Flow injection spectrophotometric determination of ultra trace amounts of oxalic acid

A new simple, sensitive and rapid catalytic-spectrophotometric method for the determination of oxalic acid has been described based on its catalytic effect on the redox reaction between dichromate and Brilliant cresyl blue in acidic media by means of a flow injection analysis method. The color change of Brilliant cresyl blue due to its oxidation was monitored spectrophotometrically at 625 nm. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.020–4.70 μg/mL oxalic acid with a limit of detection 0.005 μg/mL of oxalic acid. The relative standard deviation for ten replicate measurements of 0.020 μg/mL and 0.900 μg/mL was 2.2% and 1.7%, respectively. No serious interference was identified. Oxalic acid was determined in wastewater and in spinach by the proposed method with satisfactory results. Received: 28 October 1999 / Revised: 13 January 2000 / /Accepted: 20 January 2000