A rapid radiochemical method for antimony and arsenic : Development and testing of the method

The formation of stibine and arsine by flash electrolysis is applied to the rapid separation of radioactive isotopes of antimony and arsenic from a mixture of fission products. A chemical yield of 45% for both antimony and arsenic was achieved in 10 sec. The conditions necessary for the clean separation of antimony and arsenic from one another and from other fission products are described. The method proved successful both in the laboratory and in a nuclear reactor.     

An improved method for the determination of trace levels of arsenic and antimony in geological materials by automated hydride generation—atomic absorption spectroscopy

An improved, automated method for the determination of arsenic and antimony in geological materials is described. After digestion of the material in sulfuric, nitric, hydrofluoric and perchloric acids, a hydrochloric acid solution of the sample is automatically mixed with reducing agents, acidified with additional hydrochloric acid, and treated with a sodium tetrahydroborate solution to form arsine and stibine. The hydrides are decomposed in a heated quartz tube in the optical path of an atomic absorption spectrometer. The absorbance peak height for arsenic or antimony is measured. Interferences that exist are minimized to the point where most geological materials including coals, soils, coal ashes, rocks and sediments can be analyzed directly without use of standard additions. The relative standard deviation of the digestion and the instrumental procedure is less than 2% at the 50 μg l^-1 As or Sb level. The reagent-blank detection limit is 0.2 μg l^-1 As or Sb.     

Determination of trace arsenic in hydrofluoric acid by hydride generation and atomic absorption spectrometry

Practical procedures are given for determination of arsenic(III) and (V) in hydrofluoric acid by means of hydride generation and atomic absorption spectrometry. Arsenic(III) can be determined by direct generation of arsine with sodium borohydride in hydrochloric/hydrofluoric acid medium, arsenic(V) being only slightly reduced under the conditions used. For its determination, arsenic(V) has to be prereduced with potassium iodide, and even then its reduction to arsenic(III) and then arsine is far from complete. It is possible to determine it in presence of arsenic(III) by a difference method, but this is recommended only if the As(V)/As(III) ratio is greater than 1. Total arsenic can be determined after oxidation of As(III) and evaporation of most of the hydrofluoric acid. The limit of determination is 5 g/l for arsenic(III) and 0.25 g/l for total arsenic; the relative standard deviation is about 10%.     

Atomic absorption spectroscopic determination of arsenic in antimony compounds using solvent extraction and arsine generation

Summary An arsine generation-atomic absorption spectroscopic method for the determination of 0.04–4000 p. p. m. of arsenic in antimony compounds is described. The interference from antimony and other elements is eliminated by solvent extraction with benzene. The sample is dissolved in concentrated hydrochloric acid and reduced with titanium(III) chloride. Arsenic(III) is extracted into benzene from 10–12N hydrochloric acid at which concentration no antimony (III) is extracted; arsenic(III) is then back-extracted into water. Arsine is generated with potassium iodide, tin(II) chloride and zinc powder from 2.4N hydrochloric acid solution, and introduced to a nitrogen-hydrogen flame. The method has been tested with various antimony samples.

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Zusammenfassung Für die Bestimmung von 0,04–4000 ppm Arsen in Antimonverbindungen wurde ein Verfahren zur Arsinbildung und Atomarabsorption entwickelt. Die Störung durch Antimon und andere Elemente wurde durch Extraktion mit Benzol beseitigt. Die Probe wird in konz. Salzsäure gelöst und mit Titan(III)chlorid reduziert. Arsen(III) wird aus 10–12N Salzsäure mit Benzol extrahiert, ohne daß Antimon(III) mitextrahiert wird; As(III) wird dann in Wasser rückextrahiert. Mit Kaliumjodid, Zinn(II)chlorid und Zinkpulver wird aus 2,4N salzsaurer Lösung Arsin entwickelt und in eine Stickstoff-Wasserstoff-Flamme geleitet. Das Verfahren wurde mit verschiedenen Antimonproben getestet.

     

Determination of arsenic and antimony in electrolytic copper by anodic stripping voltammetry at a gold film electrode

A simple procedure is described for the determination of arsenic and antimony in electrolytic copper. The copper is digested with nitric acid and copper is separated from arsenic and antimony by passing an ammoniacal solution of the sample through a column of Chelex-100 resin. After digestion with sulphuric acid and reduction to arsenic(III) and antimony(III) with sodium sulphite in 7 M sulphuric acid at 80°C, both arsenic and antimony are deposited at-0.30V and their total is determined by anodic stripping; antimony is then selectively deposited at -0.05 V for anodic stripping. The lower limits of determination are 56 ng As and 28 ng Sb per gram of copper; relative standard deviations (n = 5) are in the ranges 6.1–15.0% for 5.5—0.5 ppm arsenic in copper and 4.1–6.8% for 2.6—0.6 ppm antimony.     

