert designs for optimisation of an on-line preconcentration system for copper determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In the present paper, a system for on-line preconcentration and determination of copper by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was developed. It was based on solid phase extraction of copper(II) ions on a minicolumn of Amberlite XAD-2 loaded with 2-(2-thiazolylazo)-5-dimethylaminophenol (TAM). The optimisation process was carried out using Doehlert designs. Four variables (sampling flow rate, SR; elution flow rate, buffer concentration, BC; and pH) were regarded as factors in the optimisation. The parameter “sensitivity efficiency (SE)” proposed in this paper, and defined as the analytical signal obtained for an on-line enrichment system for a preconcentration time of 1 min was used as analytical response in the optimisation process. Using the established experimental conditions, the proposed on-line system allowed determination of copper with detection limit (3σ/S) of 0.23 μg l⁻¹, and a precision (repeatability), calculated as relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 3.9 and 3.7% for copper concentration of 5.00 and 20.00 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The preconcentration factor obtained is 62. The recovery achieved for copper determination in presence of several cations demonstrated that this has enough selectivity for analysis of food samples. The robustness of the proposed system was also evaluated. The accuracy was confirmed by analysis of the following certified reference materials (CRMs): Rice flour NIES 10a, Spinach leaves NIST 1570a, Apples leaves NIST 1515 and Orchard leaves NBS 1571. This procedure was applied for copper determination in natural food samples.     

Determination of Cr(VI) in the presence of Cr(III) and humic acid by cathodic stripping voltammetry

A voltammetric procedure in the flow system for determination of traces of Cr(VI) in the presence of Cr(III) and humic acid is presented. The calibration graph is linear from 5×10⁻¹⁰ to 1×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹ for an accumulation time of 120 s. The R.S.D. for 1×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ Cr(VI) is 5.3% (n=5). The detection limit estimated from 3σ for a low concentration of Cr(VI) and accumulation time of 120 s is 2×10⁻¹⁰ mol l⁻¹. The method can be used for Cr(VI) determination in the presence of up to 50 mg l⁻¹ of humic acid. The validation of the method was carried out by studying the recovery of Cr(VI) from spiked river water and by the comparison of the results of determination of Cr(VI) in a soil sample. The method cannot be used for analysis of samples containing high concentrations of chloride ions such as seawater and estuarine water.     

Flame atomic absorption determination of manganese(II) in natural water after cloud point extraction

The possibility to use 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) and 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) for manganese(II) concentrating by the micellar extraction at cloud point (CP) temperature and subsequent atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) determination was investigated. Under the optimum conditions, preconcentration of 100 ml of water sample in the presence of 1% non-ionic surfactant (NS) OP-7, 1×10⁻⁴ M 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol permitted the detection 5 μg l⁻¹ manganese. The proposed method has been applied to the AAS determination of manganese in water samples after cloud point extraction.     

Simultaneous determination of lead(II) and cadmium(II) at a diacetyldioxime modified carbon paste electrode by differential pulse stripping voltammetry

A simple and effective chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE) for the simultaneous determination of lead(II) and cadmium(II) was developed in this work. The electrode was prepared by the addition of diacetyldioxime into a carbon paste mixture. Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ were preconcentrated on the surface of the modified electrode by complexing with diacetyldioxime and reduced at a negative potential (−1.10 V). Then the reduced products were oxidized by differential pulse stripping. The fact that two stripping peaks appeared on the voltammograms at the potentials of −0.65 V (Cd²⁺) and −0.91 V (Pb²⁺) demonstrates the possibility of simultaneous determination of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺. Under the optimized working conditions, calibration graphs were linear in the concentration ranges of 1.0×10⁻⁷-1.5×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ (Pb²⁺) and 2.5×10⁻⁷-2.5×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ (Cd²⁺), respectively. For 5 min preconcentration, detection limits of 1×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ (Pb²⁺) and 4×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ (Cd²⁺) were obtained at the signal noise ratio (SNR) of 3. To evaluate the reproducibility of the newly developed electrode, the measurements of 5×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹ Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ were parallel carried out for six times at different electrodes and the relative standard deviations were 2.9% (Pb²⁺) and 3.2% (Cd²⁺), respectively. Interferences by some metals were investigated. Only Ni²⁺ and Hg²⁺ apparently affected the peak currents of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺. The diacetyldioxime modified carbon paste electrode was applied to the determination of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ in water samples. The results indicate that this electrode is sensitive and effective for the simultaneous determination of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺.     

Multielemental speciation of trace elements in estuarine waters with automated on-site UV photolysis and resin chelation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

An integrated approach for the accurate determination of total, labile and organically bound dissolved trace metal concentration in the field is presented. Two independent automated platforms consisting of an ultraviolet (UV) on-line unit and a chelation/preconcentration/matrix elimination module were specifically developed to process samples on-site to avoid sample storage prior to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. The speciation scheme allowed simultaneous discrimination between labile and organic stable dissolved species of seven trace elements including Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, U and Zn, using only 5 ml of sample with detection limits ranging between 0.6 ng l⁻¹ for Cd and 33 ng l⁻¹ for Ni. The influence of UV photolysis on organic matter and its associated metal complexes was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and validated against natural samples spiked with humic substances standards. The chelation/preconcentration/matrix elimination procedure was validated against an artificial seawater spiked sample and two certified reference materials (SLRS-4 and CASS-4) to ensure homogenous performance across freshwater, estuarine and seawater samples. The speciation scheme was applied to two natural freshwater and seawater samples collected in the Adour Estuary (Southwestern, France) and processed in the field. The results indicated that the organic complexation levels were high and unchanged for Cu in both samples, whereas different signatures were observed for Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb, U and Zn, suggesting organic ligands of different origin and/or their transformation/alteration along estuarine water mixing.