X-ray fluorescence spectrometric determination of sulfur-containing anionic surfactants in water after their enrichment on a membrane filter as an ion-pair complex with a cationic surfactant

Anionic surfactants containing sulfur in their structure were enriched on a mixed cellulose ester membrane filter (MF) by filtration as an ion-pair complex with a cationic surfactant. After their enrichment, the anionic surfactants were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of the sulfur enriched on the MF. A linear calibration was obtained over a concentration range from 0.05 to 0.8 mg L-1 of sodium dodecyl sulfate as a standard material with less than 6% RSD. The detection limit based on 3s for the reagent blank was 2 mug L-1. This method is very simple, rapid and highly selective for sulfur-containing surfactants, and does not require any organic solvent extraction. This method was applied to the determination of anionic surfactant in some urban river waters where domestic wastewater was discharged. The results were compared with those obtained by conventional solvent extraction-spectrophotometry. The distribution of the analyte complexes within the MF where the ion-pair was retained is also discussed.