Ion chromatography of nitrite and carbonate in inorganic matrices on an octadecyl—poly(vinyl alcohol) gel column using acidic eluents

Low levels of carbonate and nitrite contained in inorganic matrices were determined by ion chromatography on an Asahipak ODP-50 poly(vinyl alcohol) gel-based reversed-phase column. With an acidic mobile phase, inorganic matrix anions and cations eluted near the void volume of the column, whereas carbonate and nitrite were retained and separated completely from the matrix ions. After the separation column, the peak response was enhanced using a cation-exchange hollow fibre and 25 mM sodium sulphate or alkaline enhancers. Sea-water samples can be applied directly for the determination of carbonate and added nitrite at ppm levels. The maximum sample volume that can be loaded on the column without peak deformation depended on the pH of the sample solution and the sulphuric acid concentration in the eluent. A 50 μl sea-water sample was applicable with a 2.5 mM acid eluent.     

A unified ion chromatographic system for the determination of acidity and alkalinity.

A unified ion chromatographic (IC) system was developed for the determination of acidity or alkalinity. Separation column used was a reversed-phase ODS packed column, which had been modified by saturating it with lithium dodecylsulfate. A slightly acidified LiCl (50 mM LiCl and 0.05 mM H2SO4) aqueous solution was used as the eluent. By conditioning the separation column in this way, both H+ and Li+ ions became bound to the stationary phase. Dodecylsulfate groups with Li+ counterions acted as cation-exchange sites for the separation of hydrogen ions (free acidity determination). The remaining dodecylsulfate groups, with H+ counterions acted as a titrant, which reacted with basic species (total alkalinity determination). The acidity or alkalinity of each sample was measured according to the change in conductance from the eluent baseline level. A positive peak was observed from those samples with a free acidity greater than their total alkalinity, due to the separation/elution of free H+ ions. A negative peak was observed from those samples with a free acidity less than their total alkalinity. This was due to an equivalent amount of eluent H+ ions being re-supplied to the stationary phase while the "solid titrant" consumed by the acid-base reaction was regenerated. The retention time for the peak corresponding to the acidity or alkalinity was governed by the retention time for H+ ions in this IC system. Samples with a free acidity greater than 2.25 microM (tested by determination of H+ ions in pure water in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2) could be analyzed by this method. A very similar detection level was obtained for alkalinity (tested by analyzing standard aqueous NaHCO3 solutions). Aqueous solutions of some strong-acid/strong-base inorganic salts were found to be slightly alkaline. This was measured as a percentage, relative to an NaHCO3 solution at the same concentration. Solutions of NaClO4, Na2SO4, NaI, NaNO3, and NaCl, gave comparative alkalinity values of 8.75%, 1.83%, 0.42%, 0.35%, and 0.33%, respectively.     

Determination of trace concentrations of bromate in municipal and bottled drinking waters using a hydroxide-selective column with ion chromatography

The International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that bromate is a potential human carcinogen, even at low micro/l levels in drinking water. Bromate is commonly produced from the ozonation of source water containing naturally occurring bromide. Traditionally, trace concentrations of bromate and other oxyhalides in environmental waters have been determined by anion exchange chromatography with an IonPac AS9-HC column using a carbonate eluent and suppressed conductivity detection, as described in EPA Method 300.1 B. However, a hydroxide eluent has lower suppressed background conductivity and lower noise compared to a carbonate eluent and this can reduce the detection limit and practical quantitation limit for bromate. In this paper, we examine the effect of using an electrolytically generated hydroxide eluent combined with a novel hydroxide-selective anion exchange column for the determination of disinfection byproduct anions and bromide in municipal and bottled drinking water samples. EPA Methods 300.1 B and 317.0 were used as test criteria to evaluate the new anion exchange column. The combination of a hydroxide eluent with a high capacity hydroxide-selective column allowed sub-microg/l detection limits for chlorite, bromate, chlorate, and bromide with a practical quantitation limit of 1 microg/l bromate using suppressed conductivity detection and 0.5 microg/l using postcolumn addition of o-dianisidine followed by visible detection. The linearity, method detection limits, robustness, and accuracy of the methods for spiked municipal and bottled water samples will be discussed.     

