Simultaneous speciation of arsenic, selenium, antimony and tellurium species in FT waters and soil extracts by capillary electrophoresis and UV detection

Capillary electrophoresis with indirect UV detection was used to determine simultaneously arsenic, selenium, antimony and tellurium compounds. The sep aration was achieved in a fused silica capillary filled with an electrolyte solution containing sodium chromate and an electroosmotic flow modifier, t rimethyltetradecylammonium hydroxide (TTAOH). The effect of the TTAOH conce ntration and electrolyte solution pH on the electrophoretic mobility of the species was studied. The best simultaneous separation of these species was achieved with 0.5 mM TTAOH and an electrolyte pH of 11.2 within 5 min. Det ection limits range from 13 mu g l(-1) for Se-VI to 509 mu g l(-1) for Te-I V with electromigrative injection. The reproducibility was below 10% and li nearity was verified in the 0-100 mg l(-1) range for all species. Interfere nces by other inorganic ions were studied. This method was applied to the d etermination of metalloids in a spiked drinking water. Water extracts of in dustrial soils were analysed and results were compared with those of ICP-MS measurements.