Determination of manganese, iron, copper and zinc in hard tissues of shellfish by solvent extraction/ICP-AES

Abstract

A method for determining of manganese, iron, zinc and copper in shell sample was examined using solvent extraction/ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry). Spectral interference and negative interference by calcium for these 4 elements were observed. Therefore, manganese, iron, zinc and copper were separated from macro-calcium using solvent extraction. Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate was used as a chelating reagent, and hexyl acetate was selected as an organic solvent. Manganese, iron, zinc and copper were quantitatively extracted at pH 6, and separated from calcium using this extraction system. The proposed method was applied to the determination of these elements in hard tissues in several shellfish specimens (limnetic and thalassic). In these element contents, the manganese concentration in a limnetic shellfish (Ikecho-gai) was found to be as high as 10³ ppm.