Determination of Aluminum in Water Samples and Its Speciation Approach by Fluorophotometric Flow Injection Analysis with 8-Quinolinol Coupled with Micelle Sensitization

Original Paper

Abstract

Trace amounts of aluminum in water samples were determined by fluorophotometric flow injection analysis. Less harmful 8-quinolinol and Triton X-100 were used as a fluorophotometric derivatizing reagent for Al³⁺ and a micelle sensitizer, respectively. Even with the traditional and conventional reagents, a linear calibration graph was obtained for Al³⁺ at the concentration range of 10^-7 mol/l level with a limit of detection at 2.8x10^-9 mol/l. The sample throughput was 60 h^-1. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of a standard reference substance, and the analytical result agreed well with the certified value. The proposed system was also applied to the speciation analysis of tap water and river water samples; aluminum species of free Al³⁺, hydrolyzed Al species, and Al in suspended particles were fairly evaluated. The recovery test of Al³⁺ to the water samples was in the ranges of 92–106%.