Monitoring of selenium in water samples using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by iridium-modified tube graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Solid phase extraction for the speciation and preconcentration of inorganic selenium in water samples: a review

Selenium is an essential element for the normal cellular function of living organisms. However, selenium is toxic at concentrations of only three to five times higher than the essential concentration. The inorganic forms (mainly selenite and selenate) present in environmental water generally exhibit higher toxicity (up to 40 times) than organic forms. Therefore, the determination of low levels of different inorganic selenium species in water is an analytical challenge. Solid-phase extraction has been used as a separation and/or preconcentration technique prior to the determination of selenium species due to the need for accurate measurements for Se species in water at extremely low levels. The present paper provides a critical review of the published methods for inorganic selenium speciation in water samples using solid phase extraction as a preconcentration procedure. On the basis of more than 75 references, the different speciation strategies used for this task have been highlighted and classified. The solid-phase extraction sorbents and the performance and analytical characteristics of the developed methods for Se speciation are also discussed.

Nonchromatographic speciation of selenium in edible oils using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A methodology for the nonchromatographic separation of the main selenium species present in edible oils is presented. Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction is used to extract inorganic selenium (iSe), seleno-L-cystine (SeCys₂), seleno-L-methionine (SeMet), and selenocystamine (SeCM) into a slightly acidic aqueous medium. The selenium total (tSe) content is measured in the extracts by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. By repeating the microextraction stage using an ionic liquid instead of water, the sum of SeCys₂, SeMet, and SeCM is obtained and iSe is calculated by difference. The detection limit is 0.03 ng of Se per gram of oil. The fractionation of the edible oils by solid phase extraction followed by dispersive liquid-liquid extraction and atomic absorption measurement also permits speciation of iSe to be carried out. Data for tSe and iSe levels of 15 samples of different origin are given.

Preparation and evaluation of Fe-loaded activated carbon for enrichment of selenium for analytical and environmental purposes

The adsorbent, based on the thermal modification of activated carbon impregnated by iron(III) nitrate(V), has been prepared and applied for selenium enrichment from aqueous solution. Various ratios of the impregnating agent to carbon mass were carefully examined with respect to selenium adsorption capacity and selectivity. The basic Se(VI) ions adsorption parameters affecting the adsorption ability onto the prepared activated carbons were studied. The carbon impregnated by 10% Fe(NO(3))(2) and thermally treated at 200 °C possessed the highest adsorption capacity and selectivity towards selenium ions. The physico-chemical characterization of the prepared adsorbents before and after selenium uptake were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The studies confirmed the surface complexation reactions of iron species and selenium on the Fe-loaded activated carbon. Due to its high adsorption capacity enrichment of selenium on the studied adsorbent has been successfully applied for its determination in the complementary feeds, using the carbon slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry technique (GFAAS) and standard calibration method.

Determination of Trace Amounts of Palladium in Water Samples by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry after Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction

A simple, rapid, and powerful microextraction technique was used for determination of palladium (II) ion in water samples using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) followed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS). The different variables affecting the complexation and extraction conditions such as extraction and disperser solvent type, extraction time, pH, and concentration of chelating agent were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the ranges of 0.05–1 μg L−1with detection limit of 0.02 μg L−1. The precision (RSD %) for ten replicate determination at 0.2 μg L−1of palladium was better than 3.5% and the enrichment factor 166.5 was obtained from only 5.0 mL of sample. Under the presence of foreign ions, no significant interference was observed. Finally, accuracy and application of the method were estimated by using test samples of natural waters spiked with different amounts of palladium.

Online preconcentration-IC-ICP-MS for selenium quantification and speciation at ultratraces

Selenium (Se) is of key importance to human health with a very narrow concentration range of optimal dietary intake. Due to the inherent analytical challenge linked with the low natural abundance, information on precise and accurate Se speciation in deficient environments is hardly existent. This study presents a novel approach to determine Se species-specifically at ultratraces, by online coupling of a preconcentration (trap) column to an ion chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) system. It is demonstrated that with this robust and work/time efficient method, the predominant selenium oxyanions, selenite (Se(IV)) and selenate (Se(VI)), can be quantified down to 7.3 and 8.3 picogram total Se, respectively, in an overall analytical time of 420 s, only. The applicability for environmental samples was proven on pristine volcanic ashes collected from seven different volcanoes. The high sensitivity of the novel approach allowed to determine speciation in samples that were strongly depleted in total selenium (<0.05 mg kg(-1) Se) with only minor fractions of Se mobilized (i.e., less than 10% of the total selenium was leached in 10 out of 12 samples). The studied samples showed considerate differences in selenium speciation, with selenite and selenate co-occurring in most samples. The fact that the studied sample leachates had a wide range of pH (3.78-9.55) and major anion/cation composition underlines the versatility and wide potential application range of the method presented.

