Determination of Inorganic Tellurium Species in Natural Waters

Abstract

Te(IV) and Te(VI) are coprecipitated from seawater and other natural waters with Mg(OH)2. Following redlssolution of the precipitate with HCI, Te(IV) Is reduced In 3 M HCI to tellurium hydride. The hydride Is trapped Inside the graphite tube of a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer heated to 300 °C, and then determined by atomization. Te(VI) Is reduced to Te(IV) by boiling with HCI and then determined as Te(IV). The limit of detection Is 0.5 pmol L-1 and the precision Is 10-20%. © 1984, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.