Application of a new modified magnetic nanoparticle as a selective sorbent for preconcentration and extraction of europium in environmental water samples prior to ICP-OES determination

The presented study investigates the application of new magnetic core-shell silica nanoparticles as a selective sorbent for magnetic solid phase extraction and determination of europium (Eu) in environmental water samples. Separation was performed by using a small amount of sorbent with high extraction capacity according to the special properties of magnetic nanoparticles. The elution step was performed by 1.5 mL nitric acid (1 mol L-1) and the desorbed analyte was introduced to ICP-OES. The effect of different parameters such as pH, extraction and desorption time, type and concentration of eluent,aEuro broken vertical bar were investigated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions the detection limit for determination of Eu was 0.04 A mu g L-1 and the relative standard deviation (RSD, C = 200 A mu g L-1, n = 6) was 3.2 %. The linearity of the method was obtained within the range of 0.5-1,000 A mu g L-1 and the extraction efficiency was 93.5 %. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by calculating the relative recovery by analyzing real water samples and good recoveries (95-106.5 %) were achieved, showing the reliability of the method for determination of europium in real samples.