Speciation of antimony in airborne particulate matter using ultrasound probe fast extraction and analysis by HPLC-HG-AFS

Abstract: A fast extraction procedure has been developed for Sb(III) and Sb(V) oxoanions speciation in airborne particulate matter samples. Different extraction media (diammonium tartrate, hidroxilammonium clorhidrate, citric acid+ascorbic acid, phosphoric acid and citrate solutions) were tried, with assistance of an ultrasonic probe. The operation power and time of extraction were also optimized. The higher extraction recoveries were obtained with a 100mmolL−1 hidroxilammonium clorhidrate aqueous solution assisted by the ultrasound probe operated at 50W during 3min. The extracts were analyzed by HPLC-HG-AFS. The chromatographic separation of Sb(III) and Sb(V) was also optimized using diammonium tartrate and phthalic acid as mobile phases. The separation of both Sb species was performed in less than 3min under isocratic conditions, using a 200mmolL−1 diammonium tartrate solution. The proposed extraction procedure and the HPLC-HG-AFS instrumental coupling have been successfully applied to airborne particulate matter samples, with high Sb content, collected in heavy traffic streets from Buenos Aires (Argentina). The results showed the presence of both Sb species at similar concentrations in the ngm−3 level. The extraction yield was higher than 90% for all the analyzed samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]