M. Ponta, T. Frentiu, A.M.Rusu, E.A. Cordos, Traces of Copper, Manganese and Zinc in Aquatic Animals and Sediments from the Cris River Basin – West Romania. Part I: Statistical Evaluation of Data Obtained by Atomic Emmission Spectrometry with Radiofrequency Capacitively Coupled Plasma Source and Flame Atomic Absorbtion Spectrometry, Croatica Chemica Acta, 75/1 (2002) 291 – 306. 

Title: Traces of Copper, Manganese and Zinc in Aquatic Animals and Sediments from the Cris River Basin – West Romania. Part I: Statistical Evaluation of Data Obtained by Atomic Emmission Spectrometry with Radiofrequency Capacitively Coupled Plasma Source and Flame Atomic Absorbtion Spectrometry

Abstract: The paper presents the evaluation of a radiofrequency capacitively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry with two ring electrodes (TRT r.f.CCP-AES) operated at 275 W and 0.4 L min–1 Ar in comparison with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) in determination of Cu, Mn and Zn in sediments and aquatic animals. The limits of detection in r.f.CCP-AES were 2 (Cu), 6 (Mn) and 3 (Zn) µg g–1. Statistic evaluation of the results was based on 31 samples collected in the basin of the Cris rivers, Romania. After removing the samples with a metal concentration lower than the limit of determination in TRT r.f.CCP-AES, the F-test (95% confidence level) showed similar precision in the two methods, with one exception in the case of Mn and one in the case of Zn. From 21, 28 and 31 determinations of Cu, Mn and Zn, statistical correlation and regression as well as the analysis of Bland and Altman (95% confidence level) showed systematic errors in TRT r.f.CCP-AES versus FAAS only in one case for Cu, two cases for Mn and one case for Zn. The metal content amounted to: 10–400 µg g–1 (Cu), 20–16000 µg g–1 (Mn) and 20–1200 µg g–1 (Zn).

Key words: environment monitoring; biological samples; sediments; copper, manganese and zinc determination; capacitively coupled plasma.

Author: E.A. Cordoş