Antimony in Drinking Water, Red Blood Cells, and Serum: Development of Analytical Methodology Using Transversely Heated Graphite Furnace Atomization-Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 431 - 435
• Main Authors: Subramanian, K. S., Poon, R., Chu, I., Connor, J. W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.05.1997; Berlin Springer Nature B.V; New York, NY
• Subjects: Absorption; Animals; Antimony; Antimony - analysis; Antimony - metabolism; Antimony Potassium Tartrate - administration & dosage; Atomic absorption spectroscopy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood Chemical Analysis; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Drinking water; Erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - chemistry; Female; Graphite; Leachates; Magnesium; Male; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Nitric acid; Palladium; Rats; Reproducibility of Results; Spectral analysis; Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry, Atomic - methods; Toxicology; Water - chemistry; Water analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution, Chemical - analysis; Water sampling; Drinking water; Biological fluid; Chemical analysis; Graphite furnace; Red blood cell; Antimony; Thermoelectric atomization; Serum; Blood; Quantitative analysis; Atomic absorption spectrometry
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s002449900209

An atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) method has been developed for determining microg/L levels of Sb in samples of water and blood. The AAS method is based on the concept of stabilized temperature platform furnace atomization (STPF) realized through the use of a transversely heated graphite atomizer (THGA) furnace, longitudinal Zeeman-effect background correction, and matrix modification with palladium nitrate-magnesium nitrate-nitric acid. The method of standard additions is not mandatory. The detection limit (3 standard deviations of the blank) is 2.6 microg Sb/L for the water, red blood cells (RBCs), and serum samples. Data are presented on the degree of accuracy and precision. The THGA-AAS method is simple, fast, and contamination-free because the entire operation from sampling to AAS measurement is carried out in the same tube. The method has been applied to the determination of Sb in some leachate tap water samples derived from a static copper plumbing system containing Sn/Sb solders, and in small samples (0.5 ml) of RBCs and serum derived from rats given Sb-supplemented drinking water.