Preconcentration and determination of boron in milk,infant formula,and honey samples by solid phase extraction-electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

This work presents alternative procedures for the electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of boron in milk, infant formulas, and honey samples. Honey samples (10% m/v) were diluted in a medium containing 1% v/v HNO₃ and 50% v/v H₂O₂ and introduced in the atomizer. A mixture of 20 µg Pd and 0.5 µg Mg was used for chemical modification. Calibration was carried out using aqueous solutions prepared in the same medium, in the presence of 10% m/v sucrose. The detection limit was 2 µg g^− 1, equivalent to three times the standard error of the estimate (s_y/x) of the regression line. For both infant formulas and milk samples, due to their very low boron content, we used a procedure based on preconcentration by solid phase extraction (Amberlite IRA 743), followed by elution with 2 mol L^− 1 hydrochloric acid. Detection limits were 0.03 µg g^− 1 for 4% m/v honey, 0.04 µg g^− 1 for 5% m/v infant formula and 0.08 µg mL^− 1 for 15% v/v cow milk. We confirmed the accuracy of the procedure by comparing the obtained results with those found via a comparable independent procedure, as well by the analysis of four certified reference materials.     

Determination of Se in biological samples by axial view inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after digestion with aqua regia and on-line chemical vapor generation

A simple and fast method for the determination of Se in biological samples, including food, by axial view inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry using on-line chemical vapor generation (CVG–ICP OES) is proposed. The concentrations of HCl and NaBH₄, used in the chemical vapor generation were optimized by factorial analysis. Six certified materials (non-fat milk powder, lobster hepatopancreas, human hair, whole egg powder, oyster tissue, and lyophilised pig kidney) were treated with 10 mL of aqua regia in a microwave system under reflux for 15 min followed by additional 15 min in an ultrasonic bath. The solutions were transferred to a 100 mL volumetric flask and the final volume was made up with water. The Se was determined directly in these solutions by CVG–ICP OES, using the analytical line at 196.026 nm. Calibration against aqueous standards in 10% v/v aqua regia in the concentration range of 0.5–10.0 µg L^− 1 Se(IV) was used for the analysis. The quantification limit, considering a 0.5 g sample weight in a final volume of 100 mL^− 1 was 0.10 µg g^− 1. The obtained concentration values were in agreement with the total certified concentrations, according to the t-test for a 95% confidence level.     

Evaluation of V, Ir, Ru, V-Ir, V-Ru, and W-V as permanent chemical modifiers for the determination of cadmium, lead, and zinc in botanic and biological slurries by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Permanent modifiers (V, Ir, Ru, V-Ir, V-Ru, and W-V) thermally coated on to platforms of pyrolytic graphite tubes were employed for the determination of Cd, Pb, and Zn in botanic and biological slurries by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). Conventional Pd + Mg(NO₃)₂ modifier mixture was also used for the determination of analytes in slurries and digested samples. Optimum masses and mass ratios of permanent modifiers for Cd, Pb, and Zn in slurry sample solutions were investigated. The 280 μg of V, 280 μg of V + 200 μg of Ir, 280 μg of V + 200 μg of Ru or 240 μg of W + 280 μg of V in 0.2% (v/v) Triton X-100 plus 0.5% (v/v) HNO₃ mixture was found as efficient as 5 μg of Pd + 3 μg of Mg(NO₃)₂ modifier mixture for obtaining thermal stabilization, and for obtaining best recoveries. Optimization conditions of analytes, such as pyrolysis and atomization temperature, characteristic masses and detection limits, and atomization and background peak profiles were studied with permanent and 5 μg of Pd + 3 μg of Mg(NO₃)₂ conventional modifiers and compared with each other. The permanent V-Ir, V-Ru, and W-V modifiers remained stable for approximately 250-300 firings when 20 μl of slurries and digested samples were delivered into the atomizer. In addition, the mixed permanent modifiers increase the tube lifetime by 50-95% when compared with untreated platforms. The characteristic masses and detection limits of analytes (dilution factor of 125 ml g⁻¹) obtained with V-Ir based on integrated absorbance as example for 0.8% (m/v) slurries were 1.0 pg and 3 ng g⁻¹ for Cd, 18 pg and 17 ng g⁻¹ for Pb, and 0.7 pg and 4 ng g⁻¹ for Zn, respectively. The results of analytes obtained by employing V-Ir, V-Ru, and W-V permanent modifier mixtures in botanic and biological certified and standard reference materials were in agreement with the certified values of reference materials.     

