Speciation of heavy metals in environmental water by ion chromatography coupled to ICP–MS

Biogenic (e.g. phytochelatins, porphyrins, DOM) as well as anthropogenic (e.g. NTA, EDTA, phosphonates) chelators affect the mobility and cycling of heavy metals in environmental waters. Since such chelators can form strongly bound anionic heavy metal complexes that are stable and highly mobile, anion-exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS was investigated. A narrow bore HPLC system was connected to a micro concentric nebuliser for in-line sample introduction. A new chromatographic procedure based on a synthetic hydrophilic quaternary ammonium anion exchanger in combination with nitrate as a strong eluent anion, and gradient elution, provided high separation selectivity and a large analytical window. Low detection limits (nmol L(-1)) were achieved by on-column matrix removal and sample preconcentration. This allowed the method to be successfully applied to different environmental research areas. In ecotoxicological studies of heavy metal effects on algae low concentrations of metal EDTA complexes were determined in nutrient solutions without interference from high (buffer) salt concentrations. In groundwater, infiltrated by a polluted river, mobile metal EDTA species were observed. In river water of different pollution levels beside CuEDTA other anionic Cu-complexes were found in nmol L(-1) concentrations.     

Assessment of the determination of heavy metals in organic soil improvers by ICP–OES

Directive 86/278/EEC sets maximum levels of heavy metals in sewage sludge used in agriculture to regulate the risk of using these organic soil improvers. The assessment of the compliance of soil improvers with this legislation should be supported on measurements with adequately low uncertainty. This work presents a strategy for assessing the performance of the determination of aqua regia extractable Cu, Zn and Cr in organic soil improvers and urban sewage sludges following EN 13650 standard. The measurement procedure validation involves checking the adequacy of the linear weighted regression model for ICP–OES calibration, the determination of the limit of quantification, the assessment of measurement repeatability, intermediate precision and trueness, and the evaluation of the measurement uncertainty using the differential approach. Routine tests quality control, including the estimated measurement uncertainty, is checked through the analysis of control standards, equivalent to calibrators, and reference materials from proficiency tests. Since the estimated relative expanded uncertainty is smaller than the defined target value (40 %), measurements are fit for assessing compliance of the mass fraction of heavy metals in organic soil improvers with the council directive.     

Mitigation of microbially influenced corrosion of Cu–Ni (90/10) alloy in a seawater environment

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In industries where a heat exchanger is made up of Cu–Ni (90/10) alloy and seawater is used as a coolant, microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is a...     

Development of analytical procedures for determination of total chromium by quadrupole ICP–MS and high-resolution ICP–MS,and hexavalent chromium by HPLC–ICP–MS,in different materials used in the automotive industry

A European directive was recently adopted limiting the use of hazardous substances such as Pb, Hg, Cd, and Cr(VI) in vehicle manufacturing. From July 2003 a maximum of 2 g Cr(VI) will be authorised per vehicle in corrosion-preventing coatings of key components. As no standardised procedures are available to check if produced vehicles are in agreement with this directive, the objective of this work was to develop analytical procedures for total chromium and Cr(VI) determination in these materials. The first step of this study was to optimise digestion procedures for total chromium determination in plastic and metallic materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). High resolution (HR) ICP–MS was used to examine the influence of polyatomic interferences on the detection of the ⁵²Cr⁺ and ⁵³Cr⁺ isotopes. If there was strong interference with m/z 52 for plastic materials, it was possible to use quadrupole ICP–MS for m/z 53 if digestions were performed with HNO₃+H₂O₂. This mixture was also necessary for digestion of chromium from metallic materials. Extraction procedures in alkaline medium (NH₄⁺/NH₃ buffer solution at pH 8.9) assisted by sonication were developed for determining Cr(VI) in four different corrosion-preventing coatings by HPLC–ICP–MS. After optimisation and validation with the only solid reference material certified for its Cr(VI) content (BCR 545; welding dusts), the efficiency of this extraction procedure for screw coatings was compared with that described in the EN ISO 3613 standard generally used in routine laboratories. For coatings comprising zinc and aluminium passivated in depth with chromium oxides the extraction procedure developed herein enabled determination of higher Cr(VI) concentrations. This was also observed for the screw covered with a chromium passivant layer on zinc–nickel. For coating comprising a chromium passivant layer on alkaline zinc the standardized extraction procedure was more efficient. In the case of painted metallic plate, because of a reactive matrix towards Cr(VI), its extraction without degradation was difficult to perform.     

