Spectrophotometric Determination of Fluoride in Groundwater Using Resorcin Blue Complexes

Zaher Barghouthi, Sameer Amereih

National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Jenin, Palestine.
Palestine Technical University-Kadoori, Tullkarm, Palestine.

DOI: 10.4236/ajac.2012.39085                

Abstract

New simple and sensitive spectrophotometric determination of fluoride in drinking groundwater has been developed using aluminium-resorcin blue complex. The method is based on the reaction of fluoride with the coloured complex to produce colourless aluminium fluoride complex and releasing of the free ligand. The relationship of the reaction of flu-oride with the complex is sixth-order polynomial function. The reaction reaches equilibrium at fluoride concentration of 0.054 mM. The equilibrium constant (K_eq) was calculated as 1.12 × 10¹⁴. Beer-Lambert law is obeyed in the range 0.0 - 0.024 mM of fluoride (0.0 - 1.0 mg·L^-1). The molar absorptivity at 502 nm is 6.45 × 10³ L·mol^-1·cm^-1. Fluoride concentration higher than 1.0 mg·L^-1 can be measured after proper dilution. The sensitivity, detection limit, quantitation limit, and the percentage recovery of 0.75 mg·L^-1 fluoride for the method were found to be 0.357 μg·ml^-1., 0.07 mg·L^-1, 0.2 mg·L^-1, and 101.1 respectively.

Keywords

Fluoride; Groundwater; Spectrophotometric Method; Aluminium Resorcin Blue Complex

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	WHO, “Fluoride in Drinking-Water,” IWA Publishing, London, 2006, pp. 1-3, 83-95.
[2]	W. Czarnowski, K. Wrzesniowska and J. Krechniak, “Fluoride in Drinking Water and Human Urine in Northern and Central Poland,” Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 191, No. 1-2, 1996, pp. 177-184. doi:10.1016/0048-9697(96)05259-X
[3]	S. M. Maliyekkal, S. Shukla, L. Philip and I. M. Nambie, “Enhanced Fluoride Removal from Drinking Water by Magnesia-Amended Activated Alumina Granules,” Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 140, No. 1-3, 2008, pp. 183-192. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2007.09.049
[4]	Y.-N. Wang, K. Q. Xiao, J. L. Liu, G. Dallner and Z. Z. Guan, “Effect of Long Time Fluo-ride Exposure on Lipid Composition in Rat Liver,” Toxicology, Vol. 146, No. 2-5, 2000, pp. 161-169. doi:10.1016/S0300-483X(00)00167-0
[5]	M. A. Armienta and N. Segovia, “Arsenic in Fluoride in Groundwater of Maxico,” Environmental Geochemistry and Health, Vol. 30, No. 4, 2008, pp. 345-353. doi:10.1007/s10653-008-9167-8
[6]	WHO, “Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality. Recommendation,” 2nd Edition, Vol. 1, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2004, pp. 375-377.
[7]	H. Einaga and I. Iwasaki, “Spectrophotometric Study of the Reaction of Zirconium with Chrome Azurol S and Fluoride,” Talanta, Vol. 28, No. 12, 1981, pp. 889-900. doi:10.1016/0039-9140(81)80224-X
[8]	F. J. Green, “The Sigma—Aldrich Handbook of Stains, Dyes and Indicators,” Aldrich Chemical Company, Milwaukee, 1990, p. 624.
[9]	N. V. Rao and K. R. Murty, Journal of the Indian Chemical Society, Vol. 56, 1979, pp. 641-642.
[10]	H.-Z. Wu, Z.-R. Wu, J. Lin and Z.-S. Zheng, Fenxi Shiyanshi, Vol. 18, 1999, pp. 26-29.
[11]	M. Ulrychova, E. Petru and Z. Pazourkova, “Permanent Staining of Callose in Plant Material by Ponceau,” Stain Technol, Vol. 51, No. 5, 1976, pp. 272-275.
[12]	L. Werner and D. F. Boltz, “Theory of Contineous Variations Plots and A New Method for Spectrophotometric Determination of Extraction and Formation Constant,” Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 43, No. 10, 1971, pp. 1265-1272. doi:10.1021/ac60304a006
[13]	L. Werner and D. F. Boltz, “Spectrophotometric Determination of Extraction Constants of Certain Metal 1-Pyrrolidinecarbodithioates,” Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 43, No. 10, 1971, pp. 1273-1277.
[14]	P. F. Gordon and P. Gregory, “Organic Chemistry in Colour,” Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1983, p. 303.
[15]	H. Zollinger, “Colour Chemistry: Syntheses, Properties, and Applications of Organic Dyes and Pigments,” Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zuerich, 2003, p. 42.
[16]	B. J. Macnulty, C. J. Hunter and D. G. Barrett, “The Determination of Microgram Quantities of Fluoride: The Use of Aluminium-Eriochromecyanin Complex,” Analytica Chimica Acta, Vol. 14, pp. 1956, 368-380.
[17]	M. J. Price and O. J. Walker, “Determination of Fluoride in Water,” Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 24, No. 10, 1952, pp. 1593-1595. doi:10.1021/ac60070a018
[18]	J. A. Ruzicka, H. Jakschova and L. Marklas, “Determination of Fluorine in Bones and Teeth with Xylenol Orange,” Talanta, Vol. 13, No. 9, 1966, pp. 1341-1344. doi:10.1016/0039-9140(66)80224-2
[19]	E. J. Dixon, “Determination of Micro Amounts of Fluoride with Zirconium and Solochrome Cyanine R.,” Analyst, Vol. 95, 1070, pp. 272-277.