Solid Phase Extraction Method for Separation and Pre-concentration of Thallium in Water Samples Using a Novel Adsorbent

In this study, a new and simple column-mode separation method has been proposed for the pre-concentration and removal of trace amounts of thallium(III) (Tl) from water samples. The procedure was based on sorption of Tl(III) ions by a solid phase extraction column filled with 4-[(2-hydroxy, 3-methoxy benzylidine)4-amino]1,2,4-treeazol-5-thione on microcrystalline naphthalene. The determination was performed directly using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) method. The main factors affecting the extraction recovery were investigated and optimized. The interference effect of various ions on the determination of Tl(III) was also studied. In optimum conditions, the precision of the proposed method for sample solutions containing 0.2 μg/mL of Tl(III) was 2.0%, and the enrichment factor was found to be 35. The proposed method was evaluated and employed for pre-concentration and removal of Tl(III) from spiked natural (Tap and well) and industrial water samples.

Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination of Trace Amounts of Silver after Solid-Phase Extraction with 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole Immobilized on Microcrystalline Naphthalene

A simple and sensitive solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was designed for the extraction and determination of trace amounts of silver. A column of immobilized 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) on microcrystalline naphthalene was used as the sorbent. Silver was quantitatively retained on the column in the pH range of 0.5–6.0. After extraction, the solid mass consisting of silver complex and naphthalene was dissolved out of the column with 5.0 mL of dimethylformamide, and the analyte was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Under the optimum experimental conditions, the adsorption capacity was found to be 1.18 mg of silver per gram of the sorbent. A sample volume of 800 mL resulted in a preconcentration factor of 160. The relative standard deviation obtained for ten replicate determinations at a concentration of 0.8 µg L−1was 1.4%, and the limit of detection was 0.02 µg L−1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of silver in radiology film, waste water, and natural water samples. The accuracy was examined by recovery experiments, independent analysis by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, and analysis of two certified reference materials.