Determination of uranium in technological waters by ion-pair liquid chromatography

U(VI) can be efficiently determined in the range 0.3-1OmM after its separation from Th(IV), Zr(IV), Al(III), Fe(III), lanthanides and other ions by ion-pair liquid chromatography on a 3 x 150 mm glass column packed with Separon SGX C18 modified with sorbed ammonium dodecyl sulphate. Traces of uranium can be preconcentrated directly on the analytical column from acidified water solutions and separated from Th, Zr, Al, Fe, lanthanides and other elements, with an enrichment factor of $ 100 and recovery of 98 +/- 8%, by isocratic or pH or concentration gradient elution with ammonium 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate or ammonium citrate solution. Post-column derivatization with 25muM Arsenazo III in 0.1M formate buffer at pH 2.7 is used for detection and quantification.     

Simultaneous determination of 64 pesticides in river water by stir bar sorptive extraction and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for determining 68 pesticides in river water using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE)-thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is described. SBSE sampling was optimized for sample solution pH, salting-out and methanol addition. Although salting-out enhanced the ability of the method to extract most of the pesticides with low absolute recoveries, the absolute recoveries of four pesticides were not improved by salting-out. The detection limits of the method for the pesticides ranged from 0.2 to 20 ng/l. Analyte recoveries from a river water sample spiked with standards at 10 and 100 ng/l were 58.5–132.0% (RSD: 1.8–15.8%) and 61.0–121.3% (RSD: 1.4–20.2%), respectively.     

Spectrophotometric determination of cobalt in iron-, cobalt- and nickel-base alloys

A spectrophotometric method has been developed for the accurate determination of cobalt at milligram level, based on oxidation of the cobalt(II)-EDTA complex with gold(III) chloride at pH 4.0-6.5 and 100 degrees and measurement of the absorbance of the resultant violet cobalt(III)-EDTA complex at 535 nm. The precision is not affected by the presence of several metal ions; including coloured ones such as Cu(II), Ni(II) and Fe(III). However, chromium(III) interferes since it also forms a violet complex with EDTA, but can be removed by separation with pyridine. Practical application of the method is illustrated by the determination of cobalt in alloys based on iron, cobalt and nickel. Over the cobalt range 8-52% the error ranges from 0.1 to 0.3%.     

Potentiometric estimation of sulfide ion using the Fe(III)-EDTA complex

The Fe(III)-EDTA complex reacts with sulfide ion in a fast electron transfer reaction, oxidising the latter to elemental sulfur and getting itself reduced to Fe(II). The reaction has been developed for the quantitative estimation of sulfide ion by titration against the Fe(III)-EDTA complex, measuring the redox potential of the system. Repeated use of a given quantity of the complex solution by the process of regeneration has been demonstrated. The possibility of its practical application in liquid phase oxidation processes of recovering sulfur from H₂S is emphasized.     

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of plutonium in fuel solutions

A spectrophotometric method is described in which microgram amounts of plutonium can be determined in the presence of uranium, thorium, fission products and cladding materials. Plutonium is extracted with TTA in xylene and reextracted into a solution of Arsenazo III. Zirconium is masked by a Fe(III)-EDTA mixture, fluoride ions by Al(III). 2 to 40 μg of plutonium are required for one analysis. The standard deviation is 1.3% at 15 μg plutonium.     

Simultaneous determination of tryptophan, uric acid and ascorbic acid at iron(III) doped zeolite modified carbon paste electrode

A new chemically modified electrode is constructed based on iron(III) doped zeolite modified carbon paste electrode (Fe(3+)Y/ZCME). The electrode was evaluated as a sensor for sub-micromolar determination of tryptophan (Trp), uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA) in aqueous solutions. The measurements were carried out by application of the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method in phosphate buffer solution with pH 3.5. Iron(III) loaded in zeolite can increase anodic peak currents by adsorption of Trp, UA and AA on electrode surface The analytical performance was evaluated with respect to the carbon paste composition, pH of solution, accumulation time and accumulation potential. The prepared electrode shows voltammetric responses with high sensitivity and selectivity for Trp, UA and AA in optimal conditions, which makes it very suitable for simultaneous determination of these compounds. The linear calibration range for AA in the presence of 50muM UA and 50muM Trp was 0.6muM to 100muM, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992, and a detection limit of 0.21muM (S/N=3). A linear relationship was found for UA in the range of 0.3-700muM containing 10muM AA and 50muM Trp, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9990 and a detection limit of 0.08muM. The linear calibration range for Trp in the presence of 10muM AA and 50muM UA was 0.2-150muM, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996, and a detection limit of 0.06muM. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination Trp, UA and AA in biological systems and pharmaceutical samples.     