Fractionated combustion analysis of carbon in forest soils — new possibilities for the analysis and characterization of different soils

The fractionated combustion analysis of carbon allows the sequential analysis of the total organic carbon (TOC), total inorganic carbon (TIC) and total carbon (TC) fractions in forest soils. Magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate of the inorganic carbon fraction can also be detected separately. Soils from various forest stands cause different combustion characteristics of the organic carbon fraction, also depending on the soil profile depth. This automatic combustion technique is suitable to characterize the organic carbon fraction of different soil types.     

整体柱离子相互作用色谱快速分析无机阴离子

研究了用硅胶整体柱和直接电导检测的离子相互作用色谱快速分析常见无机阴离子的方法。实验采用氢氧化四丁铵和邻苯二甲酸为淋洗液,讨论了包括淋洗液浓度、流速和pH对分离的影响。当以1.5 mmol/L氢氧化四丁铵和1.1 mmol/L邻苯二甲酸为淋洗液(pH 5.5),流速6 mL/min时,可以在1 min内分离Cl-、NO2-、Br-、NO3-、ClO3-、SO42-和I-7种阴离子。方法的检出限为0.3~1.9 mg/L,峰面积、峰高的相对标准偏差(RSD,n=5)分别为0.4%~2.2%和0.1%~1.5%。将该法用于测定矿泉水和地下水中的阴离子,加标回收率在97.9%~100.3%之间。     

Ion chromatographic determination of bromate in drinking water by post-column reaction with fuchsin.

Bromate deriving from ozonation treatment of bromide containing waters are analyzed by ion-exchange chromatography with spectrophotometric detection after post-column reaction with fuchsin in low pH medium. An anion-exchange column was used with 2.7 mM carbonate-0.3 mM hydrogencarbonate eluent. The eluent from the column was then allowed to react with a SO2-reduced fuchsin solution and then with a diluted HCl solution at 65 degrees C. The developed colour of the final product was measured spectrophotometrically at 530 nm. Linearity was checked up to 50 micrograms/l with a 200-microliter injection loop (r2 = 0.9997) and up to 100 micrograms/l of bromate with 100 microliters loop (r2 = 0.9939). Nitrate, sulfate, bromide, phosphate, fluoride did not interfere at 100 mg/l concentration level; only nitrite at concentration levels greater than 3 mg/l caused partial overlapping with bromate peak, but this value is not likely to occur in common drinking water. The detection limit (3 sigma) is 0.1 microgram/l (1 microgram/l propagation error approach).     

Improved method for the determination of trace perchlorate in ground and drinking waters by ion chromatography

Ammonium perchlorate, a key ingredient in solid rocket propellants, has been found in ground and surface waters in a number of U.S. states, and perchlorate contamination of public drinking water wells is now a serious problem in California. Perchlorate poses a health risk and preliminary data from the U.S. EPA reports that exposure to less than 4-18 microg/l provides adequate human health protection. An improved ion chromatographic method was developed for the determination of low microg/l levels of perchlorate in ground and drinking waters based on a Dionex IonPac AS16 column, an hydroxide eluent generated using an EG40 automated eluent generator, large loop (1000 microl) injection, and suppressed conductivity detection. The method is free of interferences from common inorganic anions, linear over the range of 2-100 microg/l perchlorate, and quantitative recoveries are obtained for low microg/l levels of perchlorate in spiked ground and drinking water samples. The MDL of 150 ng/l permits quantification of perchlorate below the levels that ensure adequate health protection.     

