Suspended droplet solvent microextraction-flame atomic absorption spectrometry (SDSME-FAAS) determination of trace amounts of copper in river and sea water samples

A simple and sensitive suspended droplet solvent microextraction (SDSME) method is proposed for the preconcentration and determination of copper by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The analytical procedure is based upon the formation of a complex between Cu(II) and 1-phenyl-1,2-propandione-2-oxime-thiosemicarbazone (PPDOT) as a complexing agent. After extraction of the complex by 1-octanol, copper concentration in the solvent drop was determined by FAAS. The effect of different parameters such as pH, PPDOT concentration, kind of buffer, kind and volume of organic solvent, volume of aqueous phase, extraction time, stirring rate of sample solution, temperature, and ionic strength were investigated. The effect of foreign ions on the determination was also studied. Under the optimized chemical and instrumental conditions, a linear calibration curve was achieved in the range of 0.0050–0.26 mg/L, with the limit of detection of 3 μg/L and the enrichment factor of 52.6. This method can be applied successfully to the determination of copper in water samples.