ABSTRACT
Ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles were synthesized using the microwave-assisted heating technique and employed as a sorbent for preconcentration of trace amounts of Hg(II) ions from aqueous solutions for the first time. The analysis of mercury was performed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS). The characteristics of nanoparticles were assessed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Experimental parameters influencing the extraction procedure recovery were thoroughly investigated. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.035–0.8 µg/L of mercury. The method was validated by analysis of a certified reference material.
Funding
The authors wish to thank the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for the financial support of this work (Code: 20185/3, Dated: December 2011)