Evaluation of polychlorotrifluoroethylene as sorbent material for on-line solid phase extraction systems: determination of copper and lead by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in water samples

Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) in the form of beads was applied, as packing material for flow injection on-line column preconcentration and separation systems coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Its performance characteristics were evaluated for trace copper determination in environmental samples. The on-line formed complex of metal with diethyldithiophosphate (DDPA) was sorbed on the PCTFE surface. Isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK) at a flow rate of 2.8 mL min⁻¹ was used to elute the analyte complex directly into the nebulizer-burner system of spectrophotometer. The proposed sorbent material reveal, excellent chemical and mechanical resistance, fast adsorption kinetics permitting the use of high sample flow rates up to 15 mL min⁻¹ without loss of retention efficiency. For copper determination, with 90 s preconcentration time the sample frequency was 30 h⁻¹, the enhancement factor was 250, which could be further improved by increasing the loading (preconcentration) time. The detection limit (3s) was c_L = 0.07 μg L⁻¹, and the precision (R.S.D.) was 1.8%, at the 2.0 μg L⁻¹ Cu(II) level. For lead determination, the detection limit was c_L = 2.7 μg L⁻¹, and the precision (R.S.D.) 2.2%, at the 40.0 μg L⁻¹ Pb(II) level. The accuracy of the developed method was evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials and by recovery measurements on spiked natural water samples.     

流动注射在线离子交换预富集火焰原子吸收光谱法测定水样中微量锰

提出了以732强酸型阳离子树脂作填充材料,流动注射在线离子交换预富集火焰原子吸收光谱法测定水样中微量锰的分析方法。优化了各项化学条件和流路参数等,考察了共存离子的干扰。富集倍数可达24倍,分析速度为15～20样/h,检出限为2.0ng/mL,相对标准偏差为2.8%(n=15)。对雨水加标回收,回收率为97%～103%。     

Further study on a flow injection on-line multiplexed sorption preconcentration coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry for trace element determination

A further study on a newly developed flow injection (FI) on-line multiplexed sorption preconcentration (MSP) using a knotted reactor coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was carried out to demonstrate its applicability and limitation for trace element determination. For this purpose, Cr(VI), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) were selected as the analytes, and detailed comparison was made between the MSP-FAAS and conventional FI on-line sorption preconcentration FAAS in respect to retention efficiency and linear ranges of absorbance versus sample loading flow rate and total preconcentration time. Introduction of an air-flow for removal of the residual solution in the KR after each sub-injection in the MSP procedure played a decisive role in the improvement of retention efficiency. The linearity of absorbance versus sample loading flow rate or total preconcentration time was extended to a more degree for the metal ions with less stability of their PDC (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) complexes than those with more stable PDC complexes. It seems that the MSP procedure behaves advantages beyond the inflection points in the diagrams of absorbance versus total preconcentration time and sample loading flow rate obtained by conventional (a single continuous) preconcentration procedure. With a sample loading flow rate of 6.0 ml min⁻¹ and a total preconcentration time of 180 s, the retention efficiencies were increased from 25, 46, 41 and 63% with a single continuous sorption preconcentration to 44, 78, 65 and 75% with a six sub-injection preconcentration procedure for Cr(VI), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II), respectively. The detection limits were 0.40, 0.33, 0.31 and 0.26 μg l⁻¹ for Cr(VI), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II), respectively. The precision (R.S.D.) for eleven replicate determination of 2 μg l⁻¹ Cr(VI), Co(II) and Ni(II), and 1 μg l⁻¹ Cu(II), was 2.1, 4.1, 2.6 and 1.7%, respectively.     

Solvent impregnated hollow fibre for a selective preconcentration of Pb(II) in an on-line determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A solvent impregnated hollow fibre (SIHF) module has been developed for the preconcentration of lead by using bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) dissolved in kerosene as extractant. The module has been designed for an on-line determination of trace amounts of lead(II) at mg l⁻¹ (ppm) level by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS).

The SIHF system is based on the metal liquid–liquid distribution between aqueous solutions of different acidity and the mentioned organic solution. The highest enrichment factor of Pb(II) was determined at pH=4.0 using a formic acid/formiate buffer solution.

