Preconcentration of Some Heavy Metals with Novel Electrospun Nanofiber Including Quince Seed Mucilage

In this study, quince seed mucilage (QSM)-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning technique. Glutaraldehyde (GA) was used to provide crosslinking of QSM with PVA. The crosslinking was examined by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The morphology of the produced nanofibers was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). From SEM images, the average diameter was 156.6 nm and the structures produced were smooth and bead-free. A method has been developed for preconcentration of Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) ions by using columns filled with nanofibers whose characterization processes have been completed and then to be determined by high-resolution continuous light source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS). In addition, the advantages of the method developed with QSM-PVA nanofibers were demonstrated by comparing the preconcentration conditions with QSM-PVA and PVA nanofibers. At optimum conditions determined experimentally, the recoveries of Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) were found to be 98.2 +/- 3.5, 96.1 +/- 3.7, and 98.1 +/- 3.2 respectively. LOD and adsorption capacity of nanofibers for Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) were found to be 0.53; 0.55; and 0.17 mu g/L and 434.78; 65.36; and 28.41 mg/g respectively. The accuracy of the developed method has been determined by analyzing certified reference material (CRM) and spiked samples.