Sub-Microdetermination of Antimony (Iii) and Antimony (V) In Natural and Polluted Waters and Total Antimony In Biological Materials By Flameless Aas Following Extractive Separation With N-P-Methoxyphenyl-2-Furylacrylohydroxamic Acid

Antimony (III) was separated from antimony (V) by extractive separation from 2–10−6 M HC1 media with N-p-methoxyphenyl-2-furylacrylohydroxamic acid (MFHA) in chloroform and determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy at 2600°C using copper as matrix modifier. Antimony (V) was subsequently reduced to the trivalent form with acidic (-1M HC1) potassium iodide solution and determined as above. the mutual tolerance between antimony (III) and antimony (V) in the present mothod was very high-either of the species could be determined in presence of 15 times higher concentration of the other species. the sepatation-AAS determination system enabled accurate differential analysis of the metalloid in natural/ polluted waters down to 10−2 ppb (ug 1−1) levels. the method was also applied to the analysis of antimony in vehicle exhaust particulates, plant tissues, and animal tissues. the method was validated by analysing several certified reference materials with and without standard addition of antimony. MFHA was chosen from amongst thirteen new hydroxamic acids.