Abstract
Slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry technique was applied for the determination of Bi in environmental samples. The study focused on the effect of Zr, Ti, Nb and W carbides, as permanent modifiers, on the Bi signal. Because of its highest thermal and chemical stability and ability to substantially increase Bi signal, NbC was chosen as the most effective modifier. The temperature programme applied for Bi determination was optimized based on the pyrolysis and atomization curves obtained for slurries prepared from certified reference materials (CRMs) of the soil and sediments. To overcome interferences caused by sulfur compounds, Ba(NO3)2 was used as a chemical modifier. Calibration was performed using the aqueous standard solutions. The analysis of the CRMs confirmed the reliability of the proposed analytical method. The characteristic mass for Bi was determined to be 16 pg with the detection limit of 50 ng/g for the optimized procedure at the 5 % (w/v) slurry concentration.
Highlights
The use of Bi in various industries has been growing rapidly because of its specific chemical and physical properties
Coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) (Hasssanien and Ali 2012; Ivanova et al 2001; Aulinger et al 2002; Marques et al 2000; Krishna and Arunachalam 2004; Gundersen et al 2000) and the techniques based on the atomic absorption (Ivanova et al 1997; Sengupta and Bouvier 1995; MoscosoPerez et al 2003; Kula et al 2009) are the most often
From the studied group of permanent modifiers, NbC is recommended for Bi determination by slurry sampling GF atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in soils and sediments
Summary
The use of Bi in various industries has been growing rapidly because of its specific chemical and physical properties. It is frequently used in medicine, cosmetic industry, semiconductors, alloys, metallurgical additives and preparation of uranium nuclear fuels. Due to the wide application of Bi, its content in the environmental components and the potential for human exposure has permanently increased. According to the World Health Organization, Bi is not an essential element for humans. It was confirmed that following an oral intake of Bi compounds, the element enters into the nervous system and damages motor neurons. There are numerous techniques applicable for Bi determination, but most of them have some limitations, especially for the analysis of solid environmental samples. Coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) (Hasssanien and Ali 2012; Ivanova et al 2001; Aulinger et al 2002; Marques et al 2000; Krishna and Arunachalam 2004; Gundersen et al 2000) and the techniques based on the atomic absorption (Ivanova et al 1997; Sengupta and Bouvier 1995; MoscosoPerez et al 2003; Kula et al 2009) are the most often
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