This work proposed a procedure to examine ashes produced in burning lubricating oils used in public transportation, in Teresina PI. Sulphanilic acid was added to the oil samples, which were burned at 550 °C for three hours and 650 °C for two hours. The ash solutions were analyzed by FAAS and there were significant differences in the metal contents of the waste oil produced from normal car service. The quantification limits in μg g-1 were 5.9 (Fe), 4.4 (Pb), 1.7 (Ni), 2.1 (Cu), and 1.2 (Zn). The results showed positive accuracy and precision with recoveries between 88 and 108%, and RSD lower than 10%.

A simple and reliable ashing procedure is proposed for the preparation of used lubricating oil samples for the determination of Zn, Fe, Pb, Ni and Cu by the flame atomic absorption spectrometry technique. Sulphanilic acid was added to oil samples, the mixture coked and the coke ashed at 550 ºC. The solutions of the ash were analysed by flame AAS for these metals. The quantification limits were 38.250 µg g-1 for Zn, 4.550 µg g-1 for Fe, 1.562 µg g-1 for Pb, 1.450 µg g-1 for Ni, and 0.439 µg g-1 for Cu. The determinations, in lubricating oil, showed good precision and accuracy with recoveries between 90 and 110 %, indicating a negligible matrix effect in the experiments using addition of analyte, with relative standard deviation lower than 5%. The results for analysis of wastewater contamined by theses lubricants showed a very high relative standard deviation.