Abstract
An enrichment procedure for cobalt is described which is based on precipitating this element with 8-quinolinol and a carrier metal ion, filtering the precipitates and then analyzing them directly by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (EAAS). Submicrogram amounts of the element were coprecipitated quantitatively with magnesium 8-quinolinate from 100cm3 of aqueous solutions of pH 9.5. Quantitative recoveries of the metal from aqueous solutions ranging from 200 to 500 cm3 were also possible. Humic material and organic acids do not interfere with the recovery efficiencies of the method. This method was applied to a tap and river water samples. Using this method, cobalt(II) in natural water at levels below μg dm-3 range could be determined by EAAS using a solid-sampling technique.
