EMPREGO DE MULTICOMUTAÇÃO NA AUTOMATIZAÇÃO DO MÉTODO SPADNS PARA DETERMINAÇÃO DE FLUORETO EM ÁGUAS

Abstract

The benefits the fluorine offers to the humans, mostly in reducion of solubility and remineralization of tooth covering, especially, when it is used in the water for consumption, bringing out a large extension, and also its significance in the floculation process on natural water, ensures the necessity of its quantification, aggregates to the current trend of wastes low production determination techniques. In this investigation, it was developed an computerized system based on flow injection system analysis, utilizing the conception of multicommutation for determination of fluoride in water, that permitted several steps of the analytical procedure where they were done without the operator intervention. The analysis module was developed taking into account the chemical reaction characteristics involved in the analysis of fluorides in water by the SPADNS method. For optimization of the system purposed, studies of opening time of solenoid valves, reactor length, flow rate, cycle numbers, SPADNS concentration, ZrOCl2.8H2O and effect of NaAsO2 were done in the analytical signal, which, respectively, presented values considered great of 0.1 s insertion valve in the indicator mixture and 0.5 s sample insertion valve, 75 cm, 2.8 mL.min-1, 8 cycles, 3.36 x 10-3 mol.L-1 and 1.66 x 10-3 mol.L-1, did does not present relevant difference in the analytical signal when the use of NaAsO2 for the disposal of residual chlorine. The system has provided a wider zone of linear answer (0.4 to 1.6 mg.L-1 fluoride) when salt of zircon had been utilized in a concentration 1.66 x 10-3 mol.L-1 for curve of calibration y = 0.004 + 0.13675 x, r = 0.999, detection limit (LD) and quantification limit (LQ) estimated in 0.019 mg.L-1 and 0.066 mg.L-1, respectively, to the assurance level of 99.7%, for n = 4 and standard deviation 0.00107, showing, therefore, repetitive and precise, despite it presents low consumption of reagent (37 μL of indicator mixture include in 2.3 mL of total remainder per replica) and good analytical frequency of 68 determination per hour. In a comparison of methods, the test t of Student has not presented relevant difference, once the tcal. = 1.840 for samples of supplying water and tcal. = 1.017 for samples of mineral water were smaller than ttab. = 2.776 for n = 5 (n - 1 = 4 freedom degrees) in an assurance level of 95%. The recovery test, overall, has verified a good fit to the method proposed.