Solid Phase Extractive Preconcentration of Cobalt and Nickel in Hair Samples Using Ethyl Xanthate Modified Benzophenone

The ethyl xanthate complexes of cobalt and nickel are quantitatively retained on benzophenone in the pH range of 8.0–10.0. The solid mixture consisting of metal complex together with benzophenone is dissolved in 5mL of dimethyl formamide, and the cobalt and nickel contents were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The calibration graphs are rectilinear over the concentration range of 0–75 (Co) and 0–100 (Ni) µgL^–1. The detection limits of flame AAS for cobalt and nickel are lowered by a factor of 200 due to the solid phase extraction preconcentration procedure. NIES CRM Human Hair No. 5 and IAEA Reference Hair HH-1 certified reference materials were used in order to verify the accuracy of the developed preconcentration method in analysing human hair samples. The results obtained were found to be in excellent agreement with certified values. Furthermore, hair samples collected from various inhabitants of different age groups and sex living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were successfully analysed by flame AAS in conjunction with the solid phase extraction preconcentration procedure developed for cobalt and nickel.     

Determination of arsenic in scalp hair samples from exposed subjects using microwave-assisted digestion with and without enrichment based on cloud point extraction by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and rapid cloud point extraction (CPE) procedure was applied for preconcentration of trace quantities of arsenic (As) in scalp hair samples. The samples were subjected to microwave-assisted digestion in a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide (2 + 1, v/v) prior to preconcentration by CPE. The As in digested samples was complexed with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC), and the resultant As-PDC complex was extracted by a nonionic surfactant, octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114). After centrifugation, the surfactant-rich phase was diluted with 0.1 M HNO3 in methanol and analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The experimental parameters, i.e., amount of APDC, concentration of Triton X-114, equilibrium temperature and time, were optimized. For validation of the proposed method, a certified reference material (CRM) of human hair (BCR 397) was used. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed between the experimental results and certified values of the CRM (paired t-test). The LOD and LOQ obtained under the optimal conditions were 0.025 and 0.083 microg/kg, respectively. The developed method was applied for the determination of As in scalp hair samples from male and female subjects of two villages of Khairpur Mir's, Pakistan.     

Determination of As,Cd, Hg,Cu and Zn in biological samples by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

In this work, a simple group separation scheme based on extraction for NAA determination of trace of As, Cd, Hg, Cu and Zn in biological materials is described. For this purpose, zinc-diethyldithiocarbamate, Zn(DDC)₂, and methyl isobutyl ketone-iodide have been chosen as reagents. The elements can be extracted successively and quantitatively from strong mineral acids without adjusting pH of the solution, and separated into two groups suitable for gamma-ray spectrometry. Samples of 100–200 mg dry weight were double-sealed into polyethylene bags and irradiated in a swimming pool reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 10¹³n·cm^–2·s^–1 for 44 hours. After a cooling period of 1–3 days, the samples were digested with microgram quantities of carrier in concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid at 150°C for 3.5 hours in a teflon bomb, then extracted as described above. The reliability of the analytical method was checked using reference materials Horse Kidney IAEA H-8, Human Hair NIES-5 and Tomato Leaves NBS-1573. Most of the results obtained for reference materials agreed with the certified values¹². Chinese autopsy samples of hair and liver were presented.     

