Complexation with ammonium diethyl dithiophosphate and sorption on a C18 bonded silica gel minicolumn in flow system was exploited for on-line separation and preconcentration in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Influence of interaction time between metallic ions and ligand, ligand concentration, nature and concentration of acid, timing, flow rates and minimization of spectral interference due to sodium were studied. Metallic complexes were stripped from the solution and retained in the minicolumn. Other ions that do not form complexes pass through the column promoting the separation of the matrix. Selectivity was improved with sequential elution. Water or 2% v/v HNO3 solution can be used for minicolumn washing before analyte elution with ethanol. When samples with sodium content up to 5000 mg L-1 were directly analysed in system, 63Cu apparent concentration of only 0.45 µg L-1 was detected while no interference were observed for As, Pb, Bi, Se, In, Tl, Cd, Hg and 65Cu. For 0.25 % of ligand solution and 3 mL sample volume in 2 % (v/v) HNO3, analytical curves for Bi, Cu, Pb, As, Se, In, Tl, Cd, Hg in the 0.10-2.00 µg L-1 range were obtained (r > 0.998). Sampling rate and detection limit depend on the selected conditions for concentration and elution. Detection limits for Cu, As, Se, Cd, In, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi were 0.014, 0.27, 0.06, 0.02, 0.29, 0.43, 0.02, 0.06 and 0.002 µg L-1, respectively.
Ammonium diethyl dithiophosphate; C18 bonded silica gel; flow-injection analysis; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