Determination of manganese in diesel,gasoline and naphtha by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using microemulsion medium for sample stabilization

The determination of Mn in diesel, gasoline and naphtha samples at µg L^− 1 level by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, after sample stabilization in a three-component medium (microemulsion) was investigated. Microemulsions were prepared by mixing appropriate volumes of sample, propan-1-ol and nitric acid aqueous solution, and a stable system was immediately and spontaneously formed. After multivariate optimization by central composite design the optimum microemulsion composition as well as the temperature program was defined. In this way, calibration using aqueous analytical solution was possible, since the same sensitivity was observed in the optimized microemulsion media and 0.2% v/v HNO₃. The use of modifier was not necessary. Recoveries at the 3 µg L^− 1 level using both inorganic and organic Mn standards spiked solutions ranged from 98 to 107% and the limits of detection were 0.6, 0.5 and 0.3 µg L^− 1 in the original diesel, gasoline and naphtha samples, respectively. The Mn characteristic mass 3.4 pg. Typical relative standard deviation (n = 5) of 8, 6 and 7% were found for the samples prepared as microemulsions at concentration levels of 1.3, 0.8, and 1.5 µg L^− 1, respectively. The total determination cycle lasted 4 min for diesel and 3 min for gasoline and naphtha, equivalent to a sample throughput of 7 h^− 1 for duplicate determinations in diesel and 10 h^− 1 for duplicate determinations in gasoline and naphtha. Accuracy was also assessed by using other method of analysis (ASTM D 3831-90). No statistically significant differences were found between the results obtained with the proposed method and the reference method in the analysis of real samples.     

Evaluation of Bi as internal standard to minimize matrix effects on the direct determination of Pb in vinegar by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using Ru permanent modifier with co-injection of Pd/Mg(NO3)2

Bismuth was evaluated as an internal standard for the direct determination of Pb in vinegar by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using Ru as a permanent modifier with co-injection of Pd/Mg(NO₃)₂. The correlation coefficient of the graph plotted from the normalized absorbance signals of Bi versus Pb was r = 0.989. Matrix effects were evaluated by analyzing the slope ratios between the analytical curve obtained from reference solutions prepared in 0.2% (v/v) HNO₃ and analytical curves obtained from Pb additions in red and white wine vinegar samples. The calculated ratios were around 1.04 and 1.02 for analytical curves established applying an internal standard and 1.3 and 1.5 for analytical curves without. Analytical curves in the 2.5–15 μg L^− 1 Pb concentration interval were established using the ratio Pb absorbance to Bi absorbance versus analyte concentration, and typical linear correlations of r = 0.999 were obtained. The proposed method was applied for direct determination of Pb in 18 commercial vinegar samples and the Pb concentration varied from 2.6 to 31 μg L^− 1. Results were in agreement at a 95% confidence level (paired t-test) with those obtained for digested samples. Recoveries of Pb added to vinegars varied from 96 to 108% with and from 72 to 86% without an internal standard. Two water standard reference materials diluted in vinegar sample were also analyzed and results were in agreement with certified values at a 95% confidence level. The characteristic mass was 40 pg Pb and the useful lifetime of the tube was around 1600 firings. The limit of detection was 0.3 μg L^− 1 and the relative standard deviation was ≤ 3.8% and ≤ 8.3% (n = 12) for a sample containing 10 μg L^− 1 Pb with and without internal standard, respectively.     