Simple conditions for the use of ferroin indicator in cerimetric titrations of antimony(III) alone and in mixtures with arsenic(III)

The titration of antimony(III) with cerium(V) sulphate in the presence of ferroin indicator at room temperature is entirely satisfactory in media consisting of 50% ($\text{v}\text{v}$) acetic acid and 1–3 M hydrochloric acid. In the absence of acetic acid, ferroin reacts with the antimony(V) formed in the very early stages, to give a sparingly soluble red complex, which remains in suspension and resists oxidation by cerium(IV). This titration provides a rational method for sequential visual titrations of antimony(III) and arsenic(III). The composition of the ferroin-antimony(V) complex is discussed. Titrations of antimony(III) in 0.5–1 M sulphuric acid medium do not require acetic acid but need iodine monochloride catalyst.     

Titration of antimony(III) with cerium(IV) sulphate and diphenylamine and its derivatives as reversible indicators

Diphenylamine, barium diphenylamine sulphonate, N-phenylanthranilic acid and 2-nitrodiphenylamine have been investigated as reversible indicators for the titration of antimony(III) with cerium(IV) sulphate in 0.5–2 M sulphuric acid medium. Diphenylamine is the most satisfactory in titrations of antimony(III) in chloride-free solutions, e.g. of potassium antimonyl tartrate. Even low chloride concentrations affect the indicator action of N-phenyl-anthranilic acid or 2-nitrodiphenylamine, but diphenylamine is satisfactory in 1 M hydrochloric acid media. Iodine catalyst is necessary to accelerate the reduction of the oxidized indicator by antimony(III). The indicator colour change is vivid and the colour of the oxidized indicator is stable. Titrations of antimony(III) in mixtures with iron(II) and arsenic(III) are also considered.     

Inter-element interferences in the determination of arsenic and antimony by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry with a quartz tube atomizer

The interferences between arsenic and antimony on each other during the hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) determination of arsenic and antimony using a quartz tube atomizer (QTA) were examined. In order to eliminate or reduce such interferences by selective heat decomposition of arsine and stibine, a Pyrex adsorption U-tube trap containing glass wool was placed between the drying tube and the quartz tube atomizer. Although at 250 °C stibine decomposes and is held almost completely by the trap, arsine is also decomposed to an extent of 24% and, therefore, thermal decomposition is not useful to eliminate antimony interference on arsenic determination. The effect of coating the glass wool in the U-tube with antimony on the arsenic suppression of the antimony signal was studied. The results showed that the antimony coating in the U-tube could not hold arsenic effectively and its interference on the antimony signal could not be eliminated by this means. In the second part of the study, oxygen was supplied to the quartz tube atomizer during atomization in order to study the effect of supplying oxygen on the antimony signal and on the interference of arsenic in the antimony determination. Sensitivity was increased in the presence of oxygen and interferences of arsenic on antimony determination was decreased by about 10% when oxygen was supplied. It was also observed that the extent of interferences depended mainly on the interferent concentration rather than the analyte concentration.     

Spectrophotometric determination of arsenic in concentrates and copper-base alloys by the molybdenum blue method after separations by iron collection and xanthate extraction

A method for determining 0.0001-1% of arsenic in copper, nickel, molybdenum, lead and zinc concentrates is described. After sample decomposition, arsenic is separated from most of the matrix elements by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide from an ammoniacal medium. Following reprecipitation of arsenic and iron, the precipitate is dissolved in approximately 2 M hydrochloric acid and the solution is evaporated to a small volume to remove water. Arsenic(V) is reduced to the tervalent state with iron(II) and separated from iron, lead and other co-precipitated elements by chloroform extraction of its xanthate from an 11M hydrochloric acid medium. After oxidation of arsenic(III) in the extract to arsenic(V) with bromine-carbon tetrachloride solution, it is back-extracted into water and determined by the molybdenum blue method. Small amounts of iron, copper and molybdenum, which are co-extracted as xanthates, and antimony, which is co-extracted to a slight extent as the chloro-complex under the proposed conditions, do not interfere. The proposed method is also applicable to copper-base alloys.     

