Ionic liquid-linked dual magnetic microextraction of lead(II) from environmental samples prior to its micro-sampling flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination

A novel-and rapid microextraction approach termed as ionic liquid-linked dual magnetic microextraction (IL-DMME), was developed for the atomic absorption spectrometric determination of lead. The developed method based on a combination of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) and dispersive micro solid-phase extraction (D-mu-SPE). In the first DLLME step, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C(4)mim][PF6], was selected to extract the lead-pyrrolidine-dithiocarbamate (Pb-PDC) complex from sample solution by the assistance of vortex agitator. After the first step, fifty milligrams of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were added to extraction of the ionic liquid and Pb-PDC complex in aqueous solution. The effective factors in proposed IL-DMME procedure, including volume of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, amount of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles, vortex time, amount of ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, sample volume and matrix effect were optimized in details. Under the optimal conditions, the method present has low detection limit (0.57 mu g L-1), high preconcentration factor (160) and good repeatability ( < 7.5%, n=10). The accuracy of the developed method was evaluated by the analysis of the certified reference materials and addition-recovery tests. The method was successfully applied to the determination of lead in water, plant and hair samples. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.