Effects of various salts on the determination of arsenic by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Direct determination in seawater

The effect of Na, Mg, Ca and Sr as their nitrate, chloride and sulfate salts and seasalt, with and without the use of palladium, on the determination of arsenic by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry was investigated. In the absence of any stabilizing agent, arsenic was partially lost as molecular species at low temperatures. The effect of salts on the shape of the atomization signal, the integrated absorbance and the stabilizing effect were highly dependent both on their nature and mass. By trapping arsenic, oxide species resulting from the decomposition of nitrate salts induced a high stabilization effect depending on their vaporization temperatures: MgO approximately CaO>SrO>Na2O. The stabilization effect of chlorides occurred about 200 degrees C lower and depended on mass, volatility and hydrolytic properties: SrCl2>CaCl2>MgCl2 approximately NaCl. The effect of sulfates was mainly dependent on their decomposition/vaporization mechanisms, and in the presence of Na2SO4 or CaSO4 a strong chemical interference effect was observed. Palladium stabilized arsenic in the presence of nitrates, chlorides or even sulfates, leading to a similar delaying effect, signal shape and integrated absorbance. Seasalt induced also important modifications to the atomization signal of As. Moreover, an interference effect was observed, which could probably be attributed to the simultaneous vaporization of sulfate in seasalt. In seawater, Pd suppressed this interference effect and permitted to use a high pyrolysis temperature up to 1400 C to remove the major part of the seawater matrix before atomization. Under optimized conditions, the detection limit for As obtained in unmodified seawater in the presence of Pd was 0.34 microg L(-1) for a 10 microl sample.     

石墨炉原子吸收法测定石脑油中微量砷

试样用四氢呋喃（THF）有机溶剂稀释,以硝酸镍为基体改进剂,研究采用石墨炉原子吸收法直接进样测定石脑油中的砷量。研究表明,砷量在0～50μg／L范围内线性关系良好,回收率93％～104％。     

Direct determination of P in biodiesel by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The direct determination of P in biodiesel by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry has been investigated. A slow drying stage proved to be essential for good repeatability. Optimization was performed by a D optimal planning. The atomization temperature and modifier composition were the most relevant parameters. Thus, using a mixture of Pd (30 μg) and Mg(NO₃)₂ (20 μg) as the modifier, previously deposited onto the platform of the graphite tube and dried, a five step drying stage, and pyrolysis and atomization temperatures of 1000 and 2700 °C, respectively, a limit of detection of 0.5 μg g^− 1 was obtained. The analysis of biodiesel of different origins confirmed that external calibration with organic P standard solutions, diluted in P-free biodiesel, could be used. In this way, excellent agreement between the found and expected results was observed in the analysis of an ANP interlaboratorial exercise sample.     

Coprecipitation with metal hydroxides for the determination of beryllium in seawater by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Coprecipitation first with magnesium hydroxide, next with tin(IV) hydroxide is developed for the determination of traces of beryllium in sea-water. To a 200-ml sample is added a sodium hydroxide solution to form magnesium hydroxide at pH 11.5, on which beryllium is quantitatively coprecipitated. The precipitate is separated by centrifugation and dissolved in 2 ml of 12 mol/l hydrochloric acid. The resulting solution (ca. 10 ml) is mixed with 2 mg of tin (IV) carrier and the pH is adjusted to 5.0 to collect the beryllium on tin (IV) hydroxide, leaving magnesium ions in the solution. The tin (IV) hydroxide is centrifuged, dissolved in 0.1 ml of 5 mol/l hydrobromic acid, and then diluted to 1 ml with water. Magnesium is so added as to be 500 g/ml for increasing the sensitivity about four times, and the beryllium in the solution is determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The experiments with synthetic seawater samples showed that pg — g amounts of beryllium can be coprecipitated on the metal hydroxides and beryllium at the low ng/1 level can be determined with reasonable precision (RSD < 10%). The detection limit of the proposed method is 0.5 ng/l of beryllium in seawater.     

