On-site solid-phase extraction and application to in situ preconcentration of heavy metals in surface water

An on-site solid-phase extraction, consisting of the sorption, the separation and the elution function units, was designed for in situ preconcentration of heavy metals ions. The D401 resin powder was employed as sorbent to capture Pb(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Co(2+), and Ni(2+), and then they desorbed with 2 mol/L nitric acid as eluent. Under the optimized conditions, these heavy metals ions in West Lake, Taihu Lake, and Yangtze River of China were captured and then determined by ICP-OES with the recovery of 92.5% to 111.5%. The on-site solid-phase extraction achieved a quick preconcentration of heavy metals to avoid the transport and storage of a large volume water sample. It is suitable for in situ monitoring of water quality in mountains, tablelands or other remote areas.