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of germanium in soils using ultrasound-assisted leaching

A procedure for determining germanium in soil samples using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry is discussed. The analyte is leached from the solid sample by the addition of 1 ml of concentrated hydrofluoric acid to 10-300 mg of sample, and the mixture is then submitted to a 10 min ultrasonic treatment. After adding 0.4 g boric acid and 3 ml concentrated hydrochloric acid, germanium is extracted into 1 ml chloroform and back-extracted into an aqueous phase containing (0.05%, w/v) nickel nitrate. Ten micro liter of aqueous phase are introduced into the atomizer and the analytical signal from germanium is obtained using a fast-heating cycle. The detection limit, calculated using three times the standard error of estimate (s_y/x) of the calibration graph, is 0.015 μg g⁻¹. The reliability of the procedure is verified by analyzing several certified reference materials.     

Cold vapour atomic fluorescence determination of mercury in milk by slurry sampling using multicommutation

A highly sensitive mechanized method has been developed for the determination of mercury in milk by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). Samples were sonicated for 10 min in an ultrasound water bath in the presence of 8% (v/v) aqua regia, 2% (v/v) antifoam A and 1% (m/v) hydroxilamine hydrochloride, and after that, they were treated with 8 mmol l⁻¹ KBr and 1.6 mmol l⁻¹ KBrO₃ in an hydrochloric medium. Atomic fluorescence measurements were made by multicommutation, which provides a fast alternative in quality control analysis, due to the easy treatment of a large number of samples (approximately 70 h⁻¹), and is an environmentally friendly procedure, which involves a waste generation of only 94.5 ml h⁻¹ as compared with the 605 ml h⁻¹ obtained by using continuous AFS measurements. The limit of detection found was 0.011 ng g⁻¹ Hg in the original sample. The method provided a relative standard deviation of 3.4% for five independent analysis of a sample containing 0.30 ng g⁻¹ Hg. To validate the accuracy of the method, a certified reference material NIST-1459 (non-fat milk powder) containing 0.3±0.2 ng g⁻¹ Hg was analysed and a value of 0.27±0.06 ng g⁻¹ Hg was found. A comparison made between data found by the developed procedure and those obtained by microwave-assisted digestion and continuous AFS measurements evidenced a good comparability between these two strategies. Results obtained for commercially available milk samples varied between 0.09 and 0.61 ng g⁻¹ Hg depending on the type of sample and its origin. The confluence of the analytical waste with a 6 mol l⁻¹ NaOH allowed us to reduce the waste generation in a working session from 1 l to 5 g solid residue with a matrix of Fe(OH)₃ which contributes to the deactivation of traces of heavy metals presents in the samples that does not form volatile hydrides.     

Non-chromatographic speciation of toxic arsenic in fish

A rapid, sensitive and economic method has been developed for the direct determination of toxic species of arsenic present in fish and mussel samples. As(III), As(V), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) were determined by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry using a series of proportional equations without the need of a chromatographic previous separation. The method is based on the extraction of arsenic species from fish through sonication with HNO₃ 3 mol l⁻¹ and 0.1% (m/v) Triton and washing of the solid phase with 0.1% (m/v) EDTA, followed by direct measurement of the corresponding hydrides in four different experimental conditions. The limit of detection of the method was 0.62 ng g⁻¹ for As(III), 2.1 ng g⁻¹ for As(V), 1.8 ng g⁻¹ for MMA and 5.4 ng g⁻¹ for DMA, in all cases expressed in terms of sample dry weight. The mean relative standard deviation values (R.S.D.) in actual sample analysis were: 6.8% for As(III), 10.3% for As(V), 8.5% for MMA and 7.4% for DMA at concentration levels from 0.08 mg kg⁻¹ As(III) to 1.3 mg kg⁻¹ DMA. Recovery studies provided percentages greater than 93% for all species in spiked samples. The analysis of SRM DORM-2 and CRM 627 certified materials evidenced that the method is suitable for the accurate determination of arsenic species in fish.     

