Solid-phase extraction with slurry injection of the resin into ETAAS for trace determination of thallium in natural water

Thallium in natural water samples was determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after 1000-fold enrichment by mini solid-phase extraction from a 100-mL sample solution. A Tl-pyrrolidine-1-carbodithioate complex formed in a sample solution of pH 1.6 was extracted on fine particles of a cellulose nitrate resin dispersed in the sample solution. The cellulose nitrate resin was then collected on a membrane filter (25 mm(o)) by filtration under suction using a glass funnel with an effective filtration area of 0.64 cm(2). As a result, a circular thin layer of the resin phase with a diameter of 9 mm was obtained. Then the resin phase was carved out by an acrylate resin puncher with a 10-mm(o) hole to put it into a sample cup containing 100 muL of 10 mM HNO3 containing 0.5 mM NaCl. The resin phase was suspended in the solution by ultrasonication. 1000-fold enrichment was thus attained within 15 min, and the suspension was delivered to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The linear calibration graph was obtained in the range of 0-4 ng of Tl in 100 mL of a sample solution. The detection limit obtained by 3sigma, method was 0.19 ng. The proposed method was applied to the determination of Tl in natural water samples. The results showed the concentration of Tl in seawater was 12.1 +/- 1.8 pg mL(-1) for the calibration graph method and 12.6 +/- 1.4 pg mL(-1) for the standard addition method. A snowmelt sample contained 20.7 +/- 1.0 pg mL(-1) of Tl.