Determination of rare earth elements concentrations in natural waters - A review of ICP-MS measurement approaches

Since the rare earth elements (REEs) determination in waters is still not a routine procedure, different analytical protocols have been developed to deal with complexity and variability of sample matrices, problems caused by spectral and non-spectral interferences, insufficient instruments sensitivity, potential contamination and lack of certified reference materials. The aim of this work is to review the current measurement approaches given for REEs total concentrations in natural water samples, including surface and groundwaters as well as rain water and Antarctic ice. As inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has become the most widely employed technique for analysis of trace concentrations of REEs in aqueous samples it has been intended to present the common issues affecting the measurement results. Apart from a sample preparation step, various configurations of mass spectrometers and sample introduction systems, means of interferences elimination or correction, and calibration strategies used in analytical approaches for REEs analysis are discussed and compared.

Calcium Ions Turn on the Fluorescence of Oxytetracycline for Sensitive and Selective Detection

Herein, we report an interesting finding about the new application of oxytetracycline (OTC), as a fluorescent probe for the detection of calcium ion (Ca²⁺), which proved that it can offer an expeditious, highly sensitive, and selective detection method for Ca²⁺. Upon the addition of Ca²⁺, the fluorescence of OTC could be significantly enhanced with rapid response and high sensitivity, and achieved a good limit of detection as low as 125 nM in aqueous solution. The complex formed via Ca²⁺ coordinating to the hydroxyl group of OTC contributes to the fluorescence enhancement, which has been proved by several characterization methods including UV-vis analysis, binding constant determination, and fluorescence titration. The method avoided complexity for EDTA measurement of Ca²⁺ in running water as proposed previously. Taking advantage of good availability, stability and operability, the OTC was further successfully applied to the detection of Ca²⁺ in a real environment. Graphical Abstract.

Simultaneous Determination of Cr, As, Se, and Other Trace Metal Elements in Seawater by ICP-MS with Hybrid Simultaneous Preconcentration Combining Iron Hydroxide Coprecipitation and Solid Phase Extraction Using Chelating Resin

In the present study, ICP-MS with a new hybrid simultaneous preconcentration combining solid phase extraction using chelating resin and iron hydroxide coprecipitation in one batch at a single pH adjustment (pH 6.0) were developed for multielement determination of trace metal ions in seawater. In multielement determination, the present method makes it possible to determine Cr(III), As(V), Se (IV), and other 14 trace metal elements (Ti, V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Ge, Cd, Sb, Sn, W, Pb, and U) in seawater. Moreover, for speciation analyses of Cr, As, and Se, the pH dependence on recovery for the different chemical forms of Cr, As, and Se was investigated. In speciation analyses, Cr, As, and Se were determined as the total of Cr (III) and a part of Cr (VI), total of As (III) and As (V), and Se(IV), respectively. Determination of total of Se and Cr(VI) remains as future task to improve. Nevertheless, the present method would have possibility to develop as the analytical method to determine comprehensively most metal elements in all standard and guideline values in quality standard in environmental water in Japan, that is, most toxic metal elements in environmental water.

Precise isotopic analysis of Mo in seawater using multiple collector-inductively coupled mass spectrometry coupled with a chelating resin column preconcentration method

It is widely recognized that the natural isotopic variation of Mo can provide crucial information about the geochemical circulation of Mo, and the ocean is an important reservoir of Mo. To obtain precise isotopic data on Mo in seawater samples using multiple collector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS), we have developed a preconcentration technique using 8-hydroxyquinoline bonded covalently to a vinyl polymer resin (TSK-8HQ). By optimizing the procedure, Mo in seawater could be effectively separated from matrix elements such as alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals. With this technique, even with a 50-fold enrichment factor, the changes in the 98Mo/95Mo ratio during preconcentration were smaller than twice the standard deviation (SD) in this study. Mass discrimination of Mo isotopes during the measurement was externally corrected for by normalizing 86Sr/88Sr to 0.1194 using an exponential law. We evaluated delta98/95Mo to a precision of +/- 0.08 per thousand (+/-2 SD); this value was found to be less than one-third of previous reported values. Moreover, we were able to determine an accurate ratio for every pair of stable Mo isotopes, which was impossible with previous methods owing to the isobaric interference from the external elements (Zr and Ru). In this study, delta92/98Mo in seawater was first determined so that it had the smallest relative error. We applied the proposed method to four kinds of seawater samples. The Mo compositions were constant among them, with average delta98/95Mo and delta92/98Mo values of 2.45 +/- 0.11 and -4.94 +/- 0.09 per thousand (+/-2 SD), respectively. Our data indicate that seawater is enriched in heavy Mo isotopes than previously reported.

Chemical Characterization of Airborne Particulate Matter in Ambient Air of Nagoya, Japan, as Studied by the Multielement Determination with ICP-AES and ICP-MS

The multielement determination of PM(10) (airborne particulate matter smaller than 10 microm) samples, which was collected by a high volume air sampler at the urban site of Nagoya City, was carried out by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The present analytical method was validated by analyzing urban particulate matter standard reference material of NIST SRM 1648. The analytical data for ca. 30 elements in PM(10) samples collected during a period from 8 September to 9 October, 2003, were obtained in the concentration range from sub-microg g(-1) to several-10 mg g(-1), but the data for 18 elements among ca. 30 elements were available for the characterization of PM(10) samples in ambient air, because of problems caused by the filter blanks. Then, the trends concerning the distributions of diverse elements in PM(10) samples were analyzed based on the enrichment factors and size distribution factors. The lithophile and siderophile elements were distributed more than 50% in coarse particle fraction (>2.1 microm), which was derived mainly from natural sources, such as soils and crustal minerals. On the other hand, chalcophile elements were distributed more than 50% in fine particle fraction (<2.1 microm), which was derived mostly from anthropogenic emission sources. The large enrichment of chalcophile elements in PM(10) samples as well as their mining influence factors (MIFs) suggested their wide use in industrial productions.

A Multielement Masking Method Using Magnesium Hydroxide Coprecipitation for the Selective Determination of Lead in Water Samples by Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

We present a new multielement masking method using magnesium hydroxide coprecipitation for the selective determination of Pb by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The recovery of Pb in the masking method was over 95%, while interfering ions (Cd(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Mn(2+), and Ni(2+)) could be removed at 100% from the analytical sample. A linear regression was obtained in the Pb concentration from 10 to 1000 microg kg(-1) in the existence of 100 microg kg(-1) of the interfering ions. When this method was applied to the determination of Pb in a natural water-standard reference material (NIST 1640), the determined value for Pb in this work (25.4 +/- 4.1 microg kg(-1)) almost agreed with the certified value (27.89 +/- 0.14 microg kg(-1)).