A microwave-assisted sequential extraction of water and dilute acid soluble arsenic species from marine plant and animal tissues

This paper describes the use of dilute nitric acid for the extraction and quantification of arsenic species. A number of extractants (e.g. water, 1.5 M orthophosphoric acid, methanol-water and dilute nitric acid) were tested for the extraction of arsenic from marine biological samples, such as plants that have proved difficult to quantitatively extract. Dilute 2% (v/v) nitric acid was found to give the highest recoveries of arsenic overall and was chosen for further optimisation. The optimal extraction conditions for arsenic were 2% (v/v) HNO₃, 6 min⁻¹, 90 °C. Arsenic species were found to be stable under the optimised conditions with the exception of the arsenoriboses which degraded to a product eluting at the same retention time as glycerol arsenoribose. Good agreement was found between the 2% (v/v) HNO₃ extraction and the methanol-water extraction for the certified reference material DORM-2 (AB 17.1 and 16.2 μg g⁻¹, respectively, and TETRA 0.27 and 0.25 μg g⁻¹, respectively), which were in close agreement with the certified concentrations of AB 16.4 ± 1.1 μg g⁻¹ and TETRA 0.248 ± 0.054 μg g⁻¹.To preserve the integrity of arsenic species, a sequential extraction technique was developed where the previously methanol-water extracted pellet was further extracted with 2% (v/v) HNO₃ under the optimised conditions. Increases in arsenic recoveries between 13% and 36% were found and speciation of this faction revealed that only inorganic and simple methylated species were extracted.     

Comparison of direct solid sampling and slurry sampling for the determination of cadmium in wheat flour by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Two analytical methods for the determination of cadmium in wheat flour by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry without prior sample digestion have been compared: direct solid sampling analysis (SS) and slurry sampling (SlS). Besides the conventional modifier mixture of palladium and magnesium nitrates (10 μg Pd + 3 μg Mg), 0.05% (v/v) Triton X-100 has been added to improve the penetration of the modifier solution into the solid sample, and 0.1% H₂O₂ in order to promote an in situ digestion for SS. For SlS, 30 μg Pd, 12 μg Mg and 0.05% (v/v) Triton X-100 have been used as the modifier mixture. Under these conditions, and using a pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C, essentially no background absorption was observed with an atomization temperature of 1600 °C. About 2 mg of sample have been typically used for SS, although as much as 3-5 mg could have been introduced. In the case of SlS multiple injections had to be used to achieve the sensitivity required for this determination. Calibration against aqueous standards was feasible for both methods. The characteristic mass obtained with SS was 0.6 pg, and that with SlS was 1.0 pg. The limits of detection were 0.4 and 0.7 ng g⁻¹, the limits of quantification were 1.3 and 2.3 ng g⁻¹ and the relative standard deviation (n = 5) was 6-16% and 9-23% for SS and SlS, respectively. The accuracy was confirmed by the analysis of certified reference materials. The two methods were applied for the determination of cadmium in six wheat flour samples acquired in supermarkets of different Brazilian cities. The cadmium content varied between 8.9 ± 0.5 and 13 ± 2 ng g⁻¹ (n = 5). Direct SS gave results similar to those obtained with SlS using multi-injections; the values of both techniques showed no statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence level. Direct SS was finally adopted as the method of choice, due to its greater simplicity, the faster speed of analysis and the better figures of merit.     

Micro-column preconcentration/separation using thiacalix[4]arene tetracarboxylate derivative modified mesoporous TiO2 as packing materials on-line coupled to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for the determination of trace heavy metals in environmental water samples

