| Abstract: | We describe an optimization approach to determine simultaneously occurring chelating agents (glycine, malonic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, DL‐malic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in an electroplating effluent using high‐performance liquid chromatography. With chromatography signal area and overall resolution considered as responses, detection conditions were optimized via multiple functions combined with response surface methodology and Plackett–Burman design. Optimized detection conditions were as follows: 15 mmol/L ammonium phosphate buffer (pH 2.5), a 94:6 v/v ratio of ammonium phosphate buffer/acetonitrile, a column temperature of 23.3°C, and a mobile phase flow rate of 1 mL/min. The experimental values conformed to the predicted values and were repeatable (relative standard deviation < 6.4%) and linear (r2 > 0.991) over concentration ranges of 1–100 µmol/L. Moreover, the quantification limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 10) and the detection limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 3) ranged from 0.03 to 0.15 µmol/L and from 0.01 to 0.04 µmol/L, respectively. These results indicate that high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with statistical design may be a simple and rapid method for simultaneously determining multiple chelating agents in electroplating wastewater effectively. |
