Investigation of Hexavalent Chromium Reduction in Strong Saline and Acidic Nitro-Phosphate Solutions

Phosphorus fertilizers from less pure sedimentary sources become increasingly important, due to depletion of phosphorus from igneous rock of high quality. Consequently, robust methods with potential to remove various types of hazardous elements are required. Among such impurities, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is very likely to become a future challenge. Different industrial ways to treat phosphate rock are currently being practised, and we have here studied how chromium behaves when using the nitro-phosphate process. The reduction mechanism of Cr (VI) in nitric acid and phosphoric acid solutions was investigated by measuring redox potential and UV-VIS spectra. The results show that Cr (VI) is not stable in strong nitric acid solutions. Reduction of Cr (VI) species decreased with decreasing temperature, NO2 concentration, ionic strength and absence of light. These findings support the proposed reduction reaction:The reduction rate was observed proportional to the nitric acid decomposition: .

Trace-Level Analysis of Hexavalent Chromium in Lake Sediment Samples Using Ion Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The analysis of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), in soil and sediment samples has been predominantly carried out in materials containing elevated levels. Reliable analysis of trace-level of Cr(VI) in sediment samples remains challenging. Cr(VI) analyses with multipoint calibration and speciated isotope dilution (SID) adapted from U.S. EPA method 6800 were used to measure lower-level Cr(VI) on an ion chromatograph coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer (IC-MS/MS). Lake sediment samples were collected from various locations in Northern Ontario and Cr(VI) was extracted using both alkaline digestion and ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) extraction. Certified reference materials were extracted and analyzed by IC-MS/MS and UV-VIS detection. The SID-MS approach allowed for the quantification of Cr(VI) in samples with concentration levels below 0.5 μg.g-1 wet weight.

Separation,speciation and quantification of both chromium(Ⅵ)and chromium(Ⅲ)in tanned leather samples:a comparative study and validation of analytical methods

In the present work,a comparative study of analytical methods for the simultaneous and quantitative determination of trivalent and hexavalent chromium is presented.For the analysis by ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry,two different columns were tested,as well as different mobile phases and different pH of the samples.The optimized analytical method permitted the separation of Cr(Ⅲ)and Cr(Ⅵ)using 75 mmol/L NH_(4)NO_(3)pH 3 as chromatographic eluent.The method was validated and applied to real samples,allowing the determination of both species simultaneously,even when there is a huge difference of concentration between Cr(Ⅲ)and Cr(Ⅵ).Limit of detection and limit of quantification for Cr(Ⅲ)were found to be 0.016 and 0.054μg/L(0.3 and 1.1μg/kg),respectively,and for Cr(Ⅵ)0.13 and 0.43μg/L(7 and 22μg/kg),respectively.Possible species interconversions were monitored through the use of chromium isotopic standards,which confirmed that the optimized methodology preserves chromium speciation during extraction and analysis.Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry permitted the structure elucidation of the complex formed during ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid extraction.