A novel adsorbent of thiacalix[4]arene tetracarboxylate derivative modified mesoporous TiO₂ was prepared and was used as a packing material for flow injection (FI) micro-column (20 mm × 4.0 mm i.d.) separation/preconcentration on-line coupled to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) simultaneous determination of trace metals (V, Cu, Pb, Cr) in environmental water samples. The experimental conditions for modified mesoporous TiO₂ packed micro-column separation/preconcentration of the target metals were optimized and the interference of commonly coexisting ions was examined. The adsorption capacities of thiacalix[4]arene tetracarboxylate derivative modified mesoporous TiO₂ for V, Cu, Pb and Cr were found to be 14.0, 11.7, 17.7 and 14.5 mg g^− 1, respectively. The detection limits of the method were 0.09, 0.23, 0.50 and 0.15 µg L^− 1 for V, Cu, Pb and Cr, respectively, with a preconcentration factor of 20. The precision of this method were 1.7% (V), 3.9% (Cu), 4.6% (Pb) and 2.9% (Cr) (n = 7, C = 5 µg L^− 1), respectively. The developed method was applied to the determination of trace heavy metals in real samples and the recoveries for spiked samples were found to be in the range of 88.7-107.1%. For validation, a certified reference material of GSBZ50009-88 environmental water sample was analyzed and the determined values were in good agreement with the certified values.     

A study of the direct determination of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in certified reference materials of soils by solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and rapid method for the direct determination of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in soil was developed. The method was developed using three certified reference materials of soil: Eutric Cambisol, Orthic Luvisols and Rendzina, which differed in their matrix composition. Chemical modifiers were essential to achieve reproducible and interference-free signals for the analytes studied. The best results were obtained with a Pd/Mg(NO₃)₂ admixture for the determination of Cd, Pb and Zn and NH₄F for Cu. The combination of W (as a permanent modifier) and Mg(NO₃)₂ provided well-defined signal profiles for Cr. The following spectral lines were used: Cd 228.8 nm, Cr 520.6 nm, Cu 218.2 nm, Pb 205.3 nm and Zn 307.6 nm. The limit of detection was 4.2 ng g^− 1 for Cd, 1.1 μg g^− 1 for Cr, 0.5 μg g^− 1 for Cu, 1.3 μg g^− 1 for Pb and 8.6 μg g^− 1 for Zn for the maximum sample mass used. Under optimized conditions, the analyte and matrix were separated effectively in situ, and aqueous standards could be used for calibration.     

Chlorine and sulfur determination in extra-heavy crude oil by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after microwave-induced combustion

In this study, microwave-induced combustion (MIC) of extra-heavy crude oil is proposed for further chlorine and sulfur determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Combustion was carried out under oxygen pressure (20 bar) in quartz vessels using ammonium nitrate (50 µl of 6 mol l^− 1 solution) as ignition aid. Samples were wrapped with polyethylene film and placed on a quartz holder positioned inside the quartz vessels. The need for an additional reflux step after combustion and the type and concentration of absorbing solution (water, 0.02 to 0.9 mmol l^− 1 H₂O₂, 10 to 100 mmol l^− 1 (NH₄)₂CO₃ or 0.1 to 14 mol l^− 1 HNO₃) were studied. The influence of sample mass, O₂ pressure and maximum pressure attained during the combustion process were investigated. Recoveries from 92 to 102% were obtained for Cl and S for all absorbing solutions. For comparison, Cl and S determination was also performed by ion chromatography (IC) using 25 mmol l^− 1 (NH₄)₂CO₃ as absorbing solution. Using MIC with a reflux step the agreement was better than 95% for certified reference materials of similar composition (crude oil, petroleum coke, coal and residual fuel oil). Microwave-assisted digestion and water extraction in high pressure closed vessels were also evaluated. Using these procedures the maximum recoveries were 30 and 98% for Cl and S, respectively, using microwave-assisted digestion and 70% for Cl and less than 1% for S by water extraction procedure. Limits of detection by ICP OES were 12 and 5 µg g^− 1 for Cl and S, respectively, and the corresponding values by IC were 1.2 and 8 µg g^− 1. Using MIC it was possible to digest simultaneously up to eight samples resulting in a solution suitable for the determination of both analytes with a single combustion step.     

