Cloud point extraction for speciation of chromium in water samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A new method based on the cloud point extraction (CPE) separation and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) detection was proposed for the determination of chromium species. When the system temperature is higher than the cloud point extraction temperature (CPT) of selected surfactant p-octyl polyethyleneglycolphenyether (Triton X-100), the complex of Cr(VI) with dibromophenylfluorone (Br-PF) could enter surfactant-rich phase, whereas the Cr(III) remained in aqueous phase. Thus, an in situ separation of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) could be realized. Cr(VI) in surfactant-rich phase was analyzed by ETAAS and Cr(III) was calculated by subtracting of Cr(VI) from the total chromium which was directly determined by ETAAS. The main factors affecting the cloud point extraction, such as pH, concentration of Br-PF and Triton X-100, equilibration temperature and time, were investigated systematically. Under the optimized conditions, the quantitation limit for Cr(VI) as low as 0.01 microg/L was obtained by preconcentrating a 10 mL sample solution, and the relative standard deviation (n=6, c=2.0 microg/L) was 2.6%. The proposed method was applied to the speciation of chromium in different water samples and the recoveries in the range of 98.9-105.3% were obtained by spiking the real samples. In order to verify the accuracy of the method, a certified reference water sample was analyzed and the results obtained were in good agreement with the certified values.