Investigation of iron(III) reduction and trace metal interferences in the determination of dissolved iron in seawater using flow injection with luminol chemiluminescence detection.
A detailed investigation into the performance of two flow injection-chemiluminescence (FI-CL) manifolds (with and without a preconcentration column) for the determination of sub-nanomolar dissolved iron (Fe(II)+Fe(III)), following the reduction of Fe(III) by sulphite, in seawater is described. Kinetic experiments were conducted to examine the efficiency of reduction of inorganic Fe(III) with sulphite under different conditions and a rigorous study of the potential interference caused by other transition metals present in seawater was conducted. Using 100microM concentrations of sulphite a reduction time of 4h was sufficient to quantitatively reduce Fe(III) in seawater. Under optimal conditions, cobalt(II) and vanadium(IV)/(III) were the major positive interferences and strategies for their removal are reported. Specifically, cobalt(II) was masked by the addition of dimethylglyoxime to the luminol solution and vanadium(IV) was removed by passing the sample through an 8-hydroxyquinoline column in a low pH carrier stream. Manganese(II) also interfered by suppression of the CL response but this was not significant at typical open ocean concentrations.
School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences (SEOES), University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom.
Simon J
SJ
Ussher
Angela
A
Milne
William M
WM
Landing
Kakar
K
Attiq-ur-Rehman
Marie J M
MJ
Séguret
Toby
T
Holland
Eric P
EP
Achterberg
Abdul
A
Nabi
Paul J
PJ
Worsfold
D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D017022:Flow Injection Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D008165:Luminol / Q000737:chemistry*; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013447:Sulfites / Q000737:chemistry
D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D008670:Metals; D013447:Sulfites; D008165:Luminol