Automated continuous-flow hydride generation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric detection for the determination of trace amounts of Selenium(IV), and total antimony, arsenic and germanium in sea-water

An automated continuous-flow hydride generation system was developed for the determination of trace amounts of Se-IV and total Sb, As and Ge in sea-water using ICP-R IS detection, Since the same responses can be obtained between the Sb species Sb-V and Sb-III, among the As species As-V, As-III, monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid, and between the Ge species Ge-IV and monomethylgermanium, a single Sb, As and Ge species can be used for calibration, A sensitivity enhancement was observed when methanol was used for matrix modification, Matrix modification was also useful for achieving recoveries close to 100% in recovery tests performed on a sea-water sample. Detection limits of 2.2 ng l(-1) for Sb as Sb-III, 6.5 ng l(-1) for As as As-V, 2.4 ng l(-1) for Ge as Ge-IV and 0.5 ng l(-1) for Se-IV mere obtained. For replicate determinations in both a standard solution and a real sea-mater sample, the repeatabilities were within 7% (as RSD), The proposed method is rapid (15 samples can be analysed per hour) and sufficiently sensitive to allow trace amounts of Se-IV and total Sb, As and Ge to be directly determined in surface sea-water samples taken at a high latitude of the North Pacific Ocean from Japan to Canada.