Innovations in the speciation of organolead compounds in water: towards a more rational, rapid, and simple analytical process.

Speciation analysis calls for rapid, simple systems for minimizing errors made in the most troublesome of all steps in the analytical process: sample preparation. In this context, continuous-flow systems are of great help. The evolution in the different methodologies enabled solutions to the main shortcomings occurring from the lack of selectivity of using RP-C18 as sorbent material. One solution was a shift to more sensitive and selective, but only partially automated, systems employing C60 fullerene and Grignard's reagent; another was a shift to completely automated systems employing sodium tetrapropylborate; and a final solution was to employ the simplest possible configuration by removing the reagent stream. The analytical methods developed allowed the identification and quantification of different organolead species at the pg/ml levels in rainwater samples, with precision (RSD) of about 5% and recoveries ranging from 92 to 100%.