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Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Quantification of Metal Leaching in Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography
Published on: January 17, 2020
A reliable method to prepare milligram size environmental samples to quantify metal(loid)s by high-resolution
Patrícia Gomes Costa1, Juliana Lemos Dal Pizzol1, Yuri Dornelles Zebral1
1Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Avenida Itália km 8, Campus Carreiros, 96.203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
Abstract:
We searched for an extraction method that would allow a precise quantification of metal(loid)s in milligram-size samples using high-resolution graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-GFAAS). We digested biological (DORM-4, DOLT-5 and TORT-3) and sediment (MESS-4) certified reference materials (CRMs) using nitric acid in a drying oven, aqua regia in a drying oven, or nitric acid in a microwave. In addition, we digested MESS-4 using a mixture of nitric and hydrofluoric acids in a drying oven. We also evaluated the effect of sample size (100 and 200 mg) on the extraction efficiency. Nitric acid extraction in a drying oven yielded the greatest recovery rates for all metal(loid)s in all tested CRMs (80.0 %-100.0 %) compared with the other extraction methods tested (67.3 %-99.2 %). In most cases, the sample size did not have a significant effect on the extraction efficiency. Therefore, we conclude that nitric acid digestion in a drying oven is a reliable extraction method for milligram-size samples to quantify metal(loid)s with HR-GFAAS. This validated method could provide substantial benefits to environmental quality monitoring programs by significantly reducing the time and costs required for sample collection, storage, transport and preparation, as well as the amount of hazardous chemicals used during sample extraction and analysis. •Sample digestion with nitric acid in a drying oven yielded the greatest recovery rates of metal(loid)s from biological and sediment certified reference materials.•The recovery rates of metal(loid)s from biological and sediment certified reference materials using nitric acid digestion in a drying oven ranged from 73 % to 100 %.•Digestion with nitric acid in a drying oven is a simple and reliable method to extract small size environmental samples for metal(loid)s quantification by high-resolution graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.
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