Samples Of Plant Material Research Articles

An HPTLC method for the determination of oleandrin inNeriumplant extracts and its application to forensic toxicology

The study reported in this paper was aimed to develop an accurate, specific, and precise high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for the determination of oleandrin in Nerium oleander (Linn.) extracts as well as biological samples of an intoxication case for the first time. Also, extraction, isolation, and purification methods of oleandrin from the sticky juice of Nerium plant leaves were presented. The retention factor (RF value) of oleandrin was found to be 0.24 ± 0.01. The linearity range was between 2 and 75 ng spot−1 (r = 0.9993), the limit of detection was 2.2 ng spot−1, the limit of quantification was 6.7 ng spot−1, and the recovery in urine and serum was found 89% and 83%, respectively. Isolated compounds from both plant material and biological samples were also applied to mass spectrometry (MS). The reported HPTLC method was sensitive, rapid, and suitable for the analysis of oleandrin and was applied to a non-fatal case of oleander poisoning. Oleandrin was detected in urine and s...

Interrelationships among selected essential elements in medicinal plant raw materials and their water-extractable forms

Summary In the study, the relationships were investigated among N, P, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu, in medicinal plant raw materials (herbal bags) and their water-soluble chemical forms in infuses. 42 independent samples of plant materials were chosen, represented by different morphological plant parts as herbs, leaves, flowers and fruits. The elements were determined by UV/Vis spectrometry (non-metals), and FAAS (metallic elements) after previous mineralization of plant samples (total concentrations), and directly in herbal teas (water-extractable forms). Most frequently the correlations between non-metals and Zn and Mn occurred, both between their total contents the water-extractable forms. Statistically significant correlations were also found in pairs: Zn-Mn, Fe-Zn, Mn-Fe, and Cu-Zn. Application of multivariate analysis revealed that cluster analysis grouped the studied samples into clusters with similar levels of the analyzed elements, and principal component analysis allowed the identification of water-extractable Zn, P-PO4 and water-extractable Cu as the most crucial factors determining the differentiation of the studied plant samples.

Spatial and temporal variability of the interception in the natural wetland valley, the lower Biebrza basin case study

Abstract Spatial and temporal variability of the interception in the natural wetland valley, the lower Biebrza basin case study. The paper presents the research carried out in the lower basin of Biebrza River valley in order to identify interception for natural wetland plant communities. Maximum interception, i.e. the largest amount of water, expressed in millimeters, which can be captured and retained by plant canopy from rainfall is one of the key parameters of the water cycle modeling. Maximum interception was determined based on the difference of the masses of wet and dry fresh plant samples. Collection of plant material samples took place during the five measurement sessions, which began immediately after the flood recedes, and then lasted until the end of the growing season. Interception spatial variability was analyzed on the basis of the results of maximum interception measured for selected plant aggregations in the different sampling points. The obtained values were extrapolated to the area of the lower basin of Biebrza River using vegetation map of the Biebrza National Park. By conducting a test sessions in the five coming months, the maps of the spatial variability also show changes over time. Methodology used in the described tests allowed for obtaining of satisfactory results. They present, in a correct way, variation occurring between the plant aggregations due to their morphology. In most cases the results are consistent with data from the literature. As results of the analysis of spatial variability of the maximum interception, the highest values were found for the plant communities located in the immediate vicinity of the river channel. With the increase of the distance from river towards the valley edges the maximum interception values decrease. These changes can be seen in the form of strips parallel to the river channel, which corresponds to the plant zones. Obtained map of spatial variability of the maximum interception, which is the results of extrapolation of the values assigned to plant communities, has a high correlation with the map resulting from the analysis of satellite images

Chromium Content in Soils and Plants in the Area under Influence of MMP “Boleslaw” Enterprise in Bukowno near Olkusz

