Anion exchange extraction of tallium (III) and mercury (II) complex salts and application of the procedure to extraction-photometric determination of the microquantities of mercury (II)

Abstract

The goal is to study the anion-exchange extraction of complex thallium (III) and mercury (II) halides (chlorides, bromides, iodides) by a method of a competing intermediate ion using the anions of various dyes — methyl orange, sodium picrate, 2,4-dinitrophenol, methyl red. Mercury (II) and thallium (III) are poisons of high toxicity. The developed method was used to study the anion-exchange extraction of acidocomplexes A solution of methyl orange trinonyloctadecylammonium (TNODA) in toluene was used as an extractant. The method provides determination of mercury (II) with an accuracy of ±2% when the concentration in the initial solution ranges within 2 – 8 × 10–8 mol/liter. It is shown that the values of the exchange constants for the same metal are larger for iodide complexes than for bromide and chloride ones. The extractability of metal halide complexes is mainly determined by their mass. Anions with a large mass have a large surface area, a low charge density, and are weakly hydrated, and thus are better extracted. The results of anion-exchange extraction were used to develop a procedure for the extraction-photometric determination of mercury (II) in granosan (ethylmercury chloride a prohibited insectofungicide of the 1st hazard class) the illegal use and storage of which could be a source of mercury pollution of groundwater in a number of regions of the Republic of Belarus. The relative error of determination does not exceed ±2%.