Measurement of methyl mercury (I) and mercury (II) in fish tissues and sediments by HPLC-ICPMS and HPLC-HGAAS

A procedure for the extraction and determination of methyl mercury and mercury (II) in fish muscle tissues and sediment samples is presented. The procedure involves extraction with 5% (v/v) 2-mercaptoethanol, separation and determination of mercury species by HPLC-ICPMS using a Perkin-Elmer 3 μm C8 (33 mm × 3 mm) column and a mobile phase 3 containing 0.5% (v/v) 2-mercaptoethanol and 5% (v/v) CH₃OH (pH 5.5) at a flow rate 1.5 ml min⁻¹ and a temperature of 25 °C. Calibration curves for methyl mercury (I) and mercury (II) standards were linear in the range of 0-100 μg l⁻¹ (r² = 0.9990 and r² = 0.9995 respectively). The lowest measurable mercury was 0.4 μg l⁻¹ which corresponds to 0.01 μg g⁻¹ in fish tissues and sediments. Methyl mercury concentrations measured in biological certified reference materials, NRCC DORM - 2 Dogfish muscle (4.4 ± 0.8 μg g⁻¹), NRCC Dolt - 3 Dogfish liver (1.55 ± 0.09 μg g⁻¹), NIST RM 50 Albacore Tuna (0.89 ± 0.08 μg g⁻¹) and IRMM IMEP-20 Tuna fish (3.6 ± 0.6 μg g⁻¹) were in agreement with the certified value (4.47 ± 0.32 μg g⁻¹, 1.59 ± 0.12 μg g⁻¹, 0.87 ± 0.03 μg g⁻¹, 4.24 ± 0.27 μg g⁻¹ respectively). For the sediment reference material ERM CC 580, a methyl mercury concentration of 0.070 ± 0.002 μg g⁻¹ was measured which corresponds to an extraction efficiency of 92 ± 3% of certified values (0.076 ± 0.04 μg g⁻¹) but within the range of published values (0.040-0.084 μg g⁻¹; mean ± s.d.: 0.073 ± 0.05 μg g⁻¹, n = 40) for this material. The extraction procedure for the fish tissues was also compared against an enzymatic extraction using Protease type XIV that has been previously published and similar results were obtained. The use of HPLC-HGAAS with a Phenomenox 5 μm Luna C18 (250 mm × 4.6 mm) column and a mobile phase containing 0.06 mol l⁻¹ ammonium acetate (Merck Pty Limited, Australia) in 5% (v/v) methanol and 0.1% (w/v) l-cysteine at 25 °C was evaluated as a complementary alternative to HPLC-ICPMS for the measurement of mercury species in fish tissues. The lowest measurable mercury concentration was 2 μg l⁻¹ and this corresponds to 0.1 μg g⁻¹ in fish tissues. Analysis of enzymatic extracts analysed by HPLC-HGAAS and HPLC-ICPMS gave equivalent results.     

Ultrasound-assisted treatment of palm oil samples for the determination of copper and lead by stripping chronopotentiometry

The concentration of trace metals in vegetable oils is an important criterion for the assessment of oil qualities with regard to freshness, keeping properties, storage and their influence on human nutrition and health. In this work, an effective and simple method for the determination of copper and lead in palm oil by stripping chronopotentiometry (SCP) is proposed. The metal ions were concentrated as their amalgams on the glassy carbon surface of a working electrode that was coated with a thin mercury film. An ultrasonic bath was used for the extraction of copper and lead from eleven oil samples using a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Efficient extraction of copper and lead (∼ 100%) was attained after 60 min of ultrasonic pre-treatment. A good correlation between the amount of sample and the time necessary for complete liberation of the metals was observed. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by means of a reference sample of skim milk powder containing trace elements (BCR 151). Quantitative analysis was carried out by the method of standard additions. Good linearity was obtained in the range of the concentrations examined. Detection limits of 13 and 50 ng g^− 1 were found for Cu and Pb, respectively, in the palm oil samples. The average values found for the palm oil samples analyzed were in the range of < 0.013-2.67 µg g^− 1 for copper and < 0.050-1.82 µg g^− 1 for lead. The palm oil samples were also analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), demonstrating a very good correlation between the results.     

