Determination of V(IV) and V(V) by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry following selective solid-phase extraction and the study on the change in the oxidation state of vanadium species in seawater during the sample storage.

The changes in the oxidation state of vanadium in artificial and natural seawater samples were studied by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) with a direct injection of a resin suspension. V(IV) and V(V) were extracted as the complex with Chromazurol B and with N-cinnamoyl-N-2,3-xylylhydroxylamine, respectively, using a suspension of an anion-exchange resin and determined by ETAAS independently. The detection limits of both methods were 0.02 ng ml(-1) for 40 ml of a sample solution. The recovery tests for an artificial seawater sample spiked with V(IV) and/or V(V) were carried out carefully. The results showed that the recoveries of V(IV) or V(V) were 99.2-109% and the standard deviations were 1-6%. The total V was also determined after V(V) was reduced by ascorbic acid. In artificial seawater at pH 7.8, V(V) was stable but V(IV) was oxidized rapidly. In acidified artificial seawater (pH 2.0), V(IV) was oxidized slowly but only a small tendency of such reduction of V(V) was observed. In a natural seawater sample, V(IV) was not detected. The acidification of the natural seawater sample resulted in the reduction of V(V).