Preconcentration experiments were carried out at low lead(II) concentration (mg l⁻¹ level) by using the SIHF module. This study includes the influence of hydrodynamic and chemical conditions on the loading and elution of Pb(II) on the SIHF, i.e., flow rate through the fibres, acidity of the eluent (as nitric acid concentration) and the chemical nature of the acid used in the elution. Breakthrough curves were determined for different sampling flow rates, 0.54 ml min⁻¹ was selected to minimise the loading volume of Pb(II) sample. 0.1 M nitric acid was chosen as eluent solution, and perchloric acid also shows appropriate elution characteristics. The degree of concentration obtained for Pb(II) are of 10 fold the original concentration. The quantification limit for Pb(II) achieved with this preconcentration system is 0.17 mg l⁻¹.

The results obtained indicate that the SIHF system can be applied for on-line determination of trace amounts of lead(II) by FAAS.     

在线还原富集火焰原子吸收光谱法测定环境水样中Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)的形态

采用单阀双阳离子交换树脂微柱并联，设计了双路采样逆向洗脱在线分离富集系统，该系统与原子吸收测量技术相结合，实现了在线分离富集-火焰原子吸收光谱法同时测定水中Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)，富集1min时，分析速度为60样/h，测定Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)的特征浓度分别为6．08μg/L和11．58μg/L(相当于1％吸收)，线性范围分别为0～1．0μg/mL和0～2．0μg/mL，对质量浓度为100μg/L的Cr(Ⅲ)和Cr(Ⅵ)测定的相对标准偏差分别为2．9％和3．0％、检出限分别为8．70和10．8μg/L。该法对实际水样加标回收率在94．5％～104．3％之间。     

Determination of chromium(VI) and lead in water samples by on-line sorption preconcentration coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry using a PCTFE-beads packed column

A new time-based flow injection on-line solid phase extraction method for chromium(VI) and lead determination using flame atomic absorption spectrometry was developed. The use of hydrophobic poly-chlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE)-beads as absorbent in on-line preconcentration system was evaluated. Effective formation of ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate complexes and subsequently retention in PCTFE packed column, was achieved in pH range 1.0-1.6 and 1.5-3.2 for Cr(VI) and Pb(II) ions, respectively. The sorbed analyte was efficiently eluted with isobutyl-methyl-ketone for on-line FAAS determination. The proposed packing material exhibited excellent chemical and mechanical resistance, fast kinetics for adsorption of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) permitting the use of high sample flow rates at least up to 15 mL min⁻¹ without loss of retention efficiency. For a preconcentration time of 90 s, the sample frequency was 30 h⁻¹, the enhancement factor was 94 and 220, the detection limit was 0.4 and 1.2 μg L⁻¹, while the precision (R.S.D.) was 1.8% (at 5 μg L⁻¹) and 2.1% (at 30 μg L⁻¹) for chromium(VI) and lead, respectively. The applicability and the accuracy of the developed method were estimated by the analysis spiked water samples and certified reference material NIST-CRM 1643d (Trace elements in water) and NIST-SRM 2109 (chromium(VI) speciation in water).     

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of lead in high-purity reagents with flow-injection on-line microcolumn preconcentration and separation using a macrocycle immobilized silica gel sorbent

A fully automated procedure for the determination of ng l⁻¹ amounts of lead has been developed using flow injection (FI) online column preconcentration coupled with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The proposed FI manifold and its operation make possible the introduction of the total eluate volume into the graphite atomizer, avoiding the necessity for optimization of subsampling the eluate. The interference of other heavy metal ions due to competition for active sites of the sorbent is overcome using a highly selective macrocycle immobilized on silica gel (Pb-02). Lead is adsorbed on a microcolumn (50 μl) packed with Pb-02, and after washing the column with dilute nitric acid, air is introduced to remove all solution from the column and connecting tubing. The sorbed analyte is then eluted quantitatively into the graphite tube atomizer, preheated to 100°C, with 36 μl of ETDA solution (0.035 mol l⁻¹, pH 10.5), propelled by air in order to minimize dispersion. The collection efficiency was 77% and with a sample loading flow rate of 3 ml min⁻¹ and a 60 s preconcentration time, the enhancement factor was 77 and the throughput was 17 samples per hour. The relative standard deviation (n = 10) at the 300 ng l⁻¹ level was 2.7%, and the detection limit (3σ) was 0.4 ng l⁻¹. No interference from heavy metals was observed, but ions of Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺ and K⁺ were found to interfere when the concentration ratios of interferent to lead exceeded values of 2000, 20 000 and 200 000, respectively. Quantitative recovery of lead was achieved from sodium, magnesium, aluminum, lanthanum and heavy metal salt solutions. The high selectivity and sensitivity, combined with extremely low blank values, make the proposed technique particularly attractive for the analysis of high-purity reagents, semiconductors and other high-purity materials. Results are presented for the determination of lead in some high-purity reagents.     

