A rapid impregnation method for loading desired amounts of extractant on prepacked reversed-phase columns for high performance liquid chromatographic separation of metal ions.

A time-efficient impregnation method for loading extractant onto reversed-phase columns was developed, using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) as a model extractant. The optimal loading conditions for the impregnation process of a standard analytical scale column was achieved by dissolving an appropriate amount of HDEHP (per void volume) in n-pentane, flushing the column with two void volumes (5mL) of impregnation solution and heating the column for a short time to remove the solvent. The process takes about one hour, a significant time reduction compared to commonly used impregnation methods (17-23h).

Selective liquid chromatographic separation of yttrium from heavier rare earth elements using acetic acid as a novel eluent.

One of the major difficulties in the rare earth elements separation is purification of yttrium from heavy rare earth elements. Thus, an HPLC method using acetic acid as novel eluent was explored for selective separation of yttrium form the heavy rare earth elements. When acetic acid is used as a mobile phase yttrium eluted with the lighter lanthanides.

Field site leaching from recycled concrete aggregates applied as sub-base material in road construction.

The release of major and trace elements from recycled concrete aggregates used in an asphalt covered road sub-base has been monitored for more than 4 years. A similar test field without an asphalt cover, directly exposed to air and rain, and an asphalt covered reference field with natural aggregates in the sub-base were also included in the study. It was found that the pH of the infiltration water from the road sub-base with asphalt covered concrete aggregates decreased from 12.

Optimization of an anion-exchange high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric method for the speciation analysis of oxyanion-forming metals and metalloids in leachates from cement-based materials.

A method was developed for the speciation analysis of the oxyanions of As(III), As(V), Cr(VI), Mo(VI), Sb(III), Sb(V), Se(IV), Se(VI) and V(V) in leachates from cement-based materials, based on anion-exchange HPLC coupled with ICP-MS. The method was optimized in a two-step multivariate approach: the effect of sample pH and mobile phase composition on resolution, peak symmetry and analysis time was studied. Optimum conditions were then identified for the significant experimental factors by studying their interdependence.

Overcoming matrix interferences in ion-exchange solid phase extraction of As, Cr, Mo, Sb, Se and V species from leachates of cement-based materials using multiple extractions.

Solid phase extraction (SPE) methods based on multiple extractions have been developed to overcome matrix interferences in the charge-based fractionation analysis of As, Cr, Mo, Sb, Se and V leached from cement-based materials. Disposable SPE tubes packed with 500 mg strong anion-exchange (SAX) or strong cation-exchange (SCX) sorbents were used to extract the anionic and cationic species of the elements, respectively. The multiple extractions were based on the percolation of a small sample volume (5.

Charge-based fractionation of oxyanion-forming metals and metalloids leached from recycled concrete aggregates of different degrees of carbonation: a comparison of laboratory and field leaching tests.

The release and charge-based fractionation of As, Cr, Mo, Sb, Se and V were evaluated in leachates generated from recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in a laboratory and at a field site. The leachates, covering the pH range 8.4-12.

Fractionation analysis of oxyanion-forming metals and metalloids in leachates of cement-based materials using ion exchange solid phase extraction.

A simple and versatile solid phase extraction (SPE) method has been developed to determine the anionic species of As, Cr, Mo, Sb, Se and V in leachates of cement mortar and concrete materials in the pH range 3-13. The anionic fractions of these elements were extracted using a strong anion exchanger (SAX) and their concentrations were determined as the difference in element concentration between the sample and the SAX effluent. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used off-line to analyse solutions before and after passing through the SAX.

Characteristics of water-soluble inorganic chemical components in size-resolved airborne particulate matters--Sheffield, UK.

To characterise the water-soluble inorganic components of PM(10) in the urban area of Sheffield, size-resolved aerosol samples were collected using an electric low pressure impactor (ELPI) during a 13-day sampling campaign in October and November 2006. Cl(-), NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-), and NH(4)(+) were determined by ion chromatography, and Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), and Ca(2+) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Back trajectories analyses revealed that the air masses could be classified into two main groups.

Multivariate optimization and simultaneous determination of hydride and non-hydride-forming elements in samples of a wide pH range using dual-mode sample introduction with plasma techniques: application on leachates from cement mortar material.