A simple in situ visual and tristimulus colorimetric method for the determination of trace arsenic in environmental water after its collection on a mercury(II)-impregnated paper.

A simple in situ visual and tristimulus colorimetric method for the determination of trace arsenic in environmental water after collecting arsenic on a test paper impregnated with mercury(II) bromide and rosaniline chloride by its reduction aeration has been developed. The color development on the test paper is based on the formations of AsH(HgBr)2 (yellow) and/or As(HgBr)3 (brownish yellow) by a reaction between mercury(II) bromide and arsine (AsH3), which is produced through the reduction of As(III) (arsenite ion) and/or As(V) (arsenate ion) in a sample solution. To a sample solution, potassium iodide, tin(II) chloride, zinc sand and 4 ml of 6 M hydrochloric acid solution were added successively. The liberated arsine was collected on the test paper. The yellow or brownish-yellow color intensity on the test paper was measured by a tristimulus colorimeter and also by a visual method. The established method is applicable to the determination of arsenic in environmental water sample such as river, brackish, and seawater types.     

Determination of antimony in concentrates, ores and non-ferrous materials by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry after iron-lanthanum collection, or by the iodide method after further xanthate extraction

Methods for determining trace and moderate amounts of antimony in copper, nickel, molybdenum, lead and zinc concentrates and in ores are described. Following sample decomposition, antimony is oxidized to antimony(V) with aqua regia, then reduced to antimony(III) with sodium metabisulphite in 6M hydrochloric acid medium and separated from most of the matrix elements by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric and lanthanum oxides. Antimony (>/= 100 mug/g) can subsequently be determined by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, at 217.6 nm after dissolution of the precipitate in 3M hydrochloric acid. Alternatively, for the determination of antimony at levels of 1 mug/g or more, the precipitate is dissolved in 5M hydrochloric acid containing stannous chloride as a reluctant for iron(III) and thiourea as a complexing agent for copper. Then tin is complexed with hydrofluoric acid, and antimony is separated from iron, tin, lead and other co-precipitated elements, including lanthanum, by chloroform extraction of its xanthate. It is then determined spectrophotometrically, at 331 or 425 nm as the iodide. Interference from co-extracted bismuth is eliminated by washing the extract with hydrochloric acid of the same acid concentration as the medium used for extraction. Interference from co-extracted molybdenum, which causes high results at 331 nm, is avoided by measuring the absorbance at 425 nm. The proposed methods are also applicable to high-purity copper metal and copper- and lead-base alloys. In the spectrophotometric iodide method, the importance of the preliminary oxidation of all of the antimony to antimony(V), to avoid the formation of an unreactive species, is shown.     

Determination of antimony in ores and related materials by continuous hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by xanthate extraction

A continuous hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometric method for determining approximately 0.02 mug/g or more of antimony in ores, concentrates, rocks, soils and sediments is described. The method involves the reduction of antimony(V) to antimony(III) by heating with hypophosphorous acid in a 4.5M hydrochloric acid-tartaric acid medium and its separation by filtration, if necessary, from any elemental arsenic, selenium and tellurium produced during the reduction step. Antimony is subsequently separated from iron, lead, zinc, tin and various other elements by a single cyclohexane extraction of its xanthate complex from approximately 4.5M hydrochloric acid/0.2M sulphuric acid in the presence of ascorbic acid as a reluctant for iron(III). After the extract is washed, if necessary, with 10% hydrochloric acid-2% thiourea solution to remove co-extracted copper, followed by 4.5M hydrochloric acid to remove residual iron and other elements, antimony(III) in the extract is oxidized to antimony(V) with bromine solution in carbon tetrachloride and stripped into dilute sulphuric acid containing tartaric acid. Following the removal of bromine by evaporation of the solution, antimony(V) is reduced to antimony(III) with potassium iodide in approximately 3M hydrochloric acid and finally determined by hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry at 217.8 nm with sodium borohydride as reluctant. Interference from platinum and palladium, which are partly co-extracted as xanthates under the proposed conditions, is eliminated by complexing them with thiosemicarbazide during the iodide reduction step. Interference from gold is avoided by using a 3M hydrochloric acid medium for the hydride-generation step. Under these conditions gold forms a stable iodide complex.     