Direct determination of iron in urine and serum using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple, rapid and low-cost method for the routine determination of iron in urine and serum using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is described which may provide an alternative to the more widespread automated spectrophotometric methods. The urine and serum samples were simply diluted with water prior to analysis. Matrix modification was found to be redundant. The standard additions technique or the use of matrix matched standards (addition calibration) was found to be unnecessary and, therefore, the calibration was performed using aqueous standards. For serum analysis the degree of dilution could be reduced by using the less sensitive 302.0-nm resonance line, yielding more precise determinations, and for urine analysis, interferences were eliminated by means of a L'vov platform. The interferences that exist in the presence of nitric acid are also discussed. Finally, the presence of background absorption was investigated by means of Zeeman effect atomic absorption.     

Direct determination of iron in sand using solid sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A fast and reliable method for the direct determination of iron in sand by solid sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was developed. A Zeeman-effect 3-field background corrector was used to decrease the sensitivity of spectrometer measurements. This strategy allowed working with up to 200 μg of samples, thus improving the representativity. Using samples with small particle sizes (1–50 μm) and adding 5 μg Pd as chemical modifier, it was possible to obtain suitable calibration curves with aqueous reference solutions. The pyrolysis and atomization temperatures for the optimized heating program were 1400 and 2500 °C, respectively. The characteristic mass, based on integrated absorbance, was 56 pg, and the detection limits, calculated considering the variability of 20 consecutive measurements of platform inserted without sample was 32 pg. The accuracy of the procedure was checked with the analysis of two reference materials (IPT 62 and 63). The determined concentrations were in agreement with the recommended values (95% confidence level). Five sand samples were analyzed, and a good agreement (95% confidence level) was observed using the proposed method and conventional flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The relative standard deviations were lower than 25% (n = 5). The tube and boat platform lifetimes were around 1000 and 250 heating cycles, respectively. Correspondence: Pedro V. Oliveira, Instituto de Química, Universidade de S?o Paulo, CP 26077, 05513-970 S?o Paulo, SP, Brazil     

Direct determination of arsenic in petroleum derivatives by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry: A comparison between filter and platform atomizers

In the present work a direct method for the determination of arsenic in petroleum derivatives has been developed, comparing the performance of a commercial transversely heated platform atomizer (THPA) with that of a transversely heated filter atomizer (THFA). The THFA results in a reduction of background absorption and an improved sensitivity as has been reported earlier for this atomizer. The mixture of 0.1% (m/v) Pd + 0.03% (m/v) Mg + 0.05% (v/v) Triton X-100 was used as the chemical modifier for both atomizers. The samples (naphtha, gasoline and petroleum condensate) were stabilized in the form of a three-component solution (detergentless microemulsion) with the sample, propan-1-ol and 0.1% (v/v) HNO₃ in a ratio of 3.0:6.4:0.6. The characteristic mass of 13 pg found in the THFA was about a factor of two better than that of 28 pg obtained with the THPA; however, the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were essentially the same for both atomizers (1.9 and 6.2 μg L⁻¹, respectively, for THPA, and 1.8 and 5.9 μg L⁻¹, respectively, for THFA) due to the increased noise observed with the THFA. A possible explanation for that is a partial blockage of the radiation from the hollow cathode lamp by the narrow inner diameter of this tube and the associated loss of radiation energy. Due to the lack of an appropriate certified reference material, recovery tests were carried out with inorganic and organic arsenic standards and the results were between 89% and 111%. The only advantage of the THFA found in this work was a reduction of the total analysis time by about 20% due to the ‘hot injection’ that could be realized with this furnace. The arsenic concentrations varied from < LOQ to 43.3 μg L⁻¹ in the samples analyzed in this work.     

Chemical reactions in the determination of germanium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The chemical reactions of Ge in the graphite furnace are determined by atomic absorption measurements, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and molecular absorption. The sodium germanate formed after the drying cycle is reduced by the carbon of the tube to elemental Ge. Volatile GeO is formed during this reduction process at temperatures higher than 1100 K leads to losses of atomizable Ge. Excess of NaOH enhances the absorbance value of Ge by a factor of two. The reason for this effect is an additional reduction process of GeO to Ge by metallic sodium at temperatures higher than 1500 K. Impregnation of the tube surfaces by carbide forming elements also leads to an enhancement of absorbance.     