Spectrophotometric determination of iron(III) with EDTA tetrahydrazide

The tetrahydrazide of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (NH₂NH)₄-EDTA was synthesized from the EDTA ester and hydrazine hydrate in ethanolic solution, the resulting (NH₂NH)₄-EDTA being recrystallized in 60% ethanol. When the spectrophotometric study of the iron(III) (NH₂NH)₄-EDTA complex in aqueous solution was made two absorption maxima at 530 and 450 nm at pH 4.5 and 11.0, respectively, were found. Beer's law is obeyed in the range 1.0–20.0 μg Fe(III) ml^?1 at 530 nm and pH 4.5 and 0.5–12.0 μg Fe(III) ml^?1 at 450 nm and pH 11.0, the molar absorptivities being 1.95 × 10³ 1 mol^?1 cm^?1 at 530 nm and 3.35 × 10³ 1 mol^?1 cm^?1 at 450 nm, respectively. The Ringbom optimal interval falls between about 3 and 18 μg Fe(III) ml^?1 at 530 nm and about 2–14 μg Fe(III) ml^?1 at 450 nm. The reaction between the metal and the ligand was also investigated. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of iron in talcs.     

Microwave-assisted solvent extraction of the herbicide methabenzthiazuron from soils and some soil natural organic and inorganic constituents. Influence of environmental factors on its extractability

A microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MASE) method for the determination of methabenzthiazuron (MBT) in soil samples by HPLC-DAD (diode array detection) was evaluated. Spiked soil samples having different physico-chemical properties, and selected soil-derived matrices with diverse MBT adsorption capacity, characterized by their Freundlich equation Kf values, were used to verify the method applicability to a broad range of different soils. The spiking procedure was considered a crucial point to reproduce as closely as possible the solute-soil adsorption taking place in the natural environment. Ageing effects, where the compound could diffuse into inaccessible locations within the soil matrix in view of its great stability, were considered of particular concern. In spite of the heterogeneous physico-chemical properties of soils under study, recoveries were greater than 90%. Performance of the MASE procedure correlated highly with the adsorption capacity of soil-derived matrices: the lowest recoveries were for illite (67-73%), among the mineral surfaces, and for a humic acid (67-72%), among the organic fractions. Intra-assay variation for each type of sample soil range from 0.40 to 3.89%(RSD). Limits of detection and quantification were 0.047 and 0.15 microg g(-1), respectively. Analyte residence time was not a very significant factor on the extractability.     

Rapid Synthesis of Size-controlled Gold Nanoparticles by Complex Intramolecular Photoreduction

A rapid synthesis of size-controlled gold nanoparticles was proposed.The method is based on the sensitive intramolecular photoreduction reaction of Fe(Ⅲ)-EDTA complex in chloroacetic acid-sodium acetate buffer solution,where Fe(Ⅱ)-EDTA complex generated by photo-promotion acts as a reductant of AuCl-4 ions.Gold nanoparticles formed were stabilized by EDTA ligand or other protective agents added.As a result,well-dispersed gold nanoparticles with an average diameter range of 6.7 to 50.9 nm were obtained.According to the characterizations by the UV spectrum and TEM,the intramolecular charge transfer of the excited states of complex Fe(Ⅲ)-EDTA and the mechanism of forming gold nanoparticles were discussed in detail.     

Indirect Competitive ELISA for the Determination of Total Chromium Content in Food,Feed and Environmental Samples

