Determination of arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) in freshwater biological samples from Thailand by solvent extraction and neutron activation.

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) methods were employed for the determination of total arsenic, and water soluble As(III) and As(V) compounds in freshwater fish/shellfish and plant samples from Southern Thailand. Total arsenic concentrations varied from 0.05 to 425 mg kg. Water soluble arsenic species were separated by solvent extraction using ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC)/methylisobutylketone (MIBK) followed by NAA. The water soluble As(III) and As(V) levels varied from 0.07 to 26.4 and 0.03 to 22.9 mg kg, respectively. The As(III) and As(V) detection limits were 0.007 for fish/shellfish, 0.005 for As(III) and 0.006 mg kg for As(V) in plants. This separation method allows for the determination of water soluble As(III) and As(V) using commonly available and inexpensive laboratory equipment and chemicals, which can be coupled to a variety of quantification techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]