Determination of Ni, Pb and Cd in drinking fountain water in Kirklareli/Turkey by FAAS after preconcentration on quercetin modified using granular activated carbon

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the level after preconcentration of trace heavy metals ions using drinking fountain water (20 points) in Kirklareli province by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The method is based on the adsorption of nickel(Ni), lead(Pb) and cadmium(Cd) on quercetin loaded on granular activated carbon. In this study, the effectiveness of variabilities including solution pH, the amount of the ligand and solid phase, the condition of eluting solutions and sample volume on the recoveries of metals were optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the preconcentration factor, detection limit, linear range and relative standard deviation (RSD%) of Ni, Pb, and Cd were investigated. RSDs were found below 5%. Further, the accuracy of the proposed method was also checked by the analysis of certified reference material NIST-SRM-1643e. Eventually, the recommended method was successfully implemented for the analysis of the Ni, Pb, and Cd in environmental water samples. The concentrations of Pb, Ni, and Cd in the waters ranged from 11.0 to 187 mu g L-1 for Pb, 14.3 to 56.8 mu g L-1 for Ni and 1.21 to 8.90 mu g L-1 for Cd.