Chromium belongs to the group of trace elements. Plants take it up from the substratum passively, therefore Cr content in plants is usually correlated with its concentrations in the soil solution. Toxic effect of chromium on plants depends both on its degree of oxidation and on the kind of compound in which it occurs. Due to the hazard of excessive chromium accumulation in plants in the areas with its elevated contents, particularly post-industrial and transformed areas, an on-going monitoring of this metal content in soils and fodder plants is recommended. The investigations were conducted to define and describe chromium transfer in the soil-plant system in the areas with various degrees of heavy metal pollution, using Surfer 8.0 programme for the presentation of spatial distribution of the metal in plants and soil in the area under investigations. The investigated area covered 100 km in the vicinity of MMP (Mine and Metallurgical Plants) “Boleslaw” SA in Bukowno near Olkusz. Samples of soil and plant material were collected in 139 localities, during the period from June to August 2008. In each investigated point soil was sampled from two layers: 0–10 cm and 40–50 cm, together with the aboveground parts of monoand dicotyledonous plants. In dissolved samples of plant and soil material chromium content was assessed using atomic absorption spectrometer with inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP-AES). Soils from the investigated area revealed diversified contents of chromium, however no diversification was observed between the analysed soil layers. Slightly higher values occurred in the soils from 0–10 cm layer, particularly in the immediate vicinity of “Boleslaw” enterprise. Chromium accumulation in the monoand dicotyledonous plants growing around MMP “Boleslaw” enterprise revealed weak diversification. No significant differences were observed either in the chromium accumulation in both analysed plant groups.

Pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables produced in organic, integrated and conventional systems

Presented research concerns the evaluation of residues of synthetic pesticides in crops, depending on the system of production: conventional, integrated and organic. The study was conducted in 2005-2009 on 1134 samples of plant material derived from the four provinces: Lubelskie, Podlaskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie and Mazowieckie. The 123 active substances of pesticides were searched in the plant material. This research has been shown that in the samples of fruit produced in the integrated system percentage of samples with residues below the maximum residue levels (MRL) is larger (55 %) than in the samples from conventional production (28 %), and less with above MRL (3 %). The pesticide residues were also detected in 8 % in samples of fruits and vegetables from organic production.

Internal standardization in axially viewed inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) combined with pneumatic nebulization and aerosol desolvation

Internal standardization using axially viewed inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) combined with pneumatic nebulization/aerosol desolvation was evaluated in the present study. The sample and internal standard (IS) solutions were mixed on-line. Spectral lines of In, Y, Ga and Ar were evaluated for internal standardization under robust plasma conditions to overcome matrix effects on Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Zn, Pb, Sr, Mn, Cu, Ni and V quantification in digests of plant materials. In(II)230.606 nm was only effective for Cd and Pb whereas Y(II)371.029 nm or Ga(I)417.206 nm or Ga(I)294.364 nm were effective for the other investigated elements. Argon was not effective, suggesting that matrix effects were related to aerosol generation and its transport to the ICP. By using internal standardization accurate results were obtained for certified reference samples of plant materials and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 1% even for solutions with high acid concentration. The limits of quantification (LOQ) of Cr(I)357.869, Cr(II)267.716, Cu(I)327.393, Cu(II)224.700, Cd(I)228.802, Cd(II)214.440, Pb(I)217.000, Pb(II)220.353, Zn(I)213.857, Zn(II)206.200, Sr(II)407.771, Ba(II)233.527, V(II)292.464, Mn(II)257.610, Ni(II)232.003 and Co(II)228.616 nm were 0.070, 0.041, 0.065, 0.094, 0.033, 0.056, 1.33, 0.45, 0.065, 0.10, 0.005, 0.20, 0.12, 0.015, 0.10 and 0.047 μg g−1, respectively. It was concluded that the method is feasible for routine applications.

Concentration of micronutrients in pea and lupin plants depending on the soil tillage system

In a two-year field study, the changes in Cu, Zn, Mn and B concentrations in aerial parts of lupine and pea were observed under traditional and no-tillage system. In each year, plant material samples were collected four times at 10-day intervals, from 30 days after sowing to the flowering stage. In plants of one species but grown under different tillage systems, differences in the content of micronutrients occurred in the early growth season, and tended to disappear in the early inflorescence phase. In general, these concentrations were higher in plants under traditional tillage system. However, under drought conditions these concentrations were higher in plants under no-tillage system. Regardless of a tillage system, some changes in micronutrient concentration during the vegetation period were observed. Concentration of copper in aerial parts of plants evidently decreased as the plants grew older. Fluctuations in the levels of Zn, Mn, and B did not follow such clearly defined tendencies and were dependent on the plant’s species and individual elements.

