Analytical Sciences

Preconcentration and Determination of Trace Metals in Seawater Using a Thiol Cotton Fiber Minicolumn Coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Shuzhen ZHANG,* Anxiang LU,*^,** Fang HAN,* and Xiao-quan SHAN*

*Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
**National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture, P. O. Box 2449-26, Beijing 100089, China

A rapid separation and preconcentration method was developed for the determination of trace metals Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in seawater using a minicolumn packed with thiol cotton fiber (TCF) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Preconcentration parameters, such as seawater sample volume and flow rate and eluent hydrochloric acid concentration, volume and flow rate, were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, trace metals Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in seawater can be determined with no interference from saline matrices. When a sample volume of 1500 ml and a sample flow rate of 15 ml min^-1 were used, the preconcentration factor of 1500 and RSD value of < 7% at ng ml^-1 were achieved. The accuracy of the recommended method was verified by the analysis of certified reference materials.

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