Use of a packed minicolumn connected to a syringe for determination of trace elements in biological and water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In this study, a syringe-connected minicolumn resin was used for the separation and enrichment of cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The proposed technique was compared with classical batch and column techniques in terms of rapidness, simplicity, enrichment and risk of contamination. The minicolumn was filled with Chromosorb-103 resin and connected to a syringe. If the samples were treated with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate or 8-hydroxyquinoline, the analytes were quantitatively retained at pH greater than or equal to 2 and pH greater than or equal to 5 on the resin, respectively. On the other hand, if no chelating agent was added, the analytes were quantitatively retained at pH greater than or equal to 10. The analytes retained by the resin were quantitatively eluted by drawing and discharging nitric acid in acetone. The analytes in spiked river-water samples and in certified standard reference Bovine-Liver (NIST SRM 1577 b) were quantitatively (greater than or equal to94%) recovered. The relative standard deviations for the determinations were found to be 1.0-10%.