Enrichment of trace amounts of copper as chelate compounds using a finely divided ion-exchange resin

The enrichment of trace amounts of copper as complexes with various chelating agents was examined with the use of finely divided anion- and cation-exchange resins of the macroreticular type. Of the 16 chelating agents studied, bathocuproinedisulphonate (BCS) combined with the use of a finely divided anion-exchange resin was the most effective for the rapid enrichment of copper from large sample volumes. The resin particles holding the copper(I)-BCS complex were collected on a membrane filter and subsequently suspended in a small volume of 0.1 M hydrochloric acid. The resin suspension was then subjected to electrothermal atomisation atomic absorption spectrometry. The method was applied to the determination of copper in sea and river water samples and the results were compared with those obtained by densitometric measurement of the solid-state absorbance of the copper(I)-BCS complex in the resin phase.