Isolation and characterization of bacteriophages infecting Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis, the causal agent of walnut blight disease

Walnut orchards suffer from a blight caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis. These bacteria can be infected by viral bacteriophages and this study was carried out to isolate and characterize bacteriophages from walnut orchards located throughout the South Island of New Zealand. Twenty six X. arboricola phages were isolated from three hundred and twenty six samples of plant material representing phyllosphere and rhizosphere ecosystems. The phage isolates were characterized by host-range, plaque and particle morphology, restriction digest and phylogenetic analysis and stability under various storage conditions. From capsid and tail dimensions the bacteriophages were considered to belong to the double-stranded DNA families Podoviridae and Siphoviridae. Of the twenty six bacteriophages, sixteen belonged to Podoviridae and were found both in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere. In contrast, Siphoviridae were present only in the rhizosphere isolates. Phage genome sizes ranged from 38.0 to 52.0 kb from a Hind III restriction digestion and had in common a 400 kb fragment that was identical at the DNA level. Despite the similar restriction patterns, maximum parsimony bootstrap analysis showed that the phage were members of different groups. Finally, we hypothesise that these phage might have use in a biocontrol strategy and therefore storage stability and efficacy was tested. Titres declined more than 50% over a 12-months storage period. Deep-freezing temperatures (-34°C) increased while chloroform decreased the stability.

Correlation coefficients of morphological: Productive traits of species of Sorghum genus

Objective of the research were phenotypic and genetic correlation coefficients of three species of Sorghum genus - forage sorghum S. bicolor Moench. (genotype NS-Dzin), Sudan grass S. sudanense L. (genotype Zora) and interspecies hybrid S. bicolor x S. sudanense (genotype Siloking). Studies were carried out on samples of plant material from the first cut. The following morphological-productive traits were studied: plant height, number of leaves per plant, mass of leaves on the stem, average stem mass and yield of green biomass. In the analysis of genetic and phenotypic coefficients, differences depending on the impact on studied morphological-productive traits are observed. The highest value of the stem height was recorded in Sudan grass (2.281 m), as well as number of leaves per plants (7.917). The greatest mass of leaves per plant was established in forage sorghum (49.05 g), and the highest average stem mass was recorded in interspecies hybrid plants (80.798 g). Variation of morphological-productive indicators per species was significant and very significant. Coefficients of simple correlations indicate the presence of very strong to almost complete, statistically very significant positive correlations, so these effects were expected. Plant height and number of leaves were not directly but indirectly statistically significant to yield of green biomass and varied from insignificant and very weak to sporadically medium strong and statistically significant.

Ultrasonic or accelerated solvent extraction followed by U-HPLC-high mass accuracy MS for screening of pharmaceuticals and fungicides in soil and plant samples

Different veterinary pharmaceuticals are used in agricultural livestock becoming a source of environment contamination. Furthermore, no regulation exists for the concentration limits of pharmaceuticals in soil or water. Monitoring programs for environment contamination with pharmaceuticals are needed, requiring new sensitive and selective screening methods. The present study focuses on developing a method for the simultaneous scanning of forty-two compounds (pharmaceuticals, azole biocides and fungicides) in soil and plant material samples. For extraction purposes the use of ultrasonic assisted and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) were compared. The extract was purified and concentrated by applying a solid phase extraction step followed by ultra-high-performance-chromatographic separation and accurate-mass spectrometric detection using Exacte Orbitrap technology (FWHM 50,000). The effects of the different extraction solvents and conditions on the extraction efficiency were tested. Although both extraction approaches are applicable the optimal extraction efficiency was obtained by applying accelerated solvent extraction using solvent mixtures containing acetone for soil and methanol for plant samples. An ASE process has been validated for the determination of selected pharmaceuticals and fungicides in soil and in plant material. The recoveries from soil samples were >70% for more than 68% of the compounds. The levels of detection were ≤10μgkg−1 for 93% of the compounds tested. The recoveries from plant material were >70% for 64% of the compounds tested. The levels of detection were ≤10μgkg−1 for 66% of the compounds. The developed method was used to screen soil and plant material collected throughout the Netherlands and oxytetracycline residues were detected.

