Preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of lead (III) as thenoyltrifluoroacetone complex with dibenzo-18-crown-6 by synergistic extraction and atomic absorption spectrometry

A new method for the preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of lead at the mu g/L level in natural waters has been established based on the formation of the thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) complex with dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) by means of synergistic extraction and back-extraction combined with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The effect of various factors (synergism with TTA and DB18C6, shaking time, preconcentration factor, composition of the extracted species, and foreign ions etc.) on the extraction and back-extraction of lead has been investigated in detail. The lead-TTA chelate in o-dichlorobenzene forms a stable adduct with DB 18C6 as Pb(TTA)(2) DB 18C6. The stability constant (beta) of the adduct determined by curve fitting method was log beta = 4.2. The amount of lead in natural waters such as tap water (Kanazawa University) and Kakehashi river (Komatsu City) determined by the present method was found to be 0.64 +/- 0.02 mu g/L and 5.10 +/- 0.03 mu g/L, respectively.