Determination of trace arsenic in hydrofluoric acid by hydride generation and atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract

Practical procedures are given for determination of arsenic(III) and (V) in hydrofluoric acid by means of hydride generation and atomic absorption spectrometry. Arsenic(III) can be determined by direct generation of arsine with sodium borohydride in hydrochloric/hydrofluoric acid medium, arsenic(V) being only slightly reduced under the conditions used. For its determination, arsenic(V) has to be prereduced with potassium iodide, and even then its reduction to arsenic(III) and then arsine is far from complete. It is possible to determine it in presence of arsenic(III) by a difference method, but this is recommended only if the As(V)/As(III) ratio is greater than 1. Total arsenic can be determined after oxidation of As(III) and evaporation of most of the hydrofluoric acid. The limit of determination is 5 μg/l for arsenic(III) and 0.25 μg/l for total arsenic; the relative standard deviation is about 10%.