Kleine Mengen Eisen in Legierungen, die haupts?chlich Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Mn, Cd, Sn und andere Kationen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Electrophilic Substitution Mn(II) → M(II) (M = Co,Ni, Cu,Zn, Cd) in Gelatin-Immobilized Mn2[Fe(CN)6]

Reactions of electrophilic substitution Mn(II) M(II) (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd) are studied in gelatin-immobilized Mn(II) hexacyanoferrate(II) systems brought in contact with aqueous solutions of metal chlorides MCl₂. As the result of this contact, Mn(II) is replaced by Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), or Cd(II) to give heteronuclear metal hexacyanoferrates(II) (MHCF) of Mn(II) and two-charged ions. Neither of the systems under study showed a complete substitution of Mn(II) or the formation of the respective mononuclear hexacyanoferrate(II) M₂[Fe(CN)₆]. When any of the above gelatin-immobilized MHCF was brought in contact with an aqueous solution of MnCl₂, no electrophilic substitution M(II) Mn(II) was observed even for a long contact time.     

Preconcentration using diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid-functionalized polysiloxane (DETAP) for determination of molybdenum(VI) in seawater by ICP–OES

This paper reports a new method for preconcentration and separation of trace amounts of molybdenum in seawater samples prior to determination by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP–OES). Diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid-functionalized polysiloxane (DETAP) was synthesized by carboxymethylation of amino groups on triamine immobilized polymer, which was prepared by modification of 3-chloropropylpolysiloxane with diethylenetriamine. The resulting polysiloxane is highly selective and efficient in chelating Mo(VI) at trace levels. It can be used as a column packing material. The polysiloxane column can be reused over ten times without losing its original properties, so it is suitable for preconcentration of molybdenum species in seawater samples before determination. The parameters governing the characteristics of polysiloxane for adsorption of Mo(VI) were investigated. These include the effect of pH, amount of polysiloxane, equilibrium time, adsorption isotherm, maximum adsorption capacity, interfering ions, flow rate, capacity for reuse, and desorption. The precision of the preconcentration method, calculated as the relative standard deviation of seawater samples, was 3%. The preconcentration factor was 100. The detection limit, defined as 3 times the standard deviation of five replicate measurements of the blank sample at pH 3, was 0.17 g L^–1. Measurement results for standard reference materials were in good agreement with the certified values [(CRMs), NASS-2 Seawater (Open Ocean) and CASS-2 Seawater (Coastal)].     

Determination of Cd and Pb in Honey by SF‐ICP‐MS: Validation Figures and Uncertainty of Results

Abstract

A method based on microwave‐assisted acid digestion of honey and quantification of Cd and Pb by Sector Field Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was in‐house validated and the combined uncertainty was estimated according to the Eurachem/Citac Guide. Limits of detection and quantification were 0.07 and 0.20 ng g^?1 for Cd, and 0.70 and 2.10 ng g^?1 for Pb; recovery was 103.9% for Cd and 98.5% for Pb; repeatability was 10.7% for Cd and 18.5% for Pb; within‐laboratory reproducibility was 15.2% for Cd and 21.4% for Pb. Relative combined uncertainty in honey was 15% for Cd and 22% for Pb, with the main contribution coming from the within‐laboratory reproducibility. The method showed robustness when subjected to different working conditions and when applied to various Italian honeys. Cadmium content ranged 0.2–1.37 ng g^?1 and Pb 4.6–30.5 ng g^?1 in flower honeys, while the highest concentrations were presented by honeydew honeys.     

Determination of Cu,Cd, Ni,Pb and Zn in Edible Oils Using Reversed-Phase Ultrasonic Assisted Liquid–Liquid Microextraction and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A simple and green reversed-phase ultrasonic assisted liquid?liquid microextraction method for determination of Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn in edible oils was developed. Detection was carried out by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The influence of main parameters including ultrasonic time and temperature, disperser solvent, volume of extracting solvent and centrifuging time on the extraction efficiency of target analytes were investigated and optimized. In the proposed method, a few microliters of water (containing 3%, v/v, nitric acid) as extracting solvent was injected into the oil sample and mixture transferred to ultrasonic bath. Then, the mixture was centrifuged in order to accelerate in phase separation. Finally, the aqueous phase was removed and delivered to flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Calibration curves for all metals were linear in the range of 5?100 ng/mL. The limit of detections for Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn were 0.8, 0.3, 0.5, 1.5 and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. Relative standard deviation (RSD) values were in the range of 0.6?1.9%. The recoveries were in the range of 95.2–101.2% with RSD values ranging from 0.8 to 1.9%. The proposed method was applied successfully for the determination of interested metals in commercial edible oils.     