Biodiversity of Myxomycetes from the Monte Desert of Argentina

A biodiversity survey for myxomycetes was carried out in the Monte Desert (Argentina) and surrounding areas in November 2006 and late February and March 2007. Specimens were collected in seven different provinces (Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, San Juan, San Luis and Tucuman), between 23o and 33o S latitude, and a total of 105 localities were sampled. Cacti and succulent plants were the most common type of substrate investigated, but shrubs and herbs characteristic of this biome were also included in the survey. Almost six hundred specimens of myxomycetes from 72 different species in 22 genera were collected either in the field, or from moist chamber cultures prepared with samples of plant material obtained from the same collecting sites. The results include 1 species new to science, Macbrideola andina three more species recently described based on material from this survey, 5 species cited for the first time for the Neotropics, 11 new records for South America and 38 new records for Argentina. Taxonomic comments on rare or unusual species are included and illustrated with photographs by LM and SEM. Data are presented on the development of some species and microenvironmental factors are discussed. An analysis of the biodiversity of myxomycetes in this area, and a comparison with other desert areas, are included.

Biological Fixation of N2 in Mono and Polyspecific Legume Pasture in the Humid Mediterranean Zone of Chile

Despite annual legume pasture are of great importance for dryland agricultural systems in Mediterranean environments, there are few studies of N2 biological fixation (NBF) reported in Chile. In this study the NBF of four annual legume species: subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.), yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus L.), arrow-leaf clover (T. vesiculosum L.), and crimson clover (T. incarnatum L.) (Experiment 1), as well as seven mixtures of these species (Experiment 2) were assessed. The NBF was measured by the 15 N natural abundance technique. The objective was to determine NBF in the legume species and in distinct mixtures used. The study was carried out in an Andisol of the Andean Precordillera located in the humid Mediterranean zone of Chile. Pasture was evaluated for biomass; and total N and natural abundance of 15 N were analyzed in plant material samples. In Experiment 1 (monospecific legume species pasture), N derived from fixation ranged between 43 and 147 kg N ha -1 and where T. vesiculosum and T. subterraneum presented statistical differences (P ≤ 0.05) in connection with the other species. In the legume mixtures (Experiment 2), N derived by fixation varied between 97 and 214 kg N ha -1 where the 50-50 mixtures (T. subterraneum and O. compressus, or T. subterraneum and T. vesiculosum, respectively) had the highest N fixation. Fixed N ranged between 12 and 25 kg N t -1 DM, showing significant differences among mono and polyspecific legume species.

Chemical composition of ultrasonic-assisted n-hexane extracts of Sideritis scardica Grieseb. and Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr. (Lamiaceae) from Macedonia and Albania

Chemical composition of n-hexane extracts obtained from dried over-ground parts of two species of Sideritis, S. scardica Grieseb. and S. raeseri Boiss. & Heldr. (Lamiaceae) was analyzed using GC/FID/MS. The collection of plants was made on different locations in the western part of Macedonia and the southern part of Albania, comprising twelve different samples of plant material. The ultrasonic-assisted extraction process was used for preparation of the n-hexane extracts yielded 0.73-3.33 % and 9.11-10.44 % of extracts for S. scardica and S. raeseri, respectively. Over one hundred constituents of the extracts were identified, belonging to several classes of components: diterpenes, hydrocarbons, dominantly present in each of the extracts, followed by fatty acids, aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, sterols, triterpene alcohols, and monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, which were found in much smaller amounts or only in traces. The most abundant constituents of the extracts of both species of Sideritis were two diterpene components, both with M=286, which were not fully identified. Large percentages of nonacosane (1.71-12.22% and 7.46-19.68% for S. scardica and S. raeseri, respectively) and hentriacontane (4.48-20.79% and 8.09-30.31 % for S. scardica and S. raeseri, respectively) were also found in the extracts of both species.

