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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Clean Sampling and Analysis of River and Estuarine Waters for Trace Metal Studies
Published on: July 1, 2016
Determination of gadolinium in river water by SPE preconcentration and ICP-MS
Kristina Hennebrüder1, Rainer Wennrich, Jürgen Mattusch
1Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnèstr. 3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract:
An analytical scheme was developed for the determination of Gd-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (Gd-DTPA), Gd and the other rare earth elements (REE) in river water by inductively coupled plasma (quadrupole) mass spectrometry (ICP-Q-MS). The preconcentration step was essential, since the limits of detection of this multielemental analytical technique are higher than the trace concentrations of the interesting elements in river water. Solid phase extraction (SPE) with different commercially available complexing agents (Chelex 100, Toyopearl and ethylhexylphosphates) was employed for the preconcentration of REE. The investigations revealed that complex stability (varying in dependence of the pH value) has a strong influence on the degree of the enrichment of Gd-DTPA. Based on acidified water samples (pH<3) a procedure using ethylhexylphosphates was proposed for the preconcentration of Gd and REE from surface water samples. For this purpose C(18)-cartridges loaded with ethylhexylphosphates were used, resulting in an enrichment factor of 40.
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