Author(s)

M. Jamaluddin Ahmed^1*, Ayesha Afrin^1,2, Mamunur Rashid¹

¹Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
²Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

A very simple, ultra-sensitive, highly selective and non-extractive new spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of arsenic at pico-trace levels using 2-(α-pyridyl)-thioquinaldinamide (PTQA) has been developed. PTQA has been proposed as a new analytical reagent for the direct non-extractive spectrofluorimetric determination of Arsenic (V). This novel fluorimetric reagent, PTQA becomes oxidized in a slightly acidic (0.025 - 0.1 M H₂SO₄) solution with Arsenic (V) in absolute ethanol to produce highly fluorescent oxidized product (λex = 303 nm; λem = 365 nm). Constant and maximum fluorescence intensities were observed over a wide range of acidity (0.025 - 0.1 M H₂SO₄) for the period between 2 min and 24 h. Linear calibration graphs were obtained for 0.001 - 800-μgL^-1 of As, having a detection limit of 0.1-ngL^-1; the quantification limit of the reaction system was found to be 1-ngL^-1 and the RSD was 0% - 2%. A large excess of over 60 cations, anions and complexion agents (like, chloride, phosphate, azide, tartrate, oxalate, SCN, etc.) do not interfere in the determination. The developed method was successfully used in the determination of arsenic in several Certified Reference Materials (alloys, steels, ores, human urine, hair, nails, bovine liver and sediments) as well as in some biological fluids (human blood, urine, hair, nail and milk), soil samples, food samples (vegetables, fruits, rice, corn and wheat), solutions containing both arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) speciation and complex synthetic mixtures. The results of the proposed method for assessing biological, food and soil samples were comparable with both ICP-OES & AHG-AAS and were found to be in excellent agreement.

Spectrofluorimetry, Arsenic Determination, Groundwater, 2-(α-Pyridyl)-thioquinaldinamide, Environmental, Biological, Soil, Food Samples

Ahmed, M. , Afrin, A. and Rashid, M. (2019) A Highly Sensitive and Selective Spectrofluorimetric Method for the Determination of Arsenic at Pico-Trace Levels in Some Groundwater, Real, Environmental, Biological, Food and Soil Samples Using 2-(α-Pyridyl)-Thioquinaldinamide. American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 10, 316-347. doi: 10.4236/ajac.2019.108023.