Low pressure chromatographic separation of inorganic arsenic species using solid phase extraction cartridges

Abstract Routine water analysis of arsenic species requires simple, inexpensive, rapid and sensitive methods. To this end, we have developed two methods, which are based on the use of inexpensive solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges as low pressure chromatographic columns for separation and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) and hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HGAFS) for detection of arsenic. Both anion exchange and reverse phase cartridges were successfully used to separate arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)]. The composition, concentration, and pH of eluting buffers and the effect of flow rate were systematically investigated. Speciation of inorganic As(III) and As(V) were achieved within 1.5 min, with detection limits of 0.2 and 0.4 ng/ml, respectively. Both isocratic and step gradient elution techniques were suitable for the baseline resolution of As(III) and As(V) using anion exchange cartridges. Application of the methods to the speciation of As(III) and As(V) in untreated water, tap water, and bottled water samples were demonstrated. Results from the speciation of arsenic in a standard reference material water sample using these methods were in good agreement with the certified value and with inter-laboratory comparison results obtained using HPLC separation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric detection (HPLC–ICPMS).