进口铜精矿中砷和汞的快速测定

试料经盐酸、硝酸溶解,添加硫脲和抗坏血酸预还原砷,以2%盐酸为载流,1%硼氢化钠和0.5%氢氧化钾溶液为还原剂,在氢化物发生器中,砷与硼氢化钠、盐酸反应生成砷化氢,汞则成为汞蒸气,用氩气导入石英炉原子化器中原子化,以空心阴极灯为激发光源,于原子荧光光谱仪上测量砷和汞的荧光强度。砷的标准偏差为0.0096%;汞的标准偏差为0.00015%,结果准确度较好。方法前处理快速,试剂消耗少,过程简单。     

Liquid-liquid extraction of arsenic(III), antimony(III) and bismuth(III) with potassium ethyl xanthate

Summary Methods are described for quantitative extraction of arsenic(III), antimony(III) and bismuth(III) with potassium ethyl xanthate-carbon tetrachloride. The optimum acidity conditions are 0.1–0.2 M hydrochloric acid for arsenic, 1.8–2.5 M hydrochloric acid for antimony and p_H 1.5–4.0 for bismuth. From the organic extracts arsenic and antimony are estimated by conventional iodometric methods while bismuth is determined spectrophotometrically at 400 nm. The effect of acidity, reagent concentration, period of extraction and diverse ions are discussed. The infra-red spectra are also described.

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Zusammenfassung Verfahren für die Extraktion von As(III), Sb(III) und Bi(III) mit Kaliumäthylxanthat/Tetrachlorkohlenstoff werden beschrieben. Die optimalen Aciditätsbedingungen sind: 0,1–0,2 M HCl für As, 1,8–2,5 M HCl für Sb und p_H 1,5–4,0 für Bi. As und Sb werden nach Entfernung des organischen Lösungsmittels jodometrisch bestimmt; Bi wird im gelb gefärbten Extrakt spektrophotometrisch bei 400 nm bestimmt. Der Einflu\ der Acidität, der Reagenskonzentration, der Schütteldauer und verschiedener Fremdionen auf die Extraktion wird besprochen. Die IR-Spektren der gebildeten Komplexe werden diskutiert.

     

Simultaneous reduction of arsenic and lead to hydrides by sodium tetrahydroborate(III) for inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry: An investigation into the reaction medium

Nitroso R salt and potassium ferricyanide, in hydrochloric acid, have been used as the reaction medium for simultaneous generation of arsine and plumbane, combined with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometric detection. Both of the reagents enhance the lead signal and neither reagent inhibits the arsenic signal, provided that the potassium ferricyanide is mixed on-line with the analyte solution. Potassium iodide, which is used to prereduce As(V) to As(III), does not interfere with plumbane generation in both reaction systems. Various parameters affecting the signals have been studied, and the hydrochloric acid-potassium ferricyanide system has proved to be a better reaction medium. Detection limits of lead and arsenic are 1.1 and 2.8 ng/ml, respectively, have been obtained in the HClK(3) Fe(CN)(6) system at a sample uptake rate of 1.5 ml/min.     

Selective determination of trace arsenic and antimony species in natural waters by gas chromatography with a photoionization detector

Traces amounts of arsenic and antimony in water samples were determined by gas chromatography with a photoionization detector after liquidnitrogen cold trapping of their hydrides. The sample solution was treated with sodium hydroborate (NaBH₄) under weak-acid conditions for arsenic(III) and antimony(III) determination, and under strong-acid conditions for arsenic(III+V) and antimony(III+V) determination. Large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water vapor obscured determination of arsine and stibine. Better separation from interference could be achieved by removing CO₂ and water vapor in two tubes containing sodium hydroxide pellets and calcium chloride, respectively. The detection limits of this method were 1.8 ng dm^?3 for arsenic and 9.4 ng dm^?3 for antimony in the case of 100-cm³ sample volumes. Therefore, it is suitable for determination of trace arsenic and antimony in natural waters.     

Speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic by a multisyringe flow injection system with hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometric detection

