Extraction, preconcentration and determination of arsenic in drinking water by HR GFAAS.

Abstract

Heavy metals, such as arsenic, are major environmental pollutants with significant adverse effects on human health and the ecosystem. Arsenic, in its various chemical forms, is widely distributed due to industrial and agricultural activities. Its toxicity affects numerous organs and is associated with an increased incidence of various types of cancer. Accurate determination of arsenic in drinking water is crucial. Several techniques exist for the detection and quantification of arsenic, such as ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and GFAAS (graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry), which offer high sensitivity and accuracy. To improve the analytical parameters, a novel adsorbent based on functionalised magnetic nanoparticles (M@GONIO) for magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) is proposed. This technique shows promise due to its advantages in terms of speed, selectivity and pre-concentration capability. In the present work, the synthesised material has been characterised and several analytical parameters, such as pH, loading, elution and reductant flow rates, as well as eluent and reductant concentrations, among others, have been optimised. The proposed method exhibits a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.10 μg L-1 and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.18 μg L-1. The relative standard deviations (%RSD) obtained vary between 1-5 %. Finally, standard reference materials have been analysed to validate the method, obtaining a good correlation between the results obtained and certified values.