Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for Soluble Antimony(III) and Antimony(V) Speciation in Leigongteng by Hydride Generation Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

A simple and rapid ultrasound assisted extraction method with hydrochloric acid for antimony speciation in Chinese traditional medicine leigongteng was developed.Antimony(III) is selectively reduced in a citric acid buffer solution at pH 3 in the presence of antimony(V), where no reduction of antimony(V) take place.Antimony(V) is pre-reduced to antimony(III) and reduced to stibine at the same pH, so antimony(V) is then obtained by subtraction .A relative standard deviation of 3.9 and 4.5% and a detection limit of 0.3 and 2.4μ•g L -1 for Sb(III) and total antimony has been obtained, respectively.The recovery in the range of 93 to 105%.