Using a simple high-performance liquid chromatography separation and fraction collection methodology to achieve compound-specific isotopic analysis for dissolved organic compounds

A new application for the quantitative and isotopic analyses of dissolved inorganic and dissolved organic carbon compounds has been developed. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural water samples can be separated on a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column and collected as fractions. Each discrete fraction can then be analyzed using the technique of St-Jean (Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2003; 17: 419-428) with a total inorganic carbon/total organic carbon (TIC/TOC) analyzer interfaced with a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Experimental data using short-chain fatty acid standards (formic, acetic, and propionic acids) show that fraction recoveries of 100% are possible and that sample integrity is maintained. 13C-isotopic analyses of products prior to and subsequent to extraction and collection show no isotopic effects associated with the methodology, and errors are well within the accepted analytical uncertainty of the IRMS. Comparison of data from pure standards and organic-rich natural waters shows that quantitative analyses still need to be done with standards that more closely imitate the matrices of the samples, in order to acquire an appropriate calibration curve. Injections of organic-rich matrices on the HPLC column did not affect fraction recovery, nor did they create high background of partially retained organic compounds slowly released from the HPLC column, and hence 13C-isotopic results are relatively unaffected. The specific limitation on this methodology is the required use of carbon-free carrier solvents due to potential memory effects associated with the TIC/TOC analyzer. Further developments of this application could make routine compound-specific isotopic analyses (CSIA) for a wider range of organic materials possible.     

Determination of inorganic anions in environmental waters with a hydroxide-selective column

US Environmental Protection Agency Method 300.0 specifies the use of an IonPac AS4A anion-exchange column with a carbonate-hydrogencarbonate eluent and suppressed conductivity detection for the determination of inorganic anions in environmental waters by ion chromatography. Hydroxide eluents have not typically been used for the routine analysis of common inorganic anions due to the lack of an appropriate hydroxide selective column and the difficulty in preparing contaminant free hydroxide eluents. The use of ion chromatography with a hydroxide-selective IonPac AS17 column, automated eluent generation and potassium hydroxide gradient represents a new approach to the routine determination of inorganic anions in environmental waters. This new approach, which is a modification of Method 300.0, allows equivalent method performance with improved linearity, precision, and method detection limits. The AS17 column provides superior retention of fluoride from the column void volume and improved resolution from small organic acids, such as formate and acetate, compared to the AS4A column. Quantitative recoveries were obtained for all the common inorganic anions spiked into typical environmental waters using this new approach, and the Performance Based Measurement System Tier 1 method validation quality control acceptance criteria are well within the acceptable ranges defined by Method 300.0. In addition, the EG40 eluent generator eliminates the need to manually prepare eluents, increasing the level of automation and ease-of-use of the ion chromatography system.     

反相硅胶整体柱离子对色谱法快速测定吡啶离子液体阳离子

建立了整体柱离子对色谱-紫外检测法梯度淋洗快速分离测定4种吡啶离子液体阳离子的方法。分离采用C18反相硅胶整体柱,以离子对试剂(用柠檬酸调节pH值)-乙腈为淋洗液,并采用多级梯度洗脱程序。实验考察了色谱柱、离子对试剂、乙腈浓度、色谱柱温度及流速对吡啶阳离子保留的影响,并讨论了其保留规律。咪唑阳离子的保留符合碳数规律。最佳色谱条件是:在流速3.0 mL/min,柱温30℃下,以1.0 mmol/L庚烷磺酸钠(pH 4.0)(A)+乙腈(B)为淋洗液进行梯度洗脱。淋洗梯度为0～2.0 min,10%B;2.0～2.5 min,10%～15%B;2.5～4.0 min,15%B;4.0～4.5 min,15%～20%B;4.5～10.0 min,20%B。在此条件下,4种吡啶阳离子可在7 min内基线分离。所测阳离子的检出限(S/N=3)为0.05～0.17 mg/L;峰面积的相对标准偏差(n=5)小于0.6%。将本方法用于实验室合成的离子液体样品和污水样品的分析,加标回收率在95.7%～99.0%之间。本方法准确、快速,具有较好的实用性。     

