Synthetic zeolites as sorbent material for on-line preconcentration of copper traces and its determination using flame atomic absorption spectrometry

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta Vol. 403; no. 1; pp. 249 - 258
• Main Authors: Peña, Yaneira Petit de, López, Wilmer, Burguera, José Luis, Burguera, Marcela, Gallignani, Máximo, Brunetto, Rosario, Carrero, Pablo, Rondon, Carlos, Imbert, Freddy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.01.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Applied sciences; Atomic absorption spectroscopy; Chemistry; Copper; Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination; Exact sciences and technology; Flow injection; On-line preconcentration; Pollution; Spectrometric and optical methods; Synthetic zeolites; Water treatment and pollution; Venezuela; Synthetic zeolites; On-line preconcentration; Atomic absorption spectroscopy; Copper; Flow injection; Trace analysis; Chemical analysis; Liquid solid adsorption; Organic dithiocarbamate; Interelement effect; Organic ligand; Transition metal Complexes; Zeolite; Tap water; Copper Complexes; Flame spectrometry; Molecular sieve; Environmental control; Chemical enrichment; Preconcentration; Water pollution; Atomic absorption spectrometry
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/S0003-2670(99)00566-8

This work assesses for the first time the potential of synthetic zeolites as adsorptive material for the preconcentration of copper traces. This involves the formation of a copper chelate, its adsorption on sodium lynde Type A (Na-LTA) and sodium faujasite Type X (Na-Fau) synthetic zeolite minicolumns, and its elution with 300 μl of methyl isobutyl ketone. Using 5–80 mg of either sorbents materials with a loading time of 2 min per sample preconcentration factors of copper ranging from 35–125 for Na-LTA and 30–65 for Na-Fau were readily achieved related to the direct introduction of aqueous solutions into an atomic absorption spectrometer. To evaluate the performance of these materials, a flow injection system was used for samples of water from different sources, and the accuracy was assessed through recovery experiments and the analysis of certified reference materials. A parallel experiment was performed with polygosyl bonded silica reversed-phase sorbent with octadecyl functional groups (RP-C 18) as sorbent in the minicolumn in order to study the performance of this well-known material as a reference for the new sorbents. The 3 σ detection limits, relative standard deviation and linear calibration graphs were, respectively, 0.1 ng ml −1, 2.6% and 2.5–30 ng ml −1 for Na-LTA and 0.4 ng ml −1, 2.8% and 2.5–40 ng ml −1 for Na-Fau for preconcentration times of 2 min.