An innovative spectrophotometric method for determination of uranium and thorium using 3-aminomethylalizarn-N-N diacetic acid in some geological samples

Abstract

3-aminomethylalizarn-N-N diacetic acid chromogenic dye (AMADA) was used for the first time in uranium and thorium spectrophotometric estimation with accurate and sensitive result, their complexes having a maximum absorbance at 575 nm for U and at 510 nm for Th. This system allows uranium and thorium content to be calculated with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.16 µg L−1 and 0.14 µg L−1, respectively. The first-derivative spectra and EDTA were investigated to eliminate interference and provide selective estimation of uranium and thorium in presence of each other. This new spectrophotometric method was applied for the determination of U(VI) and Th(IV) in the standard reference materials (granite and Syenite) and some cataclastic rock samples with accurate results.