Microwave-assisted double insert vapour-phase digestion of organic samples

A microwave-assisted double insert multimode vapour-phase digestion method was developed for the digestion of organic samples. The experimental set-up was based on a third generation-type teflon microwave vessel, equipped with an automatic pressure regulating type vessel cover. A borosilicate glass holder insert, containing a smaller quartz sample insert, was fitted inside the vessel. Sulphuric acid was added to the holder insert as a microwave absorbing and temperature transferring liquid, which transferred heat to the sample insert (into which the sample was weighed) and charred the sample material. Oxidation of the sample material was carried out simultaneously with charring using nitric acid vapour, which was generated by the 1:1 (v/v) sulphuric acid-nitric acid mixture located in the bottom of the microwave vessel. This set-up generated high digestion efficiency, without any of the interferences normally associated with direct sulphuric acid usage. The method was used for determining the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Zn and Fe in certified organic reference materials using ICP-OES instrumentation. The certified organic reference materials were NRCC DOLT-2 dogfish liver, NIST-SRM 1577b bovine liver and IRMM VDA cadmium in polyethylene No. 001 and No. 004. The results were in good agreement with the certified values, forepart from Cd. For Cd the results were lower than the certified values due to volatilization losses. Sample materials that could not be digested by an earlier procedure were completely digested during a single-step, 30 min digestion. The tested sample materials included certified reference materials, 3-nitrobenzoic acid (3-NBA) and pike (Esox lucius) muscle. The residual carbon concentrations in the digestion solutions were below the detection limit of the TOC instrument. This type of digestion method is described here for the first time in the literature.     

Optimization of microwave digestion for mercury determination in marine biological samples by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry

Optimization of acid digestion method for mercury determination in marine biological samples (dolphin liver, fish and mussel tissues) using a closed vessel microwave sample preparation is presented. Five digestion procedures with different acid mixtures were investigated: the best results were obtained when the microwave-assisted digestion was based on sample dissolution with HNO3-H2SO4-K2Cr2O7 mixture. A comparison between microwave digestion and conventional reflux digestion shows there are considerable losses of mercury in the open digestion system. The microwave digestion method has been tested satisfactorily using two certified reference materials. Analytical results show a good agreement with certified values. The microwave digestion proved to be a reliable and rapid method for decomposition of biological samples in mercury determination.     

Simultanbestimmung von Si, Mn, P, Cu, Al, Ni, Cr, Mo, V, Ti, Co und As in St?hlen mit ICP-AES

Summary A universal method for quantitative analysis of twelve elements in low-alloy steels is described. The samples are digested in a mixture of sulfuric-/nitric acid/ammonium peroxodisulfate. Si, Mn, P, Cu, Al, Ni, Cr, Mo, V, Ti, Co, As are determined in solution by ICP-AES. The procedure was tested with NBS and BCS reference samples. The analytical results are in good agreement with the certified values. With slight modifications, the method is applicable to the analysis of high-alloy steel samples.     

Determination of cadmium and lead in biological samples by three ultrasonic-based samples treatment procedures followed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The development of 3 different ultrasonic-based sample treatment methods, ultrasonic probe-assisted acid extraction, ultrasonic-assisted acid slurry, and ultrasonic-assisted acid pseudodigestion is presented. These methods were compared for the determination of Cd and Pb by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry in biological samples (blood and scalp hair) and validated by using certified materials BCR 397 human hair and BCR 185R bovine liver. The sample amounts chosen to perform the analysis were 100 mg and 0.5 mL for solids (human hair and bovine liver) and blood samples, respectively. An acid digestion induced by microwave energy was used to obtain the total metal concentrations and for comparative purposes. The best results were obtained with the ultrasonic-assisted acid pseudodigestion, with which it was possible to perform accurate and precise determination of the Cd and Pb contents in 2 certified reference materials and biological samples of 50 normal males of ages 25-40 years. The precision of the methods, together with their efficiency, rapidity, low cost, and environmental acceptability, make them good alternatives for the determination of trace metals from biological samples. The precision of the methods for accuracy evaluation, resulting in good agreement according to the t-test for a 95% confidence level, and the relative standard deviations were lower than 10% (n=10) for all determinations.     

石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定地质样品中的痕量金

用活性炭吸附,于5％盐酸溶液中用甲基异丁基酮(MIBK)萃取金,采用斜坡升温和热解涂层石墨管技术进行地质样品中痕量金的石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定,检出限为0．1ng/g。用该方法对标准物质进行测定,结果与标准值相符,测定结果的相对标准偏差为2．0％～6、9％(n=6)。     

Determination of the enantiomeric purity of amphetamine after derivatization with Sanger’s reagent (2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene [DNFB]) by simultaneous dual circular dichroism and ultraviolet spectroscopy