Analytical methods have been developed for the simultaneous determination of hydride-forming (As, Sb) and non-hydride-forming (Cr, Mo, V) elements in aqueous samples of a wide pH range (pH 3-13). The methods used dual-mode (DM) sample introduction with ICP-AES and ICP-MS instruments. The effect of selected experimental variables, i.

Determination of Cu and Ni in plants by microdialysis sampling: Comparison of dialyzable metal fractions with total metal content.

Microdialysis sampling is presented as an in situ sampling and sample clean-up technique with the potential to be used for determination of metals in plant suspension. Suspensions prepared from ultra pure water and flowers of a Blepharis aspera plant species obtained from a Cu and Ni mineralized site were sampled for Cu and Ni by microdialysis sampling after incorporating an optimal 0.05% (w/v) composition of humic acid in the perfusion liquid.

Heavy coal combustion as the dominant source of particulate pollution in Taiyuan, China, corroborated by high concentrations of arsenic and selenium in PM10.

Coal burning generates toxic elements, some of which are characteristic of coal combustion such as arsenic and selenium, besides conventional coal combustion products. Airborne particulate samples with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 microm (PM(10)) were collected in Taiyuan, China, and multi-element analyses were performed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations of arsenic and selenium from ambient air in Taiyuan (average 43 and 58 ng m(-3), respectively) were relatively high compared to what is reported elsewhere.

Mercury in the atmosphere, snow and melt water ponds in the North Atlantic Ocean during Arctic summer.

Atmospheric mercury speciation measurements were performed during a 10 week Arctic summer expedition in the North Atlantic Ocean onboard the German research vessel RV Polarstern between June 15 and August 29, 2004. This expedition covered large areas of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans between latitudes 54 degrees N and 85 degrees N and longitudes 16 degrees W and 16 degrees E. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and mercury associated with particles (Hg-P) were measured during this study.

Simultaneous determination of hydride (Se) and non-hydride-forming (Ca, Mg, K, P, S and Zn) elements in various beverages (beer, coffee, and milk), with minimum sample preparation, by ICP-AES and use of a dual-mode sample-introduction system.

A method has been developed enabling direct analysis (i.e. after dilution only) of beer, instant coffee, milk, and milk powder by ICP-AES.

Freon (CHF3)-assisted atomization for the determination of titanium using ultrasonic slurry sampling-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (USS-GFAAS): a simple and advantageous method for solid samples.

A simple and advantageous method for the determination of titanium using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with slurry sampling has been developed. Titanium is one of the refractory elements that form thermally stable carbides in the graphite tube, which leads to severe memory effects. Trifluoromethane (Freon-23) was applied in the purge gas during the atomization step or alternatively just prior to the atomization to successfully eliminate the problems of carbide formation and increase the lifetime of the furnace tube which could be used for more than 600 heating cycles.

Determination of titanium by slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with the use of fluoride modifiers.

A method for the determination of titanium in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with slurry sampling was developed. Titanium forms thermally stable carbides in the graphite tube that leads to decreased sensitivity and severe memory effects. Various fluorinating agents, BaF(2), NH(4)F, and CHF(3) (Freon-23) were therefore examined in order to reduce or eliminate these problems.

Springtime depletion of mercury in the European Arctic as observed at Svalbard.

This study was carried out to see whether the geographical extent of the mercury depletion events (MDEs), first seen at Alert in the Canadian High Arctic, is also covering Svalbard. Another goal was to determine the main reaction products from the MDE and their fate. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), total particulate mercury (TPM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and total mercury in surface snow have been measured at the Zeppelin mountain during 2000.

Determination of gallium in soil by slurry-sampling graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry.

A graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometric method, utilizing ultrasonic slurry-sampling has been developed for the determination of Ga in soils. Calibration with aqueous standards and with slurries prepared from a certified soil reference material were both employed. When calibration with soil slurries was used no modifier was needed.

Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry used for determination of total, EDTA and acetic acid extractable chromium and cobalt in soils.

Methods for determination of both the total and extractable content of Cr and Co in soil samples were investigated. For the total content of metal, ultrasonic slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was used and compared with conventional analyses after microwave digestion. The influence of grinding, leaching and homogeneity for slurry sampling was also examined.