Sorption of platinum on immobilized microorganisms for its on-line preconcentration and chemiluminescent determination in water samples

Fungi of the type Aspergillus sp. were immobilized on a cellulosic resin and used as a biosorbent for the on-line preconcentration and separation of Pt(IV) ions prior to their chemiluminescent determination via flow injection analysis. Biosorption and elution conditions were optimized, and the results compared to biosorbents based on the use of Chlorella vulgaris algae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast in terms of preconcentration and selective retention of Pt(IV). The immobilized fungi presented here have a high potential for use in platinum biosorption. The procedure exhibits the currently lowest limit of detection (0.02 ng mL−1 of Pt) and very high selectivity. The procedure was applied to the determination of Pt(IV) in river water, road run-off, and wastewater samples

Voltammetric Analysis of platinum in environmental matrices

This article will summarize measurement data for Pt in different environmental samples obtained by the authors using a recently developed approach by voltammetric analysis. A fast accumulation of platinum and rhodium in the environmental and biological matrices has been observed in the last few years and concern has arisen about potential environmental and health risks. Voltammetry was used for the determination of Pt and Rh in airborne particulate collected in Palermo, Italy. Possible interferences by other environmental metals have also been evaluated. All samples show concentrations of Pt and Rh above average upper crust values. The Pt and Rh concentrations in particulate samples collected at four air quality monitoring sites within the urban area of Palermo (Italy), where the air pollution often reaches high levels, leading to traffic restrictions. The highest mean values of Pt and Rh concentrations (Pt = 13 pg/m3, Rh = 9.8 pg/m3 with peak values of 33 pg/m3 and 19 pg/m3, respectively) were recorded at the Unità d’Italia urban station, and the lowest at CEP (a neighborhood of the city of Palermo) station (Pt = 3.6 pg/m3, Rh = 0.26 pg/m3), considered as a background station