Path analysis of the productive traits in Sorghum species

This research studied the phenotypic correlation coefficients between three Sorghum species, namely forage sorghum S. bicolor Moench. (c. NS-Dzin), Sudan grass S. sudanense L. (c. Zora) and interspecies hybrid S. bicolor x S. sudanense (c. Siloking). The analyses were performed on plant material samples taken from the first cutting, when plants were in the beginning phase of tasseling. The following morphologic traits were studied: plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem leaf weight and mean stem weight. Additionally, their direct and indirect effect on dependent variable green biomass yield was analyzed, for which path coefficients were calculated. This method enables more quality and full insight into relations existing among the studied traits, more precise establishment of cause-effect connections among them, as well as to separate direct from indirect effects of any particular trait on dependent variable, being biomass yield in this case. The analysis of phenotypic coefficients revealed differences in direct and indirect effect of certain traits on dependent variable. Sudan grass had the highest stem (2.281 m) and most leaves per plant (7.917). Forage sorghum had the largest leaf weight per plant (49.05 g), while interspecies hybrid had the highest mean stem weight (80.798 g). Variations of these morphologic traits among species were found to be significant and very significant. Morphologic traits - stem height and weight significantly affected sorghum green biomass yield. Leaf number and leaf portion in total biomass were negatively correlated with yield. Cultivars differed significantly regarding morphologic and productive traits. Sudan grass had the lowest green biomass yield, while forage sorghum and interspecies hybrid had significant yield increase.

Pharmacognostic and Toxicity Evaluation of the Stem Bark of Tabernaemontana Pachysiphon Stapf. (Apocynaceae)

Various claims have been made on the ethno-medicinal uses of the stem bark of Tabernaemontana pachysiphon. It is therefore necessary to establish its pharmacognostic characteristics that will help in its identification and standardization. In this study, the pharmacognostic characteristics (phytochemistry, macroscopy, microscopy, chemo-microscopy, quantitative evaluation, proximate and preliminary Thin Layer Chromatography analyses) and toxicity potential of the stem bark were evaluated using standard methods of analysis. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, reducing sugars, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and cardiac glycosides. The stem bark has a bitter taste, flat in shape when fresh and curved when dry, greyish brown in colour on the outer surface and brown on the inner surface. It is longitudinally fissured and lenticels are present. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of cork cells, fibres, sclereids and calcium oxalate crystals. Chemo-microscopic tests showed the presence of lignin, calcium oxalate crystals, mucilage, cellulose and oil. Quantitative parameters (% w / w ± S.E.M) were as follows: moisture content 4.68 ± 0.01; total ash value 8.98 ± 0.12; acid insoluble ash value 0.54 ± 0.01; water soluble ash value 2.05 ± 0.01; alcohol soluble extractive value 3.10 ± 0.01 and water soluble extractive value 0.42 ± 0.01. Proximate analysis of the powdered drug gave 16.59 % protein, 1.90 % fibre, 0.10 % fat, 67.75 % carbohydrate and 4.68 % moisture. Total gross energy was estimated to be 338.26kcal while preliminary thin layer chromatography (TLC) showed three spots. The aqueous extract of the stem bark, at a dose of 5 g/kg, caused neither death nor any observable symptoms of toxicity, after 24 hours. These validated pharmacognostic standards will be useful towards proper identification of a closely related sample of the plant material and in the production of the Nigerian Pharmacopoeia of Nigeria medicinal plants. Keywords : Tabernaemontana pachysiphon, Stem bark, Pharmacognostic standards, Acute toxicity test Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research , Vol. 9 No 1 pp. 63 - 71 (February 2011)

Discrimination of eight chloramphenicol isomers by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in order to investigate the natural occurrence of chloramphenicol

This paper describes the discrimination of eight different isomers of chloramphenicol (CAP), an antibiotic banned for use in food producing animals, by reversed phase and chiral liquid chromatography in combination with tandem mass spectrometric detection. Previously, by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) the presence of CAP was confirmed in some grass and herb samples collected on Mongolian pastures up to concentrations of 450 μg kg −1. It was not possible to establish the cause of CAP residues which has initiated research on the natural occurrence of this drug. CAP occurs in the para-configuration and in the meta-configuration and contains two chiral centers thus eight different isomeric configurations exist, namely four (RR, SS, RS, SR) meta-stereoisomers and four para-stereoisomers. It is known that only RR- p-CAP has antimicrobial properties. To find out if the CAP detected in the plant material samples is the active configuration, a high resolution reversed phase LC-MS/MS system was tested for its ability to separate the different isomers. This system proved to be able to discriminate between some isomers, but not between RR- p-CAP and SS- p-CAP, also called dextramycin. Despite a detailed elucidation of the product ions and the fragmentation patterns of all isomers, MS/MS did not add sufficient specificity for full discrimination of the isomers. Therefore a chiral liquid chromatographic separation with MS/MS detection that is able to distinguish all isomers was developed and finally the isomeric ratio of non-compliant plant material samples and some CAP formulations was determined using this system. This showed that Mongolian grass and herb samples only contain the biological active isomer of CAP as do the obtained formulations. Therefore the CAP present in the plant material might origin from the production by soil organisms or from a manufactured source.

