Abstract
A method for determination of vanadium in air by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry was studied. Atomospheric particulates were collected on a Gelman filter by a high-volume air sampler, and extracted with 5% hydrochloric acid. Cupferron, a chelating agent, reacts with vanadium to form a complex, which can be extracted with methyl isobutyl ketone. The solvent was dried, ashed, and atomized by passing through a high electric current of the atomizer. The concentration of vanadium was calculated directly from the calibration curve by measuring the absorbance of vanadium at 318.5 nm. Cations, except tin, did not interfere the determination of vanadium seriously. Analytical results were in good agreement with those obtained by a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The coefficient of variation was from 4.4% to 9.4%, and the limit of detection was 0.03 ppm of vanadium, when the signal/noise ratio was 2.
