A simple rapidly synergistic cloud point extraction procedure has been developed for the separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of lead from food and water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Rapidly synergistic cloud point extraction (RS-CPE) greatly simplified and accelerated the procedure of traditional cloud point extraction (CPE). This method was accomplished in room temperature in 1 min. Non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 was used as extractant. Octanol worked as cloud point revulsant and synergic reagent which lowered the cloud point temperature of Triton X-114 and assisted the subsequent extraction process. Some parameters that influenced cloud point extraction and subsequent determination were evaluated in detail, such as sample pH, amounts of octanol, amounts of Triton X-114, type of diluting solvent, extraction time and ionic strength, as well as interferences. Under optimized conditions (pH 8.5, octanol: 10 µL, Triton X-114: 0.04% w/v and diluting solvent: 1 mol L-1 HNO3 in methanol), an enhancement factor of 40 could be obtained, and the detection limit (LOD) for lead was 1.6 µg L-1. Relative standard deviation for ten replicate determinations of the standard solution containing 100 µg L-1 lead was 2.1%. The proposed method was applied for the determination of lead in food (spinach, rice and black tea bag) and water samples and satisfactory results were obtained.
rapidly synergistic cloud point extraction; triton X-114; lead; food samples; water samples
