Catalytic Kinetic Fluorimetric Detection of Trace Amounts of Bismuth

A catalytic kinetic fluorescence method for the detection of trace bismuth(III) was developed, which focuses on the fading reaction of hydrogen peroxide that oxidizes eosin Y under the acidity of pH 4.50 and 90 degrees C. Experiments showed that bismuth could catalyze the oxidation of eosin Y by hydrogen peroxide; simultaneously, the fluorescence intensity was weakened or lost. The linear relationship between bismuth and eosin Y can be used to determine trace amounts of bismuth. The results showed that the concentration of bismuth in the range of 4.0 x 10(-4) to 4.0 x 10(-3) mu g/L showed a good linear relationship with lg(I-F(0)/I-F), the correlation coefficient was 0.9971, and the detection limit of the method was 1.9 x 10(-5) mu g/L. The method could be used for the determination of bismuth in human hair and water samples.