Solid-phase extraction and spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of copper in water samples

A simple method for rapid and selective extraction, preconcentration and de termination of copper as it's neocuproine complex by using octadecylsilica membrane disks and spectrophotometry is presented. Extraction efficiency an d the influence of flow rates of sample solution and eluent, pH, amount of neocuproine and hydroxylamine hydrochloride, type and least amount of eluen t for elution of copper complex from disks, break through volume and limit of detection were evaluated. Also the effects of various cationic interfere nces on percent recovery of copper were studied. Extraction efficiencies > 99% were obtained by elution of the disks with minimal amount of solvent. T he limit of detection of the proposed method is 0.12 ppb. The method was ap plied to the recovery and determination of copper in different water sample s. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.