On-line determination of palladium by flame atomic absorption spectrometry coupled with a separation/preconcentration minicolumn containing a new sorbent

A method was developed for the on-line determination of palladium in complex matrices with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) using Amberlite XAD-16 resin functionalized with 2-[2-(5-thiol-1,3,4-thiadiazolyl)]-azonaphthol (TTAN) reagent. Optimum experimental conditions such as pH of sample, type of eluent, amount of resin, volumes of sample and eluent solution, flow rates of sample and eluent, and effect of interfering ions were established. A 0.1?mol?L^?1 thiourea solution in 0.5?mol?L^?1 HCl was used as the eluent and subsequently transportation the analyte ions into the nebulizer–burner system for atomization. The synthesized chelating resin material showed excellent chemical and mechanical resistance, fast adsorption kinetics permitting the use of high sample flow rates without significant losses of retention efficiency. The detection limit of the method was 1.5?µg?L^?1 while the relative standard deviation (RSD%) was 2.4% at 0.1?mg?L^?1 Pd(II) level. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of palladium in the catalytic converter and water samples.     

Lead ultra-trace on-line preconcentration and determination using selective solid phase extraction and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry: applications in seawaters and biological samples

In this work, a new chelating resin [1,5-bis (2-pyridyl)-3-sulphophenyl methylene] thiocarbonohydrazide immobilised on aminopropyl-controlled pore glass (550 A; PSTH-cpg) was synthesised and packed in a microcolumn which replaced the sample tip of the autosampler arm. The system was applied to the preconcentration of lead. When microliters of 10% HNO3, which acts as elution agent, pass through the microcolumn, the preconcentrated Pb(II) is eluted and directly deposited in a tungsten-rhodium coated graphite tube. With the use of the separation and preconcentration step and the permanent modifiers, the analytical characteristics of the technique were improved. The proposed method has a linear calibration range from 0.012 to 10 ng ml(-1) of lead. At a sample frequency of 36 h(-1) with a 90 s preconcentration time, the enrichment factor was 20.5, the detection and determination limits were 0.012 and 0.14 ng ml(-1), respectively and the precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was 3.2% (at 1 ng ml(-1)). Results from the determination of Pb in biological certified reference materials were in agreement with the certified values. Seawaters and other biological samples were analysed too.     

On-line electrochemical preconcentration and flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of manganese in urine samples

A sensitive and selective method was developed for the determination of traces of manganese in urine using on-line electrochemical preconcentration followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry detection. A home made flow-through polypropylene cell (4.5 cm long × 0.8 cm diameter filled with glass marbles) with an effective inner volume of 0.5 ml containing a working and a counter electrode, both of glassy carbon and a Pt pseudo reference electrode was located in a flow injection manifold specially designed for the purpose of this work. The manganese was deposited from buffer solution of NH₃/NH₄Cl at pH 9.00 through an oxidizing process at a current of 400 mA during 7 min. A flow of HCl 0.1 mol l⁻¹ at 4 ml min⁻¹ through the cell, chemically dissolved the deposit. A small portion (15 μl) of the concentrate was introduced in a continuously flowing system by means of a timing device and was then carried to the detector for the manganese quantification. All electrochemical and spectroscopic variables as well as possible interferences in both systems were systematically studied. The relative standard deviations for ten consecutive measurements of manganese solutions of 2.0 and 20 μg l⁻¹ were of 2.3 and 1.5%, respectively, while for a sample processed five times was less then 5%. The accuracy of the developed procedure was evaluated by adding known amounts of manganese standard to urine samples and following the whole procedure. Recoveries within the range 97.2-102.8% were obtained. To further prove the accuracy, a Seronorm Trace Elements in Urine, Batch 403125 sample with a reported concentration of 13 μg Mn l⁻¹ was also analyzed. The experimental value obtained was of 12.7 ± 0.1 μg l⁻¹, which does not differ significantly from the reported amount (p < 0.05). A preconcentration factor of 40, a linear range between 0.015 and 60 μg l⁻¹ and a limit of detection of 15 ng l⁻¹ permitted the determination of manganese in real urine samples from non-exposed subjects in the range 0.5-2.8 μg l⁻¹.     