Background: This study aimed to prepare monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with high immunoreactivity, sensitivity, and specificity for the chelate (Cr(III)-EDTA) of trivalent chromium ion (Cr(III)) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). Further, the study established an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) for detecting the total chromium content in food, feed, and environmental samples. Methods: Hapten Cr(III)-iEDTA was synthesized by chelating Cr(III) with isothiocyanatebenzyl-EDTA (iEDTA). Immunogen Cr(III)-iEDTA-BSA formed by chelating Cr(III)-iEDTA with bovine serum albumin (BSA), and coating antigen Cr(III)-iEDTA-OVA formed by chelating Cr(III)-iEDTA with ovalbumin (OVA) were prepared using the isothiocyanate method and identified by ultraviolet spectra (UV) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Balb/c mice were immunized with the Cr(III)-iEDTA-BSA, and the anti Cr(III)-EDTA mAb cell lines were screened by cell fusion. The Cr(III)-EDTA mAbs were prepared by induced ascites in vivo, and their immunological characteristics were assessed. Results: The immunogen Cr(III)-iEDTA-BSA was successfully synthesized, and the molecular binding ratio of Cr(III) to BSA was 15.48:1. Three hybridoma cell lines 2A3, 2A11, and 3D9 were screened, among which 2A3 was the best cell line. The 2A3 secreted antibody was stable after six passages, the affinity constant (Ka) was 2.69 × 10⁹ L/mol, its 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of Cr(III)-EDTA was 8.64 μg/L, and it had no cross-reactivity (CR%) with other heavy metal ion chelates except for a slight CR with Fe(III)-EDTA (1.12%). An icELISA detection method for Cr(III)-EDTA was established, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.0 μg/L and a working range of 1.13 to 66.30 μg/L. The average spiked recovery intra-assay rates were 90% to 109.5%, while the average recovery inter-assay rates were 90.4% to 97.2%. The intra-and inter-assay coefficient of variations (CVs) were 11.5% to 12.6% and 11.1% to 12.7%, respectively. The preliminary application of the icELISA and the comparison with ICP-OES showed that the coincidence rate of the two methods was 100%, and the correlation coefficient was 0.987. Conclusions: The study successfully established an icELISA method that meets the requirements for detecting the Cr(III)-EDTA chelate content in food, feed, and environmental samples, based on Cr(III)-EDTA mAb, and carried out its preliminary practical application.     

Method development for measuring trace levels of penicillins in aqueous environmental samples

A method based on liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with an electrospray ion source and a single quadrupole instrument (LC/ES-MS) has been developed for determining trace levels of eight widely used penicillins in aqueous environmental samples. Analyte extraction was performed from 4 L tap water, 2 L groundwater, 1 L river water, 0.2 L treated sewage and 0.1 L raw sewage, by using a Carbograph 4 cartridge. During removal of the solvent, penicillins were purposely allowed to convert into their penicilloyl methyl esters. This 'in situ' derivatization step resulted in a dramatic enhancement of the response of the ES-MS system for non-amphoteric penicillins. Analyte recoveries were better than 80% irrespective of the type of aqueous sample, with the exception of amoxicillin (76%) and ampicillin (77%) in tap water. At the level of 50 ng/L of each analyte in ground water, the within-day precision was in the range 6-10%. Calibration curves were linear for injected amounts up to 800 ng, with R(2) in the range 0.9952-0.9995. When injecting large equivalent volumes of the aqueous samples, the electrospray matrix effect altered in-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of the analytes by severely weakening signals for fragment ions, as compared to spectra of reference standards. Remedies to obviate this anomalous unwelcome effect are suggested. On the basis of a signal-to-noise ratio of 10, limits of quantification were estimated to range between 2 (cloxacillin) and 24 ng/L (amoxicillin) in river water.     

Thermometric studies on the Fe(III)-EDTA chelate

A DeltaH of -11.5 +/- 0.5 kJ/mole has been determined for the formation of the Fe(III)-EDTA chelate at 25.0 degrees and mu = 0.1(= [HClO(4)] + [NaClO(4)]) by a direct thermometric titration procedure. The entropy change, DeltaS, has been calculated to be 440 J.mole(-1) .deg(-1) by combining the result of the heat measurements with the free energy change obtained from the stability constant previously determined. A relationship between the DeltaS values and the standard partial molal entropies of the tervalent metal ions is discussed. In addition, conditions for the thermometric titration of Fe(III) with NA(4)EDTA at room temperature have been investigated. Iron(III) can be determined in the presence of fairly large amounts of phosphate, Cr(III), Mn(II) and Al(III).     

Sorbent extraction of Pb(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), and Fe(III) ions as 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylamino-phenol chelates on single-walled carbon nanotube disks prior to their flame atomic absorption spectrometric determinations in animal feeds and natural water samples

A sorbent extraction procedure for Pb(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), and Fe(III) ions on single-walled carbon nanotube disks has been established. Analyte ions were converted to 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylamino-phenol chelates, then adsorbed on the disk. Adsorbed chelates were easily desorbed from the disk by using 10 mL 2 M HNO3. The various analytical parameters, including pH and reagent amounts that were effective for the recoveries of the analytes on nanotube disks, were optimized. The influence of matrix ions was also studied. The LOD values based on 3sigma were in the 0.3-4.6 microg/L range. Validation of the proposed SPE procedure was carried out by the determination of analytes in certified reference materials (TMDA-54.4 fortified lake water and HR-1 Humber River sediment). Spiking and recovery experiments for the analyte ions in real samples gave good results. Application of the procedure was illustrated by the determination of analyte contents in some animal feeds and water samples from Turkey.     

