Determination of Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy or flame atomic absorption spectrometry after on-line preconcentration and solvent extraction by flow injection system

The concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in natural and sea waters are too low to be directly determined with by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) or graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Specific sample preparations are requested that make possible the determination of these analytes by preconcentration or extraction. These techniques are affected by severe problems of sample contamination. In this work Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) or by atomic absorption spectrometry, in fresh and seawater samples, after on-line preconcentration and following solvent elution with a flow injection system. Bonded silica with octadecyl functional group C-18, packed in a microcolumn of 100-mu l capacity, was used to collect diethyldithiocarbamate complexes of the heavy metals in aqueous solutions. The metals are complexed with a chelating agent, adsorbed on the C-18 column, and eluted with methanol directly in the flow injection system. The methanolic stream can be addressed to FAAS for direct determination of Cu, Ni, and Zn, or collected in a vial for successive analysis by GFAAS. The eluted samples can be also dried in a vacuum container and restored to a little volume with concentrated HNO3 and Mili-Q water for analysis by ICP-MS or GFAAS. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.