DETERMINATION OF ARSENIC IN COMPLEX MATRICES BY UV-Vis SPECTROSCOPY: IMPORTANCE OF pH FACTOR

Abstract

Arsenic is a widespread metalloid found in soils, sediments and waste materials. The main sources of
contamination are metallurgy, energy production from thermal power station and mining activities, which release stable forms of arsenic with different mobility depending on the pH conditions. This creates a health risk for workers exposed to contaminated materials and dust. The aim of the study is to determine the arsenic content in solid samples of industrial and natural origin by UV-Vis method with Variamine blue indicator. The results show good linearity (0.0389 - 0.649 mg L^-1, R2 = 0.99, LOD = 0.0114 mg L^-1 and LOQ = 0.0379 mg L^-1) and dependence on the pH values ​​ of the tested samples. The method is suitable for arsenic analysis, providing a short test time at a low cost and a sufficient degree of reliability of the result.