Determination of Se in biological materials was attempted by microwave-induced plasma mass spectrometry (MIP-MS). (1) Serum samples were available after 10 times dilution with 0.5% nitric acid solution containing 0.1% Triton X-100. When oxygen gas was inserted into the plasma gas (nitrogen) in order to improve the combustion, the sensitivity was reduced to 45%. The detection limit of this method was 0.5 ng/mL. (2) Standard reference materials on commercial base were used to evaluate the accuracy of the Se determination by MIP-MS after microwave digestion. In samples like bovine liver and human hair with Se concentrations of more than 0.7 μg/g, the standard curve method after internal standard (IS) correction was acceptable. This procedure was unsuitable for samples with low Se concentrations such as milk powder (certified value of Se 0.11 μg/g), or plant leaf samples. (3) Instead of IS correction, the peak height of the spectrum was used for calculations from the matrix matched calibration curve. The results of all materials were close to the certified values, even at 25 ng/g. The detection limit of the MIP-MS with microwave digestion and IS correction was 0.05 ng/mL in standard solutions. The detection limit of the peak height method was 0.1 ng/mL and was estimated to be < 20 ng/g in plant materials.     

HG-ICP-MS同时测定生物样品中痕量As,Se,Hg

以HNO3为介质,采用自行研制的二级气液分离器代替易消耗的膜分离器,在优化的实验条件下,采用HG-ICP-MS实现了As,Se,Hg的同时测定,分别获得了0.022,0.016,0.009 ngmL的检出限。实验研究了二级气液分离器中的气液分离行为、样品酸度、NaBH4质量浓度和引入方式等因素对测定灵敏度和精密度的影响。实验的结果表明,HG-ICP-MS同时测定As,Se,Hg的主要干扰来自于Fe,cu等过渡金属离子,样品溶液中抗坏血酸-硫脲的加入可以掩蔽这些离子的干扰。利用所建立的方法测定了人发、灌木叶和大米粉标样中痕量的As,Se,Hg,结果与标准参考值相符。     

Determination of Ga, Ge, As, Se and Sb in fly ash samples by ultrasonic slurry sampling electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Ultrasonic slurry sampling electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (USS-ETV-ICP-MS) has been applied to determine Ga, Ge, As, Se and Sb in fly ash samples. The influences of instrument operating conditions and slurry preparation on the ion signals were reported. Pd and ascorbic acid were used as the mixed modifiers to enhance the ion signals. This method has been applied to determine Ga, Ge, As, Se and Sb in NIST SRM 1633a and 1633b coal fly ash reference materials and a fly ash sample collected locally. Since the sensitivities of the elements studied in slurry solution and aqueous solution were different slightly, analyte addition technique was used for the determination of Ga, Ge, As, Se and Sb in these samples. The As and Se analysis results of the reference materials agreed with the certified values. The results for which no certified value was available were also found to be in good agreement between the ETV-ICP-MS results and the reference values. The reference value was obtained by digesting the samples and analyzing the digested sample solutions by pneumatic nebulization Dynamic Reaction Cell™ (DRC) ICP-MS. The method detection limits estimated from analyte addition curves were about 0.23, 0.13, 0.17, 0.25 and 0.11 μg g⁻¹ for Ga, Ge, As, Se and Sb, respectively, in original fly ash samples.     

Determination of the enantiomeric purity of amphetamine after derivatization with Sanger’s reagent (2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene [DNFB]) by simultaneous dual circular dichroism and ultraviolet spectroscopy

