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Speciation analysis of thallium using electrothermal AAS following on-line pre-concentration in a microcolumn filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

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Abstract

The enrichment ability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was investigated and a new method established for the determination of trace thallium species in environmental samples using electrothermal atomization-atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The CNTs were employed as sorbent substrate in a continuous flow system coupled to ETAAS. Parameters influencing the recoveries of thallium were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the detection limit and precision of the method were 0.009 µg L−1 and 3.9%, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of thallium in real environmental samples and the recoveries were in the range from 96 to 100%. This system was able to separate thallium (I) from the matrix, which allowed its selective determination. The total thallium content was then determined by reducing Tl(III) with hydroxylamine. All these experimental results indicated that this new procedure can be applied to the determination of trace thallium in drinking water samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Química de San Luis, INQUISAL (UNSL-CONICET), Chacabuco y Pedernera, San Luis, Argentina, CP D5700BWS

    Raúl A. Gil, Pablo H. Pacheco, Roberto A. Olsina & Luis D. Martinez

  2. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Unidad de Actividad Química, Av. Gral Paz 1499, San Martín-Buenos Aires, Argentina, CP B1650KNA

    Patricia Smichowski

  3. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Avda. Rivadavia 1917, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, CP C1033AAJ

    Patricia Smichowski

Authors
  1. Raúl A. Gil
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  2. Pablo H. Pacheco
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  3. Patricia Smichowski
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  4. Roberto A. Olsina
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  5. Luis D. Martinez
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Correspondence to Luis D. Martinez.

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Gil, R.A., Pacheco, P.H., Smichowski, P. et al. Speciation analysis of thallium using electrothermal AAS following on-line pre-concentration in a microcolumn filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Microchim Acta 167, 187–193 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-009-0241-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-009-0241-4

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