An on-line preconcentration procedure for the determination of bismuth by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) has been described. Lewatit TP-207 chelating resin, including iminodiacetate group, packed in a minicolumn was used as adsorbent material. Bi(III) was sorbed on the chelating resin, from which it could be eluted with 3 mol L(-1) HNO(3) and then introduced directly to the nebulizer-burner system of FAAS. Best preconcentration conditions were established by testing different resin quantities, acidity of sample, types of eluent, sample and eluent solution volumes, adsorption and elution flow rates, and effect of interfering ions. The detection limit of the method was 2.75 microg L(-1) while the relative standard deviation was 3.0% for 0.4 microg mL(-1) Bi(III) concentration. The developed method has been applied successfully to the determination of bismuth in pharmaceutical cream, standard reference materials and various natural water samples with satisfactory results.
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