Solid-phase spectrophotometric determination of nickel in water and vegetable samples at sub-mug l(-1) level with o-carboxylphenyldiazoaminoazobenzene loaded XAD-4

A highly sensitive and selective solid-phase spectrophotometric method for the determination of sub-μg l⁻¹ level nickel(II) is described. Nickel(II) was sorbed on a styrene-divinylbenzene-type resin Amberlite XAD-4 as a Ni(II)-o-carboxylphenyldiazoaminoazobenzene (o-CDAA) complex. At pH 9.0, resin phase absorbances at 588 and 800 nm were measured directly with an apparent molar absorptivity of 2.95×10⁷ g mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The linear range of the determination was 1.2-41 μg g⁻¹ resin. The detection limit and the quantification limit were found to be 0.24 and 0.76 μg g⁻¹ resin, respectively. The relative standard deviation of 10 replicate determinations of 1.0 μg nickel(II) in 100 ml sample was of 1.5%. The tolerance limit of coexistent ions was also investigated. Most of them are in tolerable amount. For practical analyses, 1 ml acetylacetone used can eliminate the interferences caused by Cu and Fe. The procedure was validated by analysis a certified water reference material (GBW 08618 Beijing, China) and a tomato leaf certified reference material (GBW 08402 Beijing, China) with the results in agreement with the certified values. The method was applied to the determination of nickel(II) in water and vegetable samples with satisfactory results.     

Simultaneous determination of hydride forming (As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, Sn) and Hg and non-hydride forming (Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn) elements in sonicate slurries of analytical samples by microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometry with dual-mode sample introduction system

A slurry sampling method for the simultaneous determination of hydride forming (As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, Sn) and Hg and non-hydride forming (Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn) elements, without total sample digestion has been developed using the commercial dual-mode sample introduction system (MSIS) coupled with microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometry (MIP-OES) from biological and environmental reference materials and real samples. The main advantage of this system is its simultaneous determination of elements that form volatile vapor species and elements that do not, without any instrumental changes. Optimization of reaction, nebulization and instrumental conditions was performed to characterize the new system. Slurry concentration up to 4% m/v (particles < 100 μm) prepared in 10% HNO₃ containing 100 μL of decanol, by application of ultrasonic agitation, was used with calibration by the standard addition technique. An ultrasonic probe was used to homogenize the slurry in the quartz cup just before its introduction into the reaction/nebulization system; the multimode sample introduction system (MSIS) combines the benefits of nebulization and vapor generation in a single device. Detection limits (LOD, 3σ_blank, peak area) of 0.07, 0.29, 0.25, 0.10, 0.12, 0.14, 0.11, 0.28, 0.42, 0.02, 0.21 and 0.34 μg g^− 1 were obtained for As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, Sn, Hg, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn, respectively. The relative standard deviations were ca. 10%, adequate for slurry analysis. To test the accuracy, six certified reference materials were analyzed with the analyte concentrations mostly in the μg g^− 1 level. Measured concentrations are in satisfactory agreement with certified values for the biological reference materials (LUTS-1, DOLT-2) and environmental reference materials (PACS-1, GWB 07302, NIST 2710, NBS 1633b), all adequate for slurry sampling. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the elements in real samples (coal fly ash, lake sediment, sewage). The method requires small amounts of reagents and reduces contamination and losses.     

Determination of cadmium and lead in cetacean Dolphinidae tissue from the coast of Bahia state in Brazil by GFAAS

In the present study, cadmium and lead in the muscle, lung, liver and kidney of dolphins (Sotalia guianensis and Stenella clymene) of the Bahia coast in the northwest of Brazil were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Samples were digested using a diluted oxidant mixture (HNO₃ + H₂O₂) with a microwave heating program performed in five steps. The optimized temperatures and chemical modifier for the pyrolysis and atomization were 700 °C, 1400 °C and Pd plus Mg for Cd, and 900 °C, 1800 °C and NH₄H₂PO₄ for Pb, respectively. Characteristic masses and limits of detections (n = 20, 3σ) for Cd and Pb were 1.6 and 9.0 pg and 0.82 ng g^− 1 and 0.50 ng g^− 1, respectively. Repeatability ranged from 0.87 to 8.22% for Cd and 4.31 to 8.09% for Pb. The found concentrations presented no statistical differences at the 95% confidence level when compared with the ICP OES methods. Addition and recovery tests were also performed and the results ranged between 87 and 112% for both elements. Samples of cetacean Dolphinidae (S.guianensis and S.clymene) were analyzed, and the higher concentrations ranged from 0.09 to 46.2 µg g^− 1 for Cd and 0.04 to 0.47 µg g^− 1 for Pb in liver, and from 0.133 to 277 µg g^− 1 for Cd in the kidney.     