Atomic absorption spectrometric determination of Fe(III) and Cr(III) in various samples after preconcentration by solid-phase extraction with pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone

An atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of Fe(III) and Cr(III) after solid-phase extraction of their Schiff-base chelates by a column procedure with Amberlite XAD-4 was developed. A Schiff base, pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (PCTSC), was synthesized and used as a chromogenic reagent for solid-phase extraction of Fe(III) and Cr(III) ions in the column procedure. The influence of various analytical parameters including the amount of solid phase, pH, type of elution solution, volume of sample solution, and flow rate of sample solution on the extraction efficiency of analytes were investigated. The recoveries of Fe(III) and Cr(III) were 99 ± 1 and 98 ± 2%, respectively, at the 95% confidence level under the optimum conditions. Fe(III) and Cr(III) were preconcentrated up to 25-fold. The limit of detection of Fe(III) and Cr(III) are 4.1 and 3.72 μg/L, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of these metal ions in tap water, river water, Atatürk Dam water, and alloy samples. The relative standard deviation and the relative error are lower than 6%. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Synthesis of spherical macroporous epoxy-dicyandiamide chelating resin and properties of concentration and separation of trace metal ions from samples

A novel spherical macroporous epoxy-dicyandiamide chelating resin is synthesized simply and rapidly from epoxy resin and use for the preconcentration and separation of trace Ga(III), In(III), Bi(III), Sn(IV), Pb(II), V(V) and Ti(IV) ions from solution samples. The analyzed ions can be quantitatively concentrated by the resin at flow rate of 3.0 ml min(-1) at pH 3, and can also be desorbed with 10 ml of 4 M HCl+0.2 g thiourea from the resin column with recoveries of 97-100%. The chelating resin is reused for eight times, the recoveries of these ions are still over 92%, and a 100-1000 times of excess of Fe(III), Al(III),Ca(II), Mg(III), Ni(II), Mn(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) cause no interference in the determination of these ions by inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The capacities of the resin for the analytes are in the range of 0.66-4.20 mmol g(-1). The results show the relative standard deviation for the determination of 50.0 ng ml(-1) Ga(III), In(III), Bi(III), Sn(IV) and Pb(II), 5.0 ng ml(-1) V(V) and Ti(IV) are in the range of 1.2-4.0%. The recoveries of a standard added in real solution samples are between 96 and 100%, and the concentration of each ion in mineral sample detected by the method is in good agreement with the certified value.     

Determination of o,oEDDHA – a xenobiotic chelating agent used in Fe fertilizers – in plant tissues by liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry: overcoming matrix effects

The Fe(III)‐chelate of ethylenediamine‐N,N′‐bis(o‐hydroxyphenylacetic) acid (o,oEDDHA) is generally considered as the most efficient and widespread Fe fertilizer for fruit crops and intensive horticulture. The determination of the xenobiotic chelating agent o,oEDDHA inside the plant is a key issue in the study of this fertilizer. Both the low concentrations of o,oEDDHA expected and the complexity of plant matrices have been important drawbacks in the development of analytical methods for the determination of o,oEDDHA in plant tissues. The determination of o,oEDDHA in plant materials has been tackled in this study by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry using several plant species and tissues. Two types of internal standards have been tested: Iron stable isotope labeled compounds and a structural analogue compound, the Fe(III) chelate of ethylenediamine‐N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxy‐4‐methylphenylacetic) acid (o,oEDDHMA). Iron stable isotope labeled internal standards did not appear to be suitable because of the occurrence of isobaric endogenous compounds and/or isotope exchange reactions between plant native Fe pools and the Fe stable isotope of the internal standard. However, the structural analogue Fe(III)‐o,oEDDHMA is an adequate internal standard for the determination of both isomers of o,oEDDHA (racemic and meso) in plant tissues. The method was highly sensitive, with limits of detection and quantification in the range of 3–49 and 11–162 pmol g^?1 fresh weight, respectively, and analyte recoveries were in the range of 74–116%. Using this methodology, both o,oEDDHA isomers were found in all tissues of sugar beet and tomato plants treated with 90 µM Fe(III)‐o,oEDDHA for 24 h, including leaves, roots and xylem sap. This methodology constitutes a useful tool for studies on o,oEDDHA plant uptake, transport and allocation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of tebuconazole, trifloxystrobin and its metabolite in fruit and vegetables by a Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method using gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector and ion trap mass spectrometry