Quantum-chemical modeling of the molecular structures of (555)macrotricyclic chelates in M(II) ion–thiooxamide–glyoxal ternary systems (M = Mn,Fe, Co,Ni, Cu,Zn)

The thermodynamic and geometric parameters of isomeric macrotricyclic Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) complexes that can form upon the complexation of the corresponding hexacyanoferrates( II) with thiooxamide H₂N–C(=S)–C(=O)–NH₂ and glyoxal HC(=O)–CH(=O) in gelatin-immobilized matrices have been calculated by the OPBE/TZVP DFT method with the use of the Gaussian09 program package. It has been found that a complex with the MN₄ chelate core is most stable for M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn, and the MN₂S₂ core is most stable for M = Cu. Bond lengths and bond angles have been reported, and it has been noted that in all complexes, except the Zn(II) one, the chelate core and three fivemembered chelate rings are almost planar.     

Development of a procedure for the multi-element determination of trace elements in wine by ICP–MS

An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (ICP–MS) procedure has been developed for the determination of trace elements in wine. The procedure consists in simple 1+1 dilution of the wine and semi-quantitative analysis (without external calibration) using In as internal standard. Thirty-one elements at concentrations ranging from 0.1 mg mL^–1 to 0.5 ng mL^–1 can be determined by ICP–MS analysis with and without digestion. It was investigated whether a matrix effect observed for EtOH in the wine matrix can be overcome by application of a micro-concentric nebulizer with a membrane desolvator (MCN 6000). The results obtained for the MCN 6000 are compared with those obtained by use of a conventional Meinhard nebulizer. It is shown that the observed matrix effect can only be compensated by use of an internal standard for the Meinhard nebulizer, but not for the MCN 6000. Results for ICP–MS are compared with those obtained by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF).     

Narrow-bore HPLC–ICP–MS for speciation of copper in mutant mouse neonates bearing a defect in Cu metabolism

Minute amounts of tissue supernatants from mouse neonates bearing a mutation in the copper (Cu)-transporter gene, Atp7a, were injected into narrow-bore HPLC coupled with an inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer (ICP–MS) to examine Cu metabolism. In the 14-day-old mutant neonates, Cu accumulated in the intestine in the metallothionein (MT)-bound form, and mRNA expression of the two MT isoforms was increased. Meanwhile, Cu in the MT-bound form (Cu-MT) was depleted in the liver and mRNA expression decreased in comparison with wild-type mice. These results suggest that Cu is not secreted by intestinal microvillus cells into bloodstream due to the defect of Atp7a, and systemic depletion of Cu occurred. On the other hand, in the kidneys of mutant mice, Cu accumulated in the MT-bound form despite the fact that mRNA expression of the two MT isoforms was low. Part of Cu-MT in microvillus cells may be released into bloodstream at turnover and be preferably taken up by the kidneys. Consequently, the mRNA expression of MT isoforms was not always coincident with the amounts of MT proteins binding Cu, and narrow bore HPLC–ICP–MS used for MT protein determination is a complementary technique to real-time RT-PCR used for MT mRNA determination in Cu speciation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Determination of butyltin compounds in environmental samples by isotope-dilution GC–ICP–MS

Isotope-dilution analysis in combination with GC-ICP-MS detection has been applied to the determination of butyltin species in environmental samples. Different spikes containing the isotopically labeled butyltin species have been synthesized in the laboratory after optimization of the reaction conditions. The isotopic compositions of the tin species in the different spike solutions were determined by GC-ICP-MS after derivatization by aqueous ethylation with sodium tetraethylborate. Reverse isotope-dilution analysis was used for quantitation of the spike solutions by means of natural MBT, DBT, and TBT standards. The mixed spikes were used for simultaneous analysis of MBT, DBT and TBT in the certified reference materials, PACS-2, CRM 462, and CRM 646, with satisfactory results. The excellent agreement of the different speciation results obtained by use of the different spikes is a good indicator of the precision, accuracy, and reliability which can be achieved by using isotope-dilution analysis for trace metal speciation.Application of a double spike containing (119)Sn-enriched MBT (79.7 At%), (118)Sn-enriched DBT (86.7 At%), and (119)Sn-enriched TBT (83.1 At%) also enabled evaluation of the conditions resulting in quantitative extraction of the species from the solid matrix, in combination with possible alterations depending on the different extraction procedures used (mechanical shaking, ultrasounds, and microwaves). Mathematical equations used for this purpose computed the correct species concentrations directly and, additionally, the decomposition factors (from TBT to DBT and from DBT to MBT) after precise measurement of the (119)Sn/(120)Sn and (118)Sn/(120)Sn ratios for all butyltin species by GC-ICP-MS.     