Identification of cellulose fibres belonging to Spanish cultural heritage using synchrotron high resolution X-ray diffraction

A complete characterisation of fibres used in Spanish artwork is necessary to provide a complete knowledge of these natural fibres and their stage of degradation. Textile samples employed as painting supports on canvas and one sample of unprocessed plant material were chosen for this study. All the samples were investigated by synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD). Flax and cotton have the Cellulose I structure. The values of the crystalline index (CI) were calculated for both types of fibres. The structure of Cellulose IV was associated with the unprocessed plant material. The information obtained by SR-XRD was confirmed by laboratory techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

UTLC of flavonols inSambucus nigraflowers

UTLC is a new, miniaturized form of thin-layer chromatography. In comparison with classical TLC or HPTLC it enables analysis of substantially smaller amounts of compounds. Monolithic silica gel layers have been used for separation of amino acids, alkaloids, steroids, and phenols [1–4]. There are no literature reports of the application of UTLC for analysis of compounds present in matrices originating from plants. Miniaturization of the chromatographic process enables the analysis of much smaller samples of plant material; this is especially important for screening of a large group of plants. The flowers of black elder – Sambucus nigra L. (Caprifoliaceae) have been used in folk medicine for centuries as a diuretic and diaphoretic remedy [5, 6]. Nowadays, this medicinal plant is a constituent of many phytopharmaceuticals used for treatment of influenza, colds, and sinusitis. Flavonols, including rutin, quercetin, quercetin 3-O-glucoside are believed to be responsible for the therapeutic effects of elderberry flowers [6]. This work was an attempt to apply UTLC to analysis of the flavonoids occurring in plant matrices. The objective of the research was to optimize the conditions for UTLC separation of flavonols present in the flowers of Sambucus nigra.

Analysis of Reflectance and Transmittance Measurements on Absorbing and Scattering Small Samples Using a Modified Integrating Sphere Setup

The aim of the present paper is to analyze reflectance and transmittance measurements on small scattering and absorbing samples. The long term goal is to perform quantitative, spectroscopic in vivo measurements of pigments in small samples of plant material. Small samples such as small leaves constitute a special experimental challenge in cases in which the sample beam has a larger cross-sectional area than the sample. The experimental errors introduced when measuring reflectance and transmittance on small absorbing and scattering samples are investigated theoretically and experimentally by using a blue polyester sample as an appropriate test sample. The experiments are performed with either a mask or a lens setup combined with a mask inserted in the sample beam. In particular, the errors introduced in the reflectance measurements can be very large and larger than 100%. It is shown that any direct illumination of the mask must be avoided. To obtain more accurate values for the reflection coefficient it is necessary to combine the mask with a focusing lens system, adjust the mask and sample very carefully, and choose the ratio between the aperture of the mask and the beam area as large as possible. In the case of transmittance measurements, it is shown that the combination of a special sample fixture and a lens system gives rise to smaller errors compared to the errors introduced by the mask alone or the mask combined with a focusing lens system.

Preconcentration of Cd(II), Pb(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) by solid-phase extraction method using 1,10-phenanthroline

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) method for preconcentration and determination of Cd(II), Pb(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) aqueous samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry is described. The preconcentration of analytes is accomplished by retention of their chelates with 1.10-phenanthroline in aqueous solution on a solid phase containing carboxylic acid (COOH) bonded to silica gel in a column. The limits of detection values (defined as “3s” where “s” is standard deviation of the blank determination) are 3.6 μg/L for Cd(II), 17.5 μg/L for Pb(II), 3.1 μg/L for Co(II), 2.1 μg/L for Ni(II), and 4.4 μg/L for Cu(II) and corresponding limit of quantification (6s) values are 7.2, 35, 6.2, 4.2 and 8.8 μg/L, respectively. As a result, a simple method was elaborated for the group concentration and determination of the above mentioned metals in reference material and in samples of plant material.