Determination of Lead and Cadmium by Stripping Voltammetry After Separation from Humic Acid by Thin-Layer Chromatography

Abstract
Interferences resulting from the presence of humic acid (HA) and other surface-active substances in a sample matrix decrease the reliability of Pb and Cd determinations obtained by square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The implementation of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) prior to SWASV minimizes the effect of these interferents by physically separating Pb and Cd from the sample matrix prior to analysis. The determination of both Pb and Cd was shown to be feasible after TLC separation from laboratory standards spiked with 100 ppm humic acid and from a lake water sample spiked with 1 ppm of Pb and Cd.