Determination of Se in biological materials was attempted by microwave-induced plasma mass spectrometry (MIP-MS). (1) Serum samples were available after 10 times dilution with 0.5% nitric acid solution containing 0.1% Triton X-100. When oxygen gas was inserted into the plasma gas (nitrogen) in order to improve the combustion, the sensitivity was reduced to 45%. The detection limit of this method was 0.5 ng/mL. (2) Standard reference materials on commercial base were used to evaluate the accuracy of the Se determination by MIP-MS after microwave digestion. In samples like bovine liver and human hair with Se concentrations of more than 0.7 μg/g, the standard curve method after internal standard (IS) correction was acceptable. This procedure was unsuitable for samples with low Se concentrations such as milk powder (certified value of Se 0.11 μg/g), or plant leaf samples. (3) Instead of IS correction, the peak height of the spectrum was used for calculations from the matrix matched calibration curve. The results of all materials were close to the certified values, even at 25 ng/g. The detection limit of the MIP-MS with microwave digestion and IS correction was 0.05 ng/mL in standard solutions. The detection limit of the peak height method was 0.1 ng/mL and was estimated to be < 20 ng/g in plant materials. Received: 25 September 1998 / Revised: 15 February 1999 / Accepted: 18 February 1999     

ICP-AES法同时测定锰矿石中铁、铝、钛、钙、镁、磷、钡、铅的含量

锰矿石样品用HNO3-HF-HClO4酸溶除硅后,对采用ICP-AES法测定其中的铁、铝、钛、钙、镁、磷时,同时测定钡、铅的相关条件进行了试验。主要对酸溶样能否分解重晶石或天青石等含钡矿物进行了探讨,测定了3个国家级标准样品。测定结果与标准值吻合。用标准加入法测得的钡和铅的回收率分别为96．0％-100．5％,97．1％～100．0％。用该法对含钡量较高的澳大利亚锰矿进行分析,测定结果的相对标准偏差为0-82％,并将测定结果与X荧光光谱法测定结果进行了比对。     

Comparison of NAA and ICP-MS for the determination of major and trace elements in environmental sample

Summary Major and trace elements in soil and plant samples, including standard reference materials were determined by means of neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The analytical procedure for NAA utilized dried powder samples. The concentration of iodine in soil samples was determined by radiochemical NAA. The irradiated samples were cooled and then counted with a Ge gamma-ray detector connected to a multi-channel analyzer. For ICP-MS analysis, the samples were decomposed by microwave digestion with an acid mixture. The concentration of I in the soil samples was measured by ICP-MS after separation by ignition. The analytical values for most elements in the environmental samples by both methods were in good agreement, whereas sample treatments were different. Measured value of Zr in the soil samples by ICP-MS was about 50% lower than that by NAA. It should be assumed that some minerals of Zr in soil particles were not entirely dissolved by the acid mixture. Analytical results of Cd for three different Cd levels in unpolished rice flour samples (NIES 10-a, b and c) determined by ICP-MS were in agreement with certified values. The concentration of Cd in the sample with the lowest Cd level, as determined by NAA with 57% counting error, was 3 times higher than the certified value.     

Determination of Hg,Cd, Mn,Pb and Sn in seafood by solid sampling Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry

Direct solid sampling Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometric methods were developed and applied to the determination of mercury, cadmium, manganese, lead and tin in seafood. All elements but mercury were measured by a third generation Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry combined with an automatic solid sampler. In 3-field- and dynamic mode the calibrations concentration range was substantially extended and high amounts of analyte were detectable without laborious dilution of solid samples. The measurements were based on calibrations using certified reference materials of organic matrices. In case solid certified reference materials were not available calibration by aqueous standard solutions was proved to be an alternative. No matrix effects were observed under the optimized conditions. Results obtained were in good agreement with the certified values. Solid sampling Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry proved to be a reliable, rapid and low-cost method for the control of trace elements in seafood.     

Comparison of the acid combinations in microwave-assisted digestion of marine sediments for heavy metal analyses.

Sediments as a tool for monitoring contamination by heavy metals in the environment has long been considered. It is therefore a necessity to produce reliable data for such purposes. Microwave-assisted acid dissolution has proved to be a suitable method for digesting complex matrices, such as sediments. However, due to the infancy of the technique, the procedures are numerous and varied in both the reagents used and microwave conditions. In this study, the efficiency of two recommended acid mixtures, a HNO3-HF mixture and an aqua regia-HF mixture, under the same microwave digestion conditions were compared using certified reference materials. It was observed that the HNO3-HF mixture showed better efficiency than the aqua regia-HF mixture in most of the heavy metals analyzed in all certified reference materials used.     

