Determination of trace aluminum in natural waters by ion exchanger fluorometry

Abstract

Morin (2′, 3, 4′, 5, 7-pentahydroxyflavone) has been used as a ligand in the fluorometric microdetermination of aluminum at the sub-μgl-1 level. A method has been developed which is based on ion exchanger fluorometry (IEF). The 1:1 aluminum-morin complex is fixed on a dextran-type cationic exchanger, and the fluorescence of the gel, packed on a 1-mm quartz cell, is measured directly using a solid-surface attachment. The concentration for the method ranges between 0.4 and 1.6μgl-1, although this can be diminished by increasing the sample volume. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of aluminum in natural water and offers several advantages in comparison with solution methods.