Electrophilic Substitution Co(II)→M(II) (M = Mn,Ni, Cu,Zn, Cd) in Co2[Fe(CN)6] Gelatin-Immobilized Matrices

Electrophilic substitutions Co(II) M(II) (M = Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd) in cobalt(II) hexacyanoferrate(II) gelatin-immobilized matrices in contact with aqueous solutions of corresponding chlorides MCl₂ were studied. As a result of this contact, Co(II) was shown to be replaced to some extent by Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), or Cd(II) and to give heteronuclear cobalt(II) hexacyanoferrates(II) and two-charge ions. A complete substitution of Co(II) or the formation the respective mononuclear hexacyanoferrate(II) M₂[Fe(CN)₂] was observed in neither of the studied systems Co(II) M(II). No Co(II) Mn(II) substitution was observed, even though the immobilized matrix was in contact with a solution for a long time.     

One-pot synthesis of CuInS2 and CuInS2/MS (M=Cd,Zn) core–shell luminescent nanocrystals: a low-temperature and low-cost approach

The single-pot synthesis of highly crystalline and fluorescent chalcopyrite CuInS₂ (CIS) colloidal nanoparticles has been reported by thermal decomposition of metal ethyl xanthate (at ~110 °C) for the first time. The fluorescence emission wavelength can also be readily tuned from the UV to the visible region by merely prolonging the reaction time, as the PL emission may be varied from 550 to 675 nm. The synthesized CIS is subjected to postdeposition treatment with CdS/ZnS in one pot route using cadmium/zinc xanthate at low temperature (~80 °C) to improve the quantum yield of core–shell (CIS/CdS or ZnS) nanocrystallites as compared to CIS core. The stability of core–shell particularly CIS/ZnS system upon continuous laser exposure suggests the formation of surface bonds with superior mechanical stability. This low-cost synthesis of such nontoxic QDs using green chemical routes is a promising approach for the fabrication of optoelectronic and biosensing devices. Graphical Abstract

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Die extraktive Abtrennung von Metallspuren (Hg, Ag, Pb, Cu, M, Co, Zn, Cd, Bi, Mn) in Silicatmineralien mit Natriumdi?thyldithiocarbamidat

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Synthesis and characterization of MIIU3O10 · nH2O (MII = Mg, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd) triuranates

Individual crystalline phases of composition M^IIU₃O₁₀ · nH₂O were prepared by reacting schoepite UO₃ · 2.25H₂O with aqueous solutions of Mg, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, or Cd nitrates under hydrothermal conditions at 200°C. The composition and structure of the resultant compounds were determined by hightemperature X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, scanning calorimetry, and chemical analysis; the dehydration and thermal destruction of the compounds were studied.     

Determination of arsenic species and arsenosugars in marine samples by HPLC–ICP–MS

Arsenic-speciation analysis in marine samples was performed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ICP–MS detection. Separation of eight arsenic species—As^III, MMA, DMA, As^V, AB, TMAO, AC and TeMAs⁺—was achieved on a C₁₈ column with isocratic elution (pH 3.0), under which conditions As^III and MMA co-eluted. The entire separation was accomplished in 15 min. The HPLC–ICP–MS detection limits for the eight arsenic species were in the range 0.03–0.23 μg L⁻¹ based on 3σ for the blank response (n=5). The precision was calculated to be 2.4–8.0% (RSD) for the eight species. The method was successfully applied to several marine samples, e.g. oysters, fish, shrimps, and marine algae. Low-power microwave digestion was employed for extraction of arsenic from seafood products; ultrasonic extraction was employed for the extraction of arsenic from seaweeds. Separation of arsenosugars was achieved on an anion-exchange column. Concentrations of arsenosugars 2, 3, and 4 in marine algae were in the range 0.18–9.59 μg g⁻¹. This paper was presented at the European Winter Conference 2005     

Optimization of mechanical properties of complex,two-stage heat treatment of Cu–Ni (Mn,Mo) austempered ductile iron

The aim of the study was to design and optimize the complex, two-step heat treatment of Cu–Ni (Mn, Mo) ductile iron. A method for the formation and investigation of austempered ductile iron (ADI) by means of complex two-step and as comparative, standard one-step heat treatments has been developed, using quenching dilatometer. Investigations of proceeding phase transformations using differential dilatometric and DSC analysis supported by microstructural observations, hardness and austenite volume measurements have been carried out. An analysis of the temperature sequence of the ausferrite decomposition in the one-step and two-step ADI was performed, which allowed for the separation and identification of the effects responsible for the carbon-enriched austenite decomposition. A quantitative relationship was established between basic dimensional effects revealed on the differential dilatometric curve of ausferrite decomposition, which enables prognosis and optimization of the parameters of complex ADI heat treatment variants. Verification tests were performed on a stand equipped with salt furnaces enabling a quick transfer of samples from one bath to another without changing their initial temperature. Optimization of the two-step ADI heat treatment with the use of quantitative dilatometric analysis of the ausferrite decomposition, allowed to obtain for the temperature step-down heat treatment 390 °C/15, 20 min ? 270 °C/130 min the excellent mechanical properties, unattainable by means of standard 1-step ADI heat treatment.