US EPA

1269142 

Journal Article 

Combustion Flask Procedure for the Preparation of Samples of Arsenic Collected on Filter Media 

Filipp, N; Morgan, JM; Rohm, TJ 

1989 

Yes 

American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
ISSN: 0002-8894 

NIOSH/00193499 

50 

11 

593-597 

eng 

WOS:A1989AY00200008 

Use of the Schoniger oxygen flask combustion method to prepare samples of organic and inorganic arsenic (7440382) collected on filter media was evaluated by comparison with the wet digestion technique. Mixed cellulose ester filter membranes were spiked with known amounts of arsenic (or other metals) before preparation, then analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Analytical recoveries of 1.0 to 20.0 micrograms inorganic arsenic were 86 to 102.5 for wet digestion and 91.4 to 95.0 percent for the Schoniger method recoveries of both methods were independent of arsenic quantity. Analytical recoveries by the Schoniger method of 0.1 to 10 micrograms arsenic as reference standard were also quantitative. Preliminary results for analytical recoveries of other metals by the Schoniger method were: 1 to 3 micrograms antimony (7440360), 0 to 35 percent; 0.05 to 1.0 microgram beryllium (7440417), 77 to 87 percent; 5 micrograms cadmium (7440439), 47 to 81 percent; 10 micrograms lead (7439921), 75 to 95 percent; and 5 micrograms zinc (7440666), 100 percent. Antimony apparently formed an amalgam with the platinum sample carrier. The authors conclude that the Schoniger method appears suitable for preparation of organic and inorganic arsenic samples (and some other metals) and requires less time and reagents than wet digestion. The Schoniger versus wet digestion method uses much more dilute solutions which extends spectrophotometer graphite tube life and improves long term reproducibility of atomic absorption measurements. 

DCN-188897; Quantitative analysis; Chemical analysis; Heavy metals; Analytical methods; Sample preparation; Filters; Arsenic compounds; Light metals