SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF TOXIC HEAVY-METALS IN ORGANIC MATRICES USING REVERSED-PHASE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

A rapid and sensitive reversed-phase HPLC technique has been developed for the determination of six toxic heavy metals in a variety of matrices. Cd, Pb, Ni, Bi, Cu, and Hg were detected and quantified at the ppb level in effluent water, urine, methanol, and acetonitrile. Customized sample preparation procedures are described for each matrix. For laboratory effluent water this entailed the removal of particulate matter and dissolved apolar organic matter, while for urine, Cell Debris Remover (CDR) was added directly to urine to eliminate biological components such as proteins, peptides, and cell debris. Methanol and acetonitrile were pre-concentrated by evaporation and then diluted (1:1) with the aqueous component of the mobile phase [0,02% (m/v) sodium diethyldithiocarbamate in 10 mmol dm-3 Na2HPO4 at pH 7,5].