Field-deployable spectrophotometric determination of uranium in aqueous systems using Br-PADAP

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Spectrophotometry

Background:

• The Br-PADAP spectrophotometric method is sensitive for uranium (U(VI)) determination.
• Conventional methods use toxic sodium fluoride, posing environmental risks.
• An eco-friendly alternative is needed for safer U(VI) quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an environmentally friendly spectrophotometric method for U(VI) determination.
• To replace toxic sodium fluoride with sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS).
• To optimize parameters and assess the method's performance and reliability.

Main Methods:

• Spectrophotometric determination of U(VI) using Br-PADAP.
• Optimization of pH, reagent stoichiometry, and reaction kinetics.
• Systematic evaluation of parameters like absorbance, stability, linearity, and interference tolerance.
• Validation using spike-recovery tests in environmental water samples.

Main Results:

• The Br-PADAP-U(VI) complex shows maximum absorbance at 576 nm (ε = 4.33 × 10⁴ L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹).
• The method is rapid, stable (>4 h), linear from 0.0-4.0 μg/mL U(VI), with Sandell sensitivity of 0.0055 μg cm⁻².
• High tolerance to coexisting ions and successful validation in environmental samples (96.4-104% recovery).

Conclusions:

• The developed SDS-based Br-PADAP method offers a safe, simple, rapid, and accurate alternative for U(VI) quantification.
• This eco-friendly approach is suitable for field-deployable U(VI) analysis.
• It effectively addresses the environmental and operational risks associated with traditional methods.