The determination of molybdenum in water and biological samples by graphite furnace atomic spectrometry after polyurethane foam column separation and preconcentration

A system for molybdenum separation and enrichment aiming its determination in water and biological samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is proposed. The procedure is based on the sorption of the molybdenum (VI) thiocyanate complex onto a mini-column packed with polyurethane foam (PUF). The elution is accomplished by a 3.0 mol l⁻¹ nitric acid solution. Flow variables were optimized and an enrichment factor of 10 as well as a limit of detection (LOD) (3 s) of 0.08 μg l⁻¹ in the sample solution were achieved. The coefficient of variation showed values of 3 and 2% for molybdenum solutions of 2.0 and 10.0 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by the good concordance between found and certified values in the analysis of certified reference materials (CRMs) (CASS-3 Nearshore Seawater, NIST 1547 Peach Leaves, NIST 1515 Apple Leaves and NIST 1572 Citrus Leaves). The procedure was also applied for the molybdenum determination in mineral waters as well as in produced water samples. The results obtained for the mineral water samples compared well with those obtained by ICP-MS. Concerning the produced water samples, in spite of their large salinity, recoveries of 90 to 120% at the 1 μg l⁻¹ were observed.     

On-line determination of trace levels of palladium by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A preconcentration method is developed for the on-line determination of palladium in complex matrices with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The flow system comprised of a minicolumn filled with polyamine Metalfix-Chelamine resin which is highly selective for Pt(IV), Au(III) and Pd(II). Best preconcentration conditions are established by testing different resin quantities, sample and eluent solution volumes, and adsorption and elution steps flow rates. Sample volumes of 4.7 ml of palladium solutions resulted in an enrichment factor of twenty at the optimum hydrodynamic conditions. This value can be increased by injecting larger volumes of sample solution. The method is sensitive, easy to operate and permitted the determination of sub-mg l⁻¹ levels of palladium with a detection limit of 0.009 mg l⁻¹. The resin was used up to 60 times in consecutive retention-elution cycles without any appreciable deterioration in its performance. The applicability of this method was tested by determining the palladium content in synthetic geological samples as well as in the pellet-type used car catalyst reference material.     

Determination of gold in ore by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with flow-injection on-line sorbent extraction preconcentration

Gold in ores was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry following on-line preconcentration by sorbent extraction in a flow-injection system. The medium polarity adsorption resin Amberlite XAD-8 packed in a 220-μl micro-column was used to collect gold(III) from hydrochloric acid sample solutions for 40 s at 7.6 ml/min. Ethanol was used to elute the adsorbed analytes into the nebulizer. Optimization studies were made on sample loading rate, elution rate and sample acidity. Some possible interferences on the determination are discussed. A 35-fold enrichment was achieved at a sampling frequency of 60 h^?1 and with an RSD of 1.4%. The detection limit (3σ) and 2 μg l^?1. Results for gold in ore samples showed good agreement with those obtained using activated carbon adsorption preconcentration. The recoveries were 97–108%.     

A sensitive method for cadmium determination using an on-line polyurethane foam preconcentration system and thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

A new sensitive and low cost method for cadmium determination at microg l(-1) levels that combines an on-line preconcentration system with the thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry technique (TS-FF-AAS) is described in this work. Cadmium is preconcentrated from an acidic medium (pH 2.0) by forming a complex with ammonium O,O-diethyldithiophosphate (DDTP), which is then adsorbed onto polyurethane foam (PUF). The elution step is performed by using 80% (v/v) ethanol. The effects of the chemical and flow variables associated with the preconcentration were studied, such as the pH of formation of the Cd-DDTP complex, the DDTP concentration, the preconcentration and elution flow rate and the mass of adsorbent. The present method was operated in volume-mode (2 ml) and provided a linear range from 0.4 to 15.0 microg l(-1) with a sample throughput of 16 h(-1). The increase of power detection related to TS-FF-AAS by coupling the preconcentration system was confirmed by the enhancement of sensitivity (ca. 5 times), when compared to the value for TS-FF-AAS alone, thus achieving a low detection limit (0.12 microg l(-1)). The accuracy of the method was confirmed from analyses of spiked water samples and by the use of a reference technique (ETAAS). Certified biological materials were also used for the same purpose.     

