LAUSR

A method was developed by coupling ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the speciation of antimony. In this study, antimony species such as antimonite [Sb(III)], antimonate [Sb(V)] and trimethyl antimony(V) (TMeSb) were separated in less than 8min using anion exchange chromatography with a Hamilton PRP-X100 column as the stationary phase. Mobile phase A was 20mmolL-1 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 2mmolL-1 potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) in 1% v/v methanol (pH 5.5) and 20mmolL-1 EDTA, 2mmolL-1 KHP, 40mmolL-1 (NH4)2CO3 in 1% v/v methanol (pH 9.0) formed mobile phase B. Detection limits and relative standard deviations (RSD) were 0.012-0.032ngmL-1 and 2.2-2.8% respectively. This method was applied to bottled waters and fruit juices purchased in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In water samples, Sb(V) was the major species where as in juices organometallic Sb species were also present.