A new analytical method using QuEChERS procedure by gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (GC-NPD) and ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS) for the quantitative determination of tebuconazole, trifloxystrobin and its metabolite trifloxystrobin acid has been developed and validated. The analytes were extracted from five fruit and vegetable matrices using acetonitrile and subsequently cleaned up using primary secondary amine (PSA) or octadecylsilane (C18) as sorbent prior to GC analysis. The present methods provided sufficient sensitivity as reflected by the values of limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.4-7 and 1.2-20 μg/kg for GC-IT-MS/MS and GC-NPD. The recoveries were, on average, 68-117 and 68-121%, respectively, for three compounds by GC-NPD and GC-IT-MS/MS with intra-day precision achieved with an RSD of 2.7-19.1%. The inter-day precision was better than 15.1% as determined by GC-NPD. The QuEChERS procedure, by using two sorbents (PSA and C18) and the matrix-matched standards, gave satisfactory recoveries and RSD values in different matrices. IT-MS acquisition provided higher specificity and selectivity for pesticides and better limit of detection and quantification. However, the repeatability and precision of NPD method were better compared with IT-MS.     

Flow-injection manifold for the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of Fe(II) and Fe(III) using 2,2''-dipyridyl-2-pyridylhydrazone and a single-line double injection approach

A simple and rapid flow-injection (FI) method is reported for the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in pharmaceutical products. The method is based on the reaction of Fe(II) with 2,2'-dipyridyl-2-pyridylhydrazone (DPPH) in acidic medium to form a water-soluble reddish complex (lambdamax=535 nm). Fe(III) reacts with DPPH under flow conditions only after its on-line reduction by ascorbic acid (AsA). Both analytes were determined in the same run via a double-injection valve, which enabled the simultaneous injection of two sample volumes in the same carrier stream (,,single-line double-injection" approach). The two well-defined peaks produced corresponded to total iron [Fe(II)+Fe(III)] and Fe(II). Speciation of the analytes in their mixtures was achieved by multiple regression analysis. The calibration curves obtained were linear over the ranges 0-30 and 0-50 mg L(-1) for Fe(II) and Fe(II), respectively, and the precision [s(r)=1.0% for Fe(II) and 1.5% for Fe(III)] was satisfactory. The method proved to be selective and adequately sensitive (cL=0.25 and 0.17 mg L(-1) for Fe(III) and Fe(II), respectively, in mixtures). Application of the method to the analysis of pharmaceutical samples resulted in excellent accuracy; the percent mean recoveries were in the range 99.0-102.0% for both Fe(II) and Fe(III) and the mean relative error was e(r)=1.0%.     

Structural analysis of the solid amorphous binuclear complexes of iron(III) and aluminum(III) with chromium(III)-DTPA chelator using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction

This paper is concerned with the structural data obtained for two amorphous binuclear complexes of iron(III) and aluminum(III) with chromium(III)-diethylentriaminepentaacetic acid (chromium(III)-DTPA, CrL(2)(-)) using the energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction technique. Fe(OH)CrL(H(2)O)(6) and Al(OH)CrL(H(2)O)(6) are binuclear complexes, the metals ions being bridged via oxygen atoms. The metal ions are all octahedrally coordinated.     

Use of Escherichia coli immobilized on amberlite XAD-4 as a solid-phase extractor for metal preconcentration and determination by atomic absorption spectrometry.

A sensitive solid-phase extraction technique (SPE) for the enrichment of Fe(III), Co(II), Mn(II) and Cr(III) prior to atomic absorption spectrometric analysis is described. Escherichia coli immobilized on Amberlite XAD-4 was used as a solid-phase extractor. The effects of the pH, amount of solid-phase, eluent type and volume of the sample solution on the recovery of the metal ions were investigated. The effect of diverse ions was also investigated. The recoveries of Fe(III), Co(II), Mn(II) and Cr(III) under the optimum conditions were found to be 99 +/- 2, 99 +/- 3, 98 +/- 2, 98 +/- 3%, respectively, at the 95% confidence level. The detection limits of the metal ions were found as to be 2.4, 3.8, 1.3 and 1.7 ng ml(-1) for Fe(II), Co(II), Mn(II) and Cr(III) respectively, by applying a preconcentration factor of 25. The proposed enrichment method was applied to the determination of analytes in Atatürk Dam water samples, and alloy samples (RSD < 5%). The accuracy of the method was verified on certified alloy samples (NBS SRM 85b and NBS SRM 59a). The analytes were determined with a relative error lower than 5% in water and alloy samples.