Determination of phenoxyacid herbicides in water

Novel clean-up techniques for a polymeric precolumn (PLRP-S) for the subsequent determination of bentazone and eight phenoxy acid herbicides in surface water samples are described. After preconcentration of the components at pH 3 on a 10 x 2 mm I.D. precolumn, the technique consists of a clean-up with 1000 microliters of 0.1 mol/l sodium hydroxide solution (pH 12.5) and of a heartcut consisting of four precolumn bed volumes of eluent directed to waste followed by ten precolumn bed volumes of eluent directed to the analytical column. Analytical separation is performed with acetonitrile-water (30:70) containing 0.005 mol/l of tetrabutylammonium hydrogensulphate (pH 8.3) (which is also the desorption eluent during heartcutting) on a polymeric analytical column (PLRP-S). With 25 ml of surface water, spiked at 0.25 and 1 microgram/l, applied to the precolumn, recoveries for all components were over 85% with a relative standard deviation (n = 5) of ca. 9% at 0.25 microgram/l and ca. 2% at 1 microgram/l. Detection limits in surface water samples are 0.05-0.1 microgram/l. Owing to automation, the total analysis time is ca. 30 min.     

Chelating 2-mercaptobenzothiazole loaded resin. Application to the separation of inorganic and alkylmercury species for their atomic absorption spectrometry determination in natural waters

A new 2-mercaptobenzothiazole loaded Bio-Beads SM-7 resin has been prepared and its analytical properties were established. The sorbent was applied to the separation and preconcentration of inorganic and alkylmercury from natural waters. Optimum conditions of separation as pH, flow rate on column, volume of samples and desorbing agent were established. The cold vapour atomic absorption method determination of both forms of mercury after their successive reduction by tin(II) was used. The low limit of determination for this method was established as 10 ng l(-1) for 1.0 l water sample. Accuracy and precision of the method was estimated by using test water standards and samples of natural water spiked with known amounts of mercury species.     

同时测定无机离子的改良离子色谱法在河水和废水质量监控中的应用（英文）

In this study,our recent work on advanced ion chromatographic methods for the simultaneous determination of inorganic ionic species such as common anions(SO2-4,Cl-and NO-3) and cations(Na+,NH+4,K+,Mg2+,and Ca2+),nutrients(phosphate and silicate) and hydrogen ion/alkalinity are summarized first.Then,the applications using these methods for monitoring environmental water quality are also presented.For the determination of common anions and cations with nutrients,the separation was successfully performed by a polymethacrylate-based weakly acidic cation-exchange column of TSKgel Super IC-A/C(Tosoh,150 mm×6.0 mm i.d.) and a mixture solution of 100 mmol/L ascorbic acid and 4 mmol/L 18-crown-6 as acidic eluent with dual detection of conductivity and spectrophotometry.For the determination of hydrogen ion/alkalinity,the separation was conducted by TSKgel ODS-100Z column(Tosoh,150 mm×4.5 mm i.d.) modified with lithium dodecylsulfate and an eluent of 40 mmol/L LiCl/0.1 mmol/L lithium dodecylsulfate/0.05 mmol/L H2SO4 with conductivity detector.The differences of ion concentration between untreated and treated wastewater showed the variation of ionic species during biological treatment process in a sewage treatment plant.Occurrence and distribution of water-quality conditions were related to the bioavailability and human activity in watershed.From these results,our advanced ion chromatographic methods have contributed significantly for water quality monitoring of environmental waters.     

Determination of carbonate alkalinity and apparent dissociation constants in a multiprotolytic system

A method for analysing the carbonate system in a multicomponent solultion is presented, which does not need knowledge of the total composition of the system. It is based on two titrations with acid, starting at the same pH, one of the original solution and the other after removal of carbonate species as carbon dioxide and restoration of the pH to the value for the original solution by addition of carbonate-free base. The differential titration curve, obtained by subtracting one titration curve from the other, is associated with the carbonate system. A procedure is proposed for calculating from the differential titration curve the apparent first and second dissociation constants of carbonic acid, total CO(2) and the carbonate alkalinity at the original pH of the solution.     