Application of Doehlert designs for optimisation of an on-line preconcentration system for copper determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In the present paper, a system for on-line preconcentration and determination of copper by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was developed. It was based on solid phase extraction of copper(II) ions on a minicolumn of Amberlite XAD-2 loaded with 2-(2-thiazolylazo)-5-dimethylaminophenol (TAM). The optimisation process was carried out using Doehlert designs. Four variables (sampling flow rate, SR; elution flow rate, buffer concentration, BC; and pH) were regarded as factors in the optimisation. The parameter “sensitivity efficiency (SE)” proposed in this paper, and defined as the analytical signal obtained for an on-line enrichment system for a preconcentration time of 1 min was used as analytical response in the optimisation process. Using the established experimental conditions, the proposed on-line system allowed determination of copper with detection limit (3σ/S) of 0.23 μg l⁻¹, and a precision (repeatability), calculated as relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 3.9 and 3.7% for copper concentration of 5.00 and 20.00 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The preconcentration factor obtained is 62. The recovery achieved for copper determination in presence of several cations demonstrated that this has enough selectivity for analysis of food samples. The robustness of the proposed system was also evaluated. The accuracy was confirmed by analysis of the following certified reference materials (CRMs): Rice flour NIES 10a, Spinach leaves NIST 1570a, Apples leaves NIST 1515 and Orchard leaves NBS 1571. This procedure was applied for copper determination in natural food samples.     

Dithizone immobilized silica gel on-line preconcentration of trace copper with detection by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A novel adsorbent-silica gel bound dithizone (H₂Dz-SG) was prepared and used as solid-phase extraction of copper from complex matrix. The H₂Dz-SG is investigated by means of FT-IR spectra and the SEM images, demonstrating the bonding of dithizone. The H₂Dz-SG quantitatively adsorb copper ions, and the retained copper is afterwards collected by elution of 10% (v/v) nitric acid. An on-line flow injection solid-phase extraction procedure was developed for trace copper separation and preconcentration with detection by flame atomic spectrometry. By loading 5.4 mL of sample solution, a liner range of 0.5-120 μg L⁻¹, an enrichment factor of 42.6, a detection limit of 0.2 μg L⁻¹ and a precision of 1.7% RSD at the 40 μg L⁻¹ level (n = 11) were obtained, along with a sampling frequency of 47 h⁻¹. The dynamic sorption capacity of H₂Dz-SG to Cu²⁺ was 0.76 mg g⁻¹. The accuracy of the proposed procedure was evaluated by determination of copper in reference water sample. The potential applications of the procedure for extraction of trace copper were successfully accomplished in water samples (tap, rain, snow, sea and river). The spiking recoveries within 91-107% are achieved.     

Determination of trace metals in urine with an on-line ultrasound-assisted digestion system combined with a flow-injection preconcentration manifold coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A flow analysis method with on-line sample digestion/minicolumn preconcentration/flame atomic absorption spectrometry is described for the determination of trace metals in urine. First, urine sample was on-line ultrasound-assisted digested exploiting the stopped-flow mode, and then the metals were preconcentrated passing the pre-treated sample through a minicolumn containing a chelating resin. A home-made minicolumn of commercially available imminodiacetic functional group resin, Chelite Che was used to preconcentrate trace metals (Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni) from urine. The proposed procedure allowed the determination of the metals with detection limits of 0.5, 1.1, 0.8 and 0.8 μg L⁻¹, for Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni, respectively. The precision based on replicate analysis was less than ±10.0%, and the enrichment factor obtained was between 21.3 (Mn) and 44.1 (Ni), for sample volumes between 2.5 and 5.0 mL, and an eluent volume of 110 μL. This procedure was applied for determination of metals in urine of workers exposed to welding fumes and urine of unexposed persons (urine control).     

Ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry for determination of trace cadmium in water samples

The process of ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction (USAEME) was successfully applied for the first time for the extraction and pre-concentration of trace cadmium from water samples, followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). In the proposed approach, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate trihydrate solution (NaDDTC·3H₂O) was used as a chelating agent and carbon tetrachloride was selected as extraction solvent. Some effective parameters on the microextraction and the complex formation were selected and optimized. These parameters included extraction solvent type as well as extraction volume, time, temperature, and pH, the amount of the chelating agent, and salt effect. Under optimum conditions, an enrichment factor of 95 was obtained from only 5.0 mL of water sample. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 10-600 μg L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.91 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D) for ten replicate measurements of 50 and 500 μg L⁻¹ of cadmium were 2.56 and 1.62%. This proposed method was successfully applied in the analysis of four real environmental water samples and good spiked recoveries over the range of 96.5-101.7% were obtained.     

Modified mesoporous silica materials for on-line separation and preconcentration of hexavalent chromium using a microcolumn coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica material NH₂-SBA-15 was synthesized successfully by grafting γ-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane. The material was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared/Raman (FT-IR/Raman) spectroscopy, and used for the first time in a flow injection on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) to detect trace Cr (VI). Effective sorption of Cr (VI) was achieved at pH 2.0 with no interference from Cr (III) and other ions and 0.5 mol L⁻¹ NH₃·H₂O solution was found optimal for the complete elution of Cr (VI). An enrichment factor of 44 and was achieved under optimized experimental conditions at a sample loading of 2.0 mL min⁻¹ sample loading (300 s) and an elution flow rate of 2.0 mL min⁻¹ (24 s). The precision of the 11 replicate Cr (VI) measurements was 2.1% at the 100 μg L⁻¹ level with a detection limit of 0.2 μg L⁻¹ (3 s, n = 10) using the FAAS. The developed method was successfully applied to trace chromium determination in waste water. The accuracy was validated using a certified reference material of riverine water (GBW08607).     

Use of modified rice husks as a natural solid adsorbent of trace metals: characterisation and development of an on-line preconcentration system for cadmium and lead determination by FAAS

The use of rice husks as an alternative adsorbent in an on-line preconcentration system for Cd (II) and Pb (II) determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is described. The potential of rice husks as a natural adsorbent was evaluated as a material modified with 0.75 mol l⁻¹ NaOH solution and in the unmodified form. For this task, several techniques such as spectroscopy and thermogravimetry were used for elucidation of possible functional groups responsible for the uptake of Cd (II) and Pb (II). Furthermore, based on adsorption studies and adsorption isotherms applied to the Langmüir model, it was possible to verify that modified rice husks present a higher adsorption capacity for both metals. After establishing this material as a promising natural adsorbent, it was used for on-line preconcentration of Cd (II) and Pb (II) metals. The multivariate optimisation of chemical and flow variables was performed by using a full factorial design (2⁴) including the following factors: preconcentration time, preconcentration flow rate, concentration and volume of eluent. The optimum pH values used for on-line preconcentration were taken from prior univariate experiments. Under optimised conditions for Cd (II) determination (4 min of preconcentration at a 6 ml min⁻¹ preconcentration flow rate, in which comprises 24 ml of preconcentration volume, 200 μl elution volume and 1.0 mol l⁻¹ HNO₃ solution as eluent), the system achieved a detection limit of 1.14 μg l⁻¹ and an enrichment factor of 72.4. Similar conditions were used for Pb (II) determination (4 min of preconcentration, 6 ml min⁻¹ preconcentration flow rate, 300 μl elution volume and 1.0 mol l⁻¹ HNO₃ solution as eluent) from which a detection limit of 14.1 μg l⁻¹ and enrichment factor of 46.0 were achieved. Also, rice husks have been shown to be a homogeneous and stable adsorbent in which more than 100 preconcentration/elution cycles provide a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 6.0% on the analytical signal. The satisfactory accuracy of the method developed was obtained by using spiked water samples (mineral water and lake water) and spiked red wine samples. These values were confirmed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The certified reference material [pig kidney (CRM 186)] and the reference material [beech leaves (CRM 100)] were also used.