Solid-phase extraction and spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of copper in water samples

Abstract

A simple method for rapid and selective extraction, preconcentration and determination of copper as it’s neocuproine complex by using octadecylsilica membrane disks and spectrophotometry is presented. Extraction efficiency and the influence of flow rates of sample solution and eluent, pH, amount of neocuproine and hydroxylamine hydrochloride, type and least amount of eluent for elution of copper complex from disks, break through volume and limit of detection were evaluated. Also the effects of various cationic interferences on percent recovery of copper were studied. Extraction efficiencies >99% were obtained by elution of the disks with minimal amount of solvent. The limit of detection of the proposed method is 0.12 ppb. The method was applied to the recovery and determination of copper in different water samples.