CATALYTIC KINETIC SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF TRACE AMOUNTS OF ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETIC ACID BASED ON ITS CATALYTIC EFFECT ON THE REACTION OF RHODAMINE B AND POTASSIUM DICHROMATE

A new method for the determination of trace ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was developed using catalytic kinetic spectrophotometry based on the principle that in the medium of 0.10 mol/L sulfuric acid, trace EDTA has a catalytic effect on the oxidation of rhodamine B by potassium dichromate, and a suitable amount of 6.0 mol/L NaOH solution can inhibit the catalytic reaction. At the maximum absorption wavelength of 546 nm, the linear range for the determination of EDTA was shown over the concentration range 5.0 × 10−5–7.0 × 10−4 mol/L and the detection limit of this method for EDTA was 0.0501 mmol/L. The linear regression equation for the determination of EDTA and regression coefficient were ΔA = 512C (C: mol/L) + 0.0966, γ = 0.9993, respectively. The apparent activation energy of the catalytic reaction was 81.57 KJ/mol. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of trace ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid in water and apple tinned foodstuff samples with satisfactory results. The relative standard deviation of 13 replicate determinations of EDTA was 1.15–2.37% and the recovery of the method was 99.90–102.7%, respectively. The determined results were in good agreement with that of established method Fe(III)-H2O2-bromothymol blue system inhibitory-kinetic spectrophotometry.