Solid phase extraction of Cd(II), Pb(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) from food samples using multiwalled carbon nanotubes impregnated with 4-(2-thiazolylazo)resorcinol

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were impregnated with 4-(2-thiazolylazo)resorcinol and used for the separation and preconcentration of Cd(II), Pb(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) ions from food samples. The analytes were quantitatively recovered at pH 7.0 and eluted with 3?mol?L^?1 acetic acid. The effects of pH value, flow rate, eluent type and sample volume on the recoveries, and the effects of alkali, earth alkali and transition metals on the retention of the analytes were studied. The method was validated using the standard certified reference materials SRM 1570A (spinach leaves) and IAEA 336 (lichen), and the results were found to be compatible with the certified values of reference materials. The new enrichment procedure was applied to the determination of these ions in various food samples.

Multielemental analysis in small amounts of environmental reference materials with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The lowest possible sample weight for performing multielemental trace element analysis on environmental and biological samples by ICP-MS has been investigated. The certified reference materials Bovine Liver NIST SRM 1577b, Human Hair NCS DC 73347 and Oriental Tobacco Leaves CTA-OTL-1 were applied at sample weights (1, 5, 20 and 50 mg aliquots, n = 10) which were significantly lower than those recommended with most recoveries in the range of 95-110%. Samples were digested in a mixture of nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen fluoride by closed-vessel microwave digestion. Multielemental analysis was performed with an optimized ICP-QMS method. Aqueous standard solutions were applied for external calibration with rhodium as the internal standard element. The detection limits varied between 0.02-0.38 microg/g for Li, Na, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba and Pb, and up to 1.92 microg/g for Mg, Al, Ca, Fe and Ni. Digested human plasma samples were spiked with multielemental solution (0.5-10 microg/L) to test the analytical method and the recoveries were 95-105% for most analytes. Our results show that in the case of homogeneous SRMs it is possible to use them in very low amounts (1-5 mg) for method development and quality control.     

Multielemental analysis in small amounts of environmental reference materials with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The lowest possible sample weight for performing multielemental trace element analysis on environmental and biological samples by ICP-MS has been investigated. The certified reference materials Bovine Liver NIST SRM 1577b, Human Hair NCS DC 73347 and Oriental Tobacco Leaves CTA-OTL-1 were applied at sample weights (1, 5, 20 and 50 mg aliquots, n = 10) which were significantly lower than those recommended with most recoveries in the range of 95–110%. Samples were digested in a mixture of nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen fluoride by closed-vessel microwave digestion. Multielemental analysis was performed with an optimized ICP-QMS method. Aqueous standard solutions were applied for external calibration with rhodium as the internal standard element. The detection limits varied between 0.02–¶0.38 μg/g for Li, Na, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba and Pb, and up to 1.92 μg/g for Mg, Al, Ca, Fe and Ni. Digested human plasma samples were spiked with multielemental solution (0.5–10 μg/L) to test the analytical method and the recoveries were 95–105% for most analytes. Our results show that in the case of homogeneous SRMs it is possible to use them in very low amounts (1–5 mg) for method development and quality control.     

Metrological effectiveness of an analytical method for volatile organic compounds standard materials using post-column reaction GC/FID system

The metrological effectiveness of an analytical method using the post-column reaction GC/FID system was evaluated. The SI-traceable certified reference material (CRM), the eight ester phthalates mixture standard solution, was used as a sample. We assigned specific value to n-eicosane and it was used as an internal standard. A known quantity of n-eicosane was added to the CRM, and the mixture was measured with the post-column reaction GC/FID system. Six phthalate esters were chromatographically separated and determined. The assigned values by our system are in good agreement with the certified values of the CRM, and the combined uncertainties of the measurements by the present system were better than those of the CRM. Our method is classified as a primary ratio method and the specific values of many organic compounds can be assigned very precisely by using a small number of reference materials. Also, the method can make it possible to avoid the purity determination of raw materials and directly to assign their specific values after the preparation of the standard mixture. Conclusively, this post-column reaction GC/FID system is very effective for the chemical metrology.