SYNTHESIS, PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS OF SILICA-IMMOBILIZED 8-QUINOLINOL .2. ONLINE COLUMN PRECONCENTRATION OF COPPER, NICKEL AND CADMIUM FROM SEA-WATER AND DETERMINATION BY INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-ATOMIC EMISSION-SPECTROMETRY

The coupling of an on-line column preconcentration manifold with conti nuous flow ultrasonic nebulizer equipped with a desolvation system for simultaneous determination of metal ions by inductively coupled plasm a atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) is described. The silica-immo bilized 8-quinolinol prepared by an improved synthetic route has been evaluated as a preconcentration material for metals in a flow system. Dynamic exchange capacities of this material were ascertained by deter mining the breakthrough volumes of radiotracer Cu-64 solution under di fferent flow parameters. Optimization of the on-line column preconcent ration with ICP-AES measurement was investigated. The feasibility of t he proposed method was tested for the determination of Cu, Ni and Cd i n open sea water samples. Results obtained for the determination of th ese elements in NASS-2 sea water sample agreed very well with certifie d values. The limits of detection based on a sample volume of 25 mi fo r Cu, Ni and Cd were 0.07, 0.054 and 0.016 ng ml(-1), respectively.