Evaluation of metal fractions in river sediments and waters: application of chelation chromatography-differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

The ability of chelation chromatography in combination with differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) to provide a simple, fast and reliable way of dealing with interionic interferences, competitive complexations, re-adsorption of released metal ions and sorption of spiking metal ions by organic/inorganic materials in the complex matrixes of real natural samples has been critically examined. The technique is based on the selective complexation of target metal fractions on some novel sorbents which are polymeric chelating resins doped on stationary supports (Whatman No. 1 paper and silica gel). The usual complications of leaching of the resin and/or the chelating ligand and colloid retention on the sorption bed at any stage of separation were largely obviated with these sorbents under the operational conditions of metal sorption. A detailed study on the application of such sorbents to the differentiation of ionic (free), labile (ionic plus weakly complexed) and bound (strongly complexed) metal fractions present in local river-sediment and water samples was carried out. Chelating resin-impregnated paper (CRIP) and chelating resin-immobilized silica gel column (CRISC) methods of chromatographic separation of analyte trace metals in combination with the follow-up 'standard addition' procedure of the DPASV technique were employed. A modest attempt has been made to formulate a speciation (fractionation) scheme for metal contents present in river-sediments and waters on the basis of selective retention of ionic and labile fractions on complexing resins.