Application of modified alumina coated magnetite nanoparticles as sorbent for separation/preconcentration of mercury trace amounts and its determination by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

Mohammad Ali Karimi, Laleh Sot

Abstract

A simple and selective method has been developed for rapid extraction and determination of ultra trace amounts of Hg(II) ions using 2- mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) modified alumina coated magnetite nanoparticles (ACMNPs) for its highly sensitive measurement by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). The effects of various parameters such as pH, reagents concentrations, the standing time, the sample volume, the elution condition and the interfering ions were investigated. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the preconcentration factor, detection limit, linear range and relative standard deviation ofHg(II) were 250 (for 500mLof sample solution), 0.4 ngmL-1, 2.0 – 80.0 ng mL-1 and 3.4%(for 10.0 ng mL-1, n=10), respectively. Thismethod avoided the timeconsuming column-passing process of loading large volume samples in traditional solid phase extraction (SPE) through the rapid isolation ofMBT/ SDS-ACMNPs with an adscititious magnet. The proposed method also was successfully applied for determination of Hg(II) in different water samples