Preconcentration of Rare Earth Elements in Seawater with Chelating Resin Having Fluorinated β-Diketone Immobilized on Styrene Divinyl Benzene for their Determination by ICP-OES

An analytical method has been developed for the preconcentration of rare earth elements (REEs) in seawater for their determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). An indigenously synthesized chelating resin was used for the preconcentration of (REEs) which was based on immobilization of fluorinated β-diketone group on solid support styrene divinyl benzene. Sample solutions (adjusted to optimized pH) were passed through a polyethylene column packed with 250 mg of the resin. Experimental conditions consisting of pH, sample flow rate, sample volume and eluent concentration were optimized. The established method has been applied for the preconcentration of light, medium and heavy REEs in coastal sea water samples for their subsequent determination by (ICP-OES). Percentage recoveries of La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er, Yb and Lu were ≥ 95%, a preconcentration factor of 200 times, and relative standard deviations < 5% were achieved.