Determination of inorganic anions by ion chromatography using a graphitized carbon column dynamically coated with cetyltrimethylammonium ions.

The simultaneous determination of inorganic anions by ion chromatography using a dynamically coated graphitized carbon column with cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA) ions was investigated with suppressed conductivity detection. Column preparations with CTA and sodium carbonate-sodium hydrogencarbonate concentration in the eluent were examined to optimize the separation of seven common anions (F-, Cl-, NO2-, Br-, NO3-, HPO(4)2- and SO(4)2-). Calibration curves were linear from 0.5 to 5 micrograms/ml for F-, from 1.0 to 10 micrograms/ml for Cl-, from 1.5 to 15 micrograms/ml for NO2-, from 2.0 to 20 micrograms/ml for Br- and NO3-, from 5.0 to 50 micrograms/ml for HPO(4)2- and from 3.0 to 30 micrograms/ml for SO(4)2- with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.999 or better. The relative standard deviations of peak areas were between 0.3 and 0.9% for 10 repeated measurements. The application of this newly developed method was demonstrated by the determination of inorganic anions in the water for pharmaceutical purposes. Using CTA-Br as the coating agent, a permanently coated ion-exchange column was obtained, which allowed efficient separations of seven anions without adding any coating agent to the eluent.     

离子色谱法同时分析董酒中的有机酸与无机阴离子

研究了用离子色谱法同时分析董酒中可离解性有机酸和无机阴离子。首次采用邻苯二甲酸氢钾和邻苯二甲酸的混合水溶液作淋洗剂,改善了分离效果,提高了检测灵敏度。所建立的方法无需进行样品前处理,无干扰,有一定的实用价值。     

Simultaneous determination of inorganic cations by capillary ion chromatography with a non-suppressed contactless conductivity detector

A non-suppressed capillary ion chromatographic method with a laboratory-made packed cation-exchange column (100 mm × 0.32 mm i.d.) was developed for the separation and simultaneous determination of five common inorganic cations (sodium, ammonium, potassium, magnesium and calcium). Cation exchangers were prepared by the reaction of the hydroxyl group on the surface of diol-group bonded silica gel with 1,3-propanesultone in methanol. Simultaneous separation of these five common inorganic cations were achieved within 17 min using 1 mM methanesulfonic acid and 0.1 mM 15-crown-5 ether in methanol-water (8:2, v/v) as the eluent. The effects of organic solvents and crown ethers in the eluent on the retention of analytes were investigated. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) of the cations were in the range of 18-124 μg/l, the linear correlation coefficients were 0.9991-0.9998, and the RSD values of retention time and peak height were all smaller than 2.1%. The present analytical method was successfully applied to the rapid and direct determination of inorganic cations in samples of river water and commercial drinks, with satisfactory results.     

Simultaneous determination of inorganic anions, calcium and magnesium by suppressed ion chromatography

Suppressed conductimetric detection ion chromatography (IC) was investigated for the separation and detection of common inorganic anions, calcium and magnesium by anion-exchange chromatography using a sodium carbonate-EDTA mobile phase. The formation of anionic Ca2+ -EDTA and Mg2+ -EDTA complexes allowed its separation from other inorganic anions opening the way for their simultaneous determination in a single chromatographic run. The effect of the pH, carbonate and EDTA concentrations in the eluent and the previous addition of EDTA to the samples has been studied. The optimised experimental conditions were applied to the determination of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in mineral waters with results in agreement with alternative ICP-MS methodologies.     

Determination of mercury in air by neutron activation analysis

A sensitive method for the determination of mercury in sea and surface waters is presented. A distinction is made between inorganic, organic and particulate mercury. In the determination of inorganic mercury, the element is isolated by reduction and volatilization, followed by absorption on a charcoal column. The total mercury content of the water with and without suspended solids is determined by absorption from the solution onto a column of charcoal. In all cases, the mercury on the absorber is determined by thermal neutron activation analysis. The limit of detection is l ng 1^-1.