The determination of arsenic by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry with a graphite furnace : Part 1. Difficulties in the direct determination

The direct determination of arsenic by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is critically examined. Matrix stabilization by nickel salts is effective for preventing charring losses of arsenic, but cannot eliminate strong interferences. Direct analysis of environmental and biological samples is impossible because of the presence of aluminium, sodium, potassium and sulphates.     

Effect of the chemical species of arsenic on sensitivity in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

The sensitivity of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) to arsenobetaine (AB) was 1.3-times higher than to inorganic As. In order to understand the mechanism underlying this observation, the atomization processes for both chemical species were investigated in terms of the enthalpy change (DeltaH) during the atomization process in GFAAS. The enthalpy change of AB was slightly lower than that of inorganic As, which suggested that AB was atomized more efficiently than was inorganic As. Moreover, it was observed that some co-existing organic materials enhanced the analytical sensitivity of inorganic As. The sensitivity difference between inorganic As and AB depended upon the mechanisms of their atomization processes.     

Direct determination of arsenic in blood serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for the direct determination of arsenic in human blood serum is described. To suppress loss of arsenic by volatilization anal to remove chemical interferences in graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, the formation of involatile compounds with graphite, or with a matrix modifier is tested. With aqueous solutions, two sorts of interactions between graphite and arsenic are shown. But, in presence of serum, these interactions do not occur, Among 18 matrix modifiers tested, nickel gives the best sensitivity when used at high concentrations in the presence of Triton X-100. The proposed method allows direct arsenic determination, based on calibration with aqueous solutions. The method is applied to the serum of 20 normal subjects. The limit of detection is 0.4 μg l^?1 arsenic.     

Direct determination of atmospheric lead by Zeeman solid sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS)

Summary Atmospheric lead was collected by membrane filters using two low volume air samplers at Jülich, Stolberg, and Wetzlar, Federal Republic of Germany. Sampling times varied from 2 to 8 h. After sampling, each filter was subsampled in two cross-sections using a clean stainless steel punch (diameter 5 mm). The lead content of each subsample disc was determined directly by Zeeman GFAAS, calibrated with aqueous standard solutions and supported by solid reference materials. The distribution of lead between the subsamples was generally homogeneous, with standard deviations ranging from 11 to 37%, but typically <15% for samples with 8 h sampling time. The analysis of each filter usually took about 30 min. The differences in air quality between the three sampling locations, as measured by the lead concentrations, are discussed. In general, Stolberg appears to have the highest lead concentrations. The mass particle-size distribution of lead in the aerosol samples collected by membrane filters using a cascade impactor at Stolberg was also investigated with the same analytical technique. Using graphite platform boats as direct samplers, it is possible for the dry deposition flux of lead to be estimated. This provides a quick means of assessing the levels of lead pollution in the atmospheric environment. With lead concentrations measured in parallel, the dry deposition velocities of lead can be estimated under various meteorological conditions. Application of similar sampling and analytical techniques to other atmospheric trace metals may be possible.     

Direct determination of cadmium in urine using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman-effect background correction

A procedure is described for the direct determination of cadmium in human urine using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman-effect background correction. Except for a straightforward 1 + 1 V/V dilution of samples with 1.5% nitric acid, no matrix modifier or sample pre-treatment was necessary, thus reducing the risk of contamination. The concentration of cadmium in urine was evaluated directly from a calibration graph prepared using a metal-spiked human urine pool. In this way the time-consuming method of standard additions was avoided, permitting an increased sample throughput (120-150 samples per day; 90 s per analysis) with minimal attention of the analyst. In routine use, the precision (both within day and day to day) and limit of detection were of the order of less than 10% and 0.05 micrograms l-1 of Cd, respectively. The method is suitable for the biological monitoring of cadmium in the general population or in occupationally exposed persons.     

Direct determination of germanium in botanical samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with palladium-zirconium as chemical modifier

A method has been described for the direct determination of trace levels of germanium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) using chemical matrix modification technique. The stabilization and the pyrolysis temperatures for germanium were investigated with various chemical modifiers including palladium, palladium–magnesium, palladium–strontium and palladium–zirconium. The highest pyrolysis temperature and highest integrated absorbance were obtained using palladium–zirconium modifier, and the severe matrix interference from sulfate can be eliminated. The characteristic mass and absolute detection limit (3σ) of germanium were found to be 16 and 12 pg, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of trace levels of germanium in botanical samples with a recovery range of 92–106%. The hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometric (HGAFS) method was employed to analyze the samples and the results agree well with those obtained by GFAAS. The contents of germanium in standard reference materials were determined and the results were in good agreement with the reference values.     