In this study, a new technique by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) for determination and speciation of inorganic arsenic using multisyringe flow injection analysis (MSFIA) is reported. The hydride (arsine) was generated by injecting precise known volumes of sample, a reducing sodium tetrahydroborate solution (0.2%), hydrochloric acid (6 M) and a pre-reducing solution (potassium iodide 10% and ascorbic acid 0.2%) to the system using a multisyringe burette coupled with one multi-port selection valve. This solution is used to pre-reduce As(V) to As(III), when the task is to speciate As(III) and As(V). As(V) is determined by the difference between total inorganic arsenic and As(III). The reagents are dispensed into a gas-liquid separation cell. An argon flow delivers the arsine into the flame of an atomic fluorescence spectrometer. A hydrogen flow has been used to support the flame. Nitrogen has been employed as a drier gas (Fig. 1).Several variables such as sample and reagents volumes, flow rates and reagent concentrations were investigated in detail. A linear calibration graph was obtained for arsenic determination between 0.1 and 3 μg l⁻¹. The detection limit of the proposed technique (3σ_b/S) was 0.05 μg l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of As at 1 μg l⁻¹ was 4.4 % (n = 15). A sample throughput of 10 samples per hour was achieved. This technique was validated by means of reference solid and water materials with good agreement with the certified values. Satisfactory results for speciation of As(III) and As(V) by means of the developed technique were obtained.     

Sequential spectrophotometric determination of inorganic arsenic species by hydride generation from selective medium reactions and colour bleaching of permanganate

A simple spectrophotometric method is presented for the sequential determination of inorganic arsenic (As) species in one sample. It is based on the sequential arsine generation from As(III) and As(V) using selective medium reactions, collection of the arsine generated in an absorbing solution containing permanganate and ethanol at 5 °C and subsequent reduction of permanganate by arsine. The decrease in permanganate absorbance at 524.2 nm is monitored for As determination. The acetic acid/sodium acetate and HCl mediums were used for selective arsine generation from As(III) and remaining As(V) in one solution, respectively. The effect of interferences and their possible mechanisms were discussed. Interferences from transition metal ions were removed by using a Chelex 100 resin. Under optimized conditions, the established method is applicable to the determination of 3-30 μg of each arsenic species. Good recoveries (96-102%) of spiked artificial sea water, tap water and standard mixtures of As(III) and As(V) were also found. The method is simple, accurate, precise and environmental friendly.     

The idea of simultaneous batch in-situ extraction and arsenic and antimony hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry determination directly in the solid (tsunami and lake sediments) samples

The article presents the application of in-situ extraction from a solid sample in order to determine metalloids: arsenic and antimony. The reaction vessel, in which hydride generation followed the extraction, was connected with the atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) in a fast sequential mode. Deionised water, phosphatic buffer (pH?=?6) and hydrochloric acid (2?mol?L^?1) were used as the extractants to determine the concentration of metalloids in the following fractions: easily (water) leachable, exchangeable, and acid leachable. Two different types of sediments were used while developing the application: lake bottom sediments and tsunami deposits. Both types of the sediments samples (5–20?mg) were placed directly in the reaction vessel and after in-situ extraction the determination of the metalloids was conducted, what allowed to assess concentration of arsenic and antimony during single analysis. The results obtained from the analyses of both sediments types were compared with the results from traditional off-line extraction. As a result a good correspondence with both hydrochloric acid and phosphatic buffer was found. The methodology of solid samples analysis was developed with detection limits of 50?ng?g^?1 (for As) and 30?ng?g^?1 (for Sb) for 10?mg of a solid sample.     

Comparative phytotoxicity of methylated and inorganic arsenic- and antimony species to Lemna minor, Wolffia arrhiza and Selenastrum capricornutum

The alkylation of metalloids through the transfer of methyl groups is an important factor in the biogeochemical cycling of elements like arsenic and antimony. In the environment, many different organic and inorganic forms of these elements can therefore be found in soils, sediments or organisms. Studies that compare the ecotoxicity of these different chemical species however are rare. Therefore, this study aimed to generate toxicity data on two scarcely studied organic compounds of arsenic and antimony, as well as to compare their toxicity to the inorganic species, which are studied so far to a higher extent, in order to improve the environmental effect assessment of these elements. To this purpose, bioassays were performed in which three different aquatic organisms (the floating water plants Lemna minor and Wolffia arrhiza and the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum) were exposed to a concentration series of 3 different arsenic species (sodium arsenite — As(III), sodium arsenate — As(V), and monomethylarsonous diiodide — MMAs(III)) and three different antimony species (antimony potassium tartrate hydrate — Sb(III), potassium hexahydroxoantimonate — Sb(V), trimethylantimony(V) bromide — TMSb(V). The observed effect concentrations demonstrated that the inorganic (III)- and (V)-valent species of arsenic were clearly more toxic than the corresponding antimony species. The highest overall toxicity has been shown by MMAs(III) followed by the inorganic As(III). The highest toxicity of the three tested antimony species has been observed for TMSb(V). The observed differences in effect levels stress the importance once more that speciation must not be ignored in toxicity studies.