A new coupling of spectrophotometric determination with ultrasound-assisted emulsification dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of trace silver

In this work, a new coupling of spectrophotometric determination with preconcentration method named as ultrasound-assisted emulsification dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UAE-DLLME) for trace silver was firstly established. Disperser solvent in traditional DLLME was substituted by ultrasound-assisted emulsification, which could afford more effective emulsification and make the extraction method greener. The extraction was accomplished efficiently in only 3 min during ultrasound-assisted emulsification. Compared to traditional DLLME, the established pretreatment was simpler, greener and more effective. The UAE-DLLME technique was effectively coupled with ordinary spectrophotometer to improve the analytical performance and expand the application of spectrophotometric determination. The factors influencing UAE-DLLME, such as concentration of chelating agent, kind and volume of extractant, pH, conditions of phase separation, ultrasound extraction time and instrumental conditions, were studied in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) for silver was 0.45 μg L(-1), with sensitivity enhancement factor (EF) of 35. The established method was applied to the determination of trace silver in real and certified reference samples with satisfactory analytical results.

Determination of phthalate esters in cow milk samples using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with gas chromatography followed by flame ionization and mass spectrometric detection

A simple and economic method for the analysis of phthalate esters, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, di-iso-butyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate in cow milk samples by means of gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been developed. In this work, NaCl and ACN were added to 5 mL of the milk sample as the salting out agent and extraction solvent, respectively. After manual shaking, the mixture was centrifuged. In the presence of NaCl, a two-phase system was formed: upper phase - acetonitrile containing phthalate esters -and lower phase - aqueous phase containing soluble compounds and the precipitated proteins. After the extraction of phthalate esters from milk, a portion of supernatant phase (acetonitrile) was removed, mixed with 1,2-dibromoethane at microliter level and injected by syringe into NaCl solution. After the extraction of the selected phthalate esters into 1,2-dibromoethane, phase separation was performed by centrifugation and the enriched analytes in the sedimented phase were determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Under the optimum extraction conditions, low limits of detection and quantification between 1.5-3 and 2.5-11 ng/mL, respectively was observed. Enrichment factors were in the range of 397-499. The relative standard deviations for the extraction of 100 ng/mL of each phthalate ester were in the range of 3-4% (n = 6). Finally, some milk samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and two analytes, di-n-butyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhyxel phthalate, were determined in them in nanogram per milliliter level.

Development of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop for the determination of trace nickel

A liquid-phase microextraction technique was developed using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry, for the extraction and determination of trace amounts of nickel in water samples. Microextraction efficiency factors, such as the type and volume of extraction and dispersive solvents, pH, extraction time, the chelating agent amount, and ionic strength, were investigated and optimized. Under optimum conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 4.23-250 μg L(-1) with a detection limit of 1.27 μg L(-1). The relative standard deviation for ten replicate measurements of 10 and 100 μg L(-1) of nickel were 3.21% and 2.55%, respectively. The proposed method was assessed through the analysis of certified reference water or recovery experiments.

Optimized ultrasonic assisted extraction-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with gas chromatography for determination of essential oil of Oliveria decumbens Vent

Ultrasonic assisted extraction-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UAE-DLLME) coupled with gas chromatography (GC) was applied for extraction and determination of essential oil constituents of the plant Oliveria decumbens Vent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to see the effect of ultrasonic radiation on the extraction efficiency. By comparison with hydrodistillation, UAE-DLLME is fast, low cost, simple, efficient and consuming small amount of plant materials (∼1.0 g). The effects of various parameters such as temperature, ultrasonication time, volume of disperser and extraction solvents were investigated by a full factorial design to identify significant variables and their interactions. The results demonstrated that temperature and ultrasonication time had no considerable effect on the results. In the next step, a central composite design (CCD) was performed to obtain the optimum levels of significant parameters. The obtained optimal conditions were: 0.45 mL for disperser solvent (acetonitrile) and 94.84 μL for extraction solvent (chlorobenzene). The limits of detection (LODs), linear dynamic range and determination coefficients (R(2)) were 0.2-29 ng mL(-1), 1-2100 ng mL(-1) and 0.995-0.998, respectively. The main components of the essential oil were: thymol (47.06%), carvacrol (23.31%), gamma-terpinene (18.94%), p-cymene (8.71%), limonene (0.76%) and myristicin (0.63%).

