Determination of trace amounts of platinum group metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, after separation and preconcentration, in environmental samples

Platinum metals are toxic and their increasing content in the environment as a consequence of the massive use of automotive catalysts requires extraordinary attention. Significant is also utilization of Pt(II) compounds in medicine as antineoplastic metallopharmaceutics, which get into waste waters of medical facilities. The metals Occur in the environment in very low concentrations and hence the use of concentration techniques for their enrichment is necessary. Preconcentrations of platinum metals as ionic associates of their halo complexes with cation-active tensides on modified silica-type sorbents and by sorption of their halo complexes on strongly basic anion exchangers were Successfully used for the purpose.