Determination of Na, K, Ca and Mg in biodiesel samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F AAS) using microemulsion as sample preparation

This study proposes a procedure for determining sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium in biodiesel samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F AAS). The sample was prepared as a microemulsion without surfactant. The optimized composition of the microemulsion was 10% (w/v) biodiesel, 75% (v/v) n-propanol, 1% (v/v) concentrated nitric acid and 14% (v/v) of aqueous solution formed by 0.2% (v/v) of nitric acid and 0.5% (v/v) of ionization suppressor. Analyte signals in the samples as microemulsion were found to be stable for a period of 15 days. Analytical curves were obtained using organometallic standard solutions. The limits of detection (LOD) found for the proposed procedure were 0.1 µg g^− 1, 0.01 µg g^− 1, 0.04 µg g^− 1, and 0.004 µg g^− 1 for Na, K, Ca and Mg, respectively. The reference method established by ABNT (Brazilian Association of Technical Norms) NBR 15556:2008 was used to verify the accuracy of the proposed procedure. No significant statistical difference was found between the results obtained with the proposed and the chosen reference procedure. The proposed procedure showed no matrix influence when recovery tests were performed (89%-103%). The results found in this study show that the proposed procedure is a good alternative for determining Na, K, Ca, and Mg by F AAS in biodiesel samples.     

Study on the simultaneous determination of some essential and toxic trace elements in honey by multi-element graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A multi-element graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) method was elaborated and applied for the simultaneous determination of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb in various kinds of honey samples (acacia, floral, linden, rape, and milkweed) using the transversally heated graphite atomiser (THGA) with end-capped tubes and integrated graphite platforms (IGPs). For comparative GFAAS analysis, direct (without digestion) and indirect (with digestion in a microwave oven) sample preparation procedures were tested. The effects of several chemical modifiers, such as NH₄H₂PO₄, NH₄H₂PO₄-Mg(NO₃)₂, and Pd(NO₃)₂-Mg(NO₃)₂, were studied to obtain optimal pyrolysis and atomization conditions for the set of analytes studied. The most efficient modifier was proved to be the mixture of 5 μg Pd (applied as nitrate) plus 3 μg Mg(NO₃)₂, allowing the optimal 600 °C pyrolysis and 2300 °C atomization temperatures. To prevent the sputtering and foaming of the matrix during the drying and pyrolysis steps of the furnace heating program, the sample and modifier solutions (20 + 5 μl, respectively) were dispensed together onto the IGP of the THGA pre-heated at 80 °C.The effect of increasing concentration of honey matrix was studied on the integrated absorbance (A_int) signals of analytes. The A_int signals of Cr and Pb were not altered up to 10% (m/v) matrix content in the sample solutions. The matrix effect was slightly suppressive on the A_int signals of As, Cd, and Cu above 2% (m/v) honey concentration. The recovery was found to be ranged between 85 and 115% for Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb, whereas it was a lower, compromise value of 70-99% for As. The limit of detection (LOD) data were 1, 0.04, 0.09, 0.3, and 0.6 μg l⁻¹ for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb, respectively, which values correspond to 20, 0.8, 1.8, 5.3, and 12 ng g⁻¹, respectively, in the solid samples. The characteristic masses were found to be 21 pg As, 1.3 pg Cd, 4 pg Cr, 12 pg Cu, and 33 pg Pb. The As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb contents of the studied 42 honey samples varied significantly, i.e. from below the LOD up to 13, 3.3, 109, 445, and 163 ng g⁻¹, respectively.