Determination of total and dissolved amount of iron in water samples using catalytic spectrophotometric flow injection analysis

A flow injection spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of dissolved and total amounts of iron in tap and natural water samples. The method for the determination of iron employs a sample acidification step in order to decompose iron hydroxide and iron-complexes into free iron, Fe(III) and Fe(II). The amounts of free iron were detected using a catalytic action of Fe(III) and Fe(II) on the oxidation of N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Increase in absorbance of oxidized product was detected spectrophotometrically at 514 nm. The proposed method allows 0.02 and 0.06 μg l⁻¹ of LOD and LOQ, respectively, with relative standard deviation (RSD) below 2%. The accuracy and the precision of the method were evaluated by the analysis of the standard reference material, river water. The developed method was successfully applied to real water samples.