Fluoride matrix modifiers for the determination of aluminum by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A method was tested for the determination of aluminum by graphite furnance atomic absorption spectrometry using hydrofluoric acid and cesium fluoride as matrix modifiers. Alunimum trifluoride is stable to 1291°C, after which it sublimes to form AlF₃ gas. The subsequent gas-phase atomization of AlF₃ occurs rapidly, and produces clean, sharp absorption peaks. This method has a detection limit of 7 pg Al at a confidence interval of 95%. The method is fairly insensitive to interferences, with the exception of strongly complexing organic acids. The addition of CuF₂ to the matrix appears to eliminate interference from organic acids, but was found to produce a high background absorbance and to shorten the life of the graphite tube.     

石墨炉原子吸收法快速测定血液中铅和镉

建立了快速测定血液中铅和镉的石墨炉原子吸收光谱法。使用5%硝酸溶液对样品进行脱蛋白处理,然后在旋涡混合器上振摇,离心后取上清液上石墨炉原子吸收进行测定。 结果表明,Pb、Cd工作曲线线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.9994;方法检出限分别为4.32μg/L和0.27μg/L;Pb的回收率为91.60%～97.31%,镉的回收率为97.04%～98.86%;Pb测定的RSD（n=7）为2.35%,Cd测定的RSD（n=7）为1.53%。冻干牛血铅、镉标准物质GBW09139k和GBW09140k的测定值与参考值吻合。该方法快速准确,精密度、准确度、检出限等测定结果令人满意。可以作为日常血铅、血镉的检测的方法。     

Direct and simultaneous determination of copper and manganese in seawater with a multielement graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer

The direct and simultaneous determinations of Cu and Mn in seawater using a multielement graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (Perkin-Elmer SIMAA6000) are described. Three kinds of chemical modifier (Mg(NO₃)₂, Pd(NO₃)₂ and a mixture of these) were tested. The matrix interferences were removed completely so that a simple calibration curve method could be used to determine Cu and Mn in seawater from the open ocean using Pd or a mixture of Pd and Mg as the chemical modifier. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the simultaneous determination of Cu and Mn in seawater from open ocean are 10% or less, and the detection limits were 0.07 μg 1⁻¹ for Cu and 0.10 μg 1⁻¹ for Mn, using Pd as the chemical modifier. The accuracy of the method is confirmed by analysis of four kinds of certified reference saline waters.     

Ultrasensitive determination of cadmium in seawater by hollow fiber supported liquid membrane extraction coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A new procedure, based on hollow fiber supported liquid membrane preconcentration coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) detection, was developed for the determination of trace Cd in seawater samples. With 1-octanol that contained a mixture of dithizone (carrier) and oleic acid immobilized in the pores of the polypropylene hollow fiber as a liquid membrane, Cd was selectively extracted from water samples into 0.05 M HNO₃ that filled the lumen of the hollow fiber as a stripping solution. The main extraction related parameters were optimized, and the effects of salinity and some coexisting interferants were also evaluated. Under the optimum extraction conditions, an enrichment factor of 387 was obtained for a 100-mL sample solution. In combination with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, a very low detection limit (0.8 ng L^− 1) and a relative standard deviation (2.5% at 50 ng L^− 1 level) were achieved. Five seawater samples were analyzed by the proposed method without dilution, with detected Cd concentration in the range of 56.4–264.8 ng L^− 1 and the relative spiked recoveries over 89%. For comparison, these samples were also analyzed by the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method after a 10-fold dilution for matrix effect elimination. Statistical analysis with a one-way ANOVA shows no significant differences (at 0.05 level) between the results obtained by the proposed and ICP-MS methods. Additionally, analysis of certified reference materials (GBW (E) 080040) shows good agreement with the certified value. These results indicate that this present method is very sensitive and reliable, and can effectively eliminate complex matrix interferences in seawater samples.