A novel methodology based on solvents less dense than through dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction: application in quantitation of in fruit juices and soft drinks by fiber optic-linear array detection spectrophotometry

In this study a novel methodology is proposed for utilizing solvents less dense than water by using a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique. Conventional microextraction vessels and facile strategy have been used. We have avoided using routine microextraction solvents in the DLLME procedure that are mostly chlorinated, dense, environmentally hazardous and expensive which limits the application of this method to some extent. The aforesaid process has been combined with fiber optic-linear array detection spectrophotometry (FO-LADS) with charge-coupled device (CCD) detector benefiting of a micro-cell. l-Ascorbate was selected as a model compound and the proposed method was carried out for preconcentration and assay of iodine produced by reduction of potassium iodate in fruit juices, soft drinks and pharmaceutical preparations. The influences of the various analytical parameters on the microextraction procedure and oxidation reaction have been evaluated and optimized. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by parallel analyses as the reference method (ISO 6557/2). The calibration curve was linear in the range of 1.76-26.40 μg mL-1 of l-ascorbate with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9912. The LOD obtained from the calibration curve was 0.40 μg mL-1.

Ionic liquid ultrasound assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method for preconcentration of trace amounts of rhodium prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometry determination

In this article, we consider ionic liquid based ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of trace amounts of rhodium from aqueous samples and show that this is a fast and reliable sample pre-treatment for the determination of rhodium ions by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The Rh(III) was transferred into its complex with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylamino phenol as a chelating agent, and an ultrasonic bath with the ionic liquid, 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide at room temperature was used to extract the analyte. The centrifuged rhodium complex was then enriched in the form of ionic liquid droplets and prior to its analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, 300 μL ethanol was added to the ionic liquid-rich phase. Finally, the influence of various parameters on the recovery of Rh(III) was optimized. Under optimum conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 4.0-500.0 ng mL(-1), the detection limit was 0.37 ng mL(-1) (3S(b)/m, n = 7) and the relative standard deviation was ±1.63% (n = 7, C = 200 ng mL(-1)). The results show that ionic liquid based ultrasound assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry, is a rapid, simple, sensitive and efficient analytical method for the separation and determination of trace amounts of Rh(III) ions with minimum organic solvent consumption.

Analytical possibilities of total reflection X-ray spectrometry (TXRF) for trace selenium determination in soils

Selenium content of soils is an important issue due to the narrow range between the nutritious requirement and toxic effects upon Se exposure. However, its determination is challenging due to low concentrations within complex matrices that hamper the analysis in most spectroscopic techniques. In this study, we explored the possibilities of several analytical approaches combined with total reflection X-ray (TXRF) spectrometry for soil Se determinations. The direct analysis of a solid suspension using 20 mg of fine ground material (<50 μm) has a relatively high Se limit of detection (LOD) of 1 mg/kg (worldwide Se average in soils = 0.4 mg/kg) and is therefore only suitable for seleniferous soils. Several fast and simple analytical strategies were developed to decrease matrix effects and improve the LOD for Se determination in soil digests. On one hand, the application of a liquid-liquid extraction procedure using ethyl ether and the introduction of a Cr absorbent in the instrument configuration were carried out to avoid the associated problems on TXRF analysis of soil extracts due to the high Fe concentrations (∼700 mg/L). On the other hand, a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure (DLLME) before the TXRF analysis of the soil digest was also developed. The effects of various experimental parameters such as sample volume, effect of major elements present in the soil matrix (Fe), and Se concentration in the sample were investigated. The LOD using this analytical methodology (0.05 mg/kg of Se) was comparable to or lower than those obtained in previous works using other popular spectrometric techniques such as GFAAS, ICPMS, and AFS. The calculated Se concentration for JSAC-0411 ([Se] = 1.32 ± 0.27 mg/kg) using the combination of DLLME and TXRF ([Se] = 1.40 ± 0.23 mg/kg) was in agreement with the certified value.

Determination of cobalt in water samples by atomic absorption spectrometry after pre-concentration with a simple ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction methodology

A rapid dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction (DLLME) methodology based on the application of 1-hexylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate [C6py][PF6] ionic liquid (IL) as an extractant solvent was applied for the pre-concentration of trace levels of cobalt prior to determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone (PMBP) was employed as a chelator forming a Co-PMBP complex to extract cobalt ions from aqueous solution into the fine droplets of [C6py][PF6]. Some effective factors that influence the micro-extraction efficiency include the pH, the PMBP concentration, the amount of ionic liquid, the ionic strength, the temperature and the centrifugation time which were investigated and optimized. In the optimum experimental conditions, the limit of detection (3s) and the enrichment factor were 0.70 µg L−1 and 60, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for six replicate determinations of 50 µg L−1 Co was 2.36%. The calibration graph using the pre-concentration system was linear at levels 2–166 µg L−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9982. The applicability of the proposed method was evaluated by the determination of trace amounts of cobalt in several water samples.