Investigation on Dracaena Sanderiana PhytoremeDiation Ability for Hg and Cd using Multivariate Optimized Task Specific Ionic liquid-based Dispersive liquid-liquid Microextraction

Abstract

The task specific ionic liquid (TSIL), tricaprylmethylammonium thiosalicylate ([A336][TS]),<br />was synthesized, characterized and subsequently used as extraction solvent in dispersive liquid-liquid<br />microextraction (DLLME) technique. The TSIL-DLLME method followed by inductively coupled plasmaatomic<br />emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was applied to determination of trace mercury (Hg) and cadmium<br />(Cd) in aqueous sample solutions. The significant parameters of the extraction process were optimized using<br />a response surface methodology. Under the optimal conditions (pH, 6.50; concentration of TSIL, 47.50 mg m/<br />L; and salt concentration, 8.50 % (w/v)), the analytical figures of merit for Hg and Cd were obtained as: LDR,<br />1-5000 μg/L; determination coefficients (R2), 0.9990 and 0.9991; LODs (limit of detections), 0.28 and 0.22 μg/<br />L; RSD, 1.1% and 1.0%, respectively. In addition, the removal of Hg2+ and Cd2+ ions by the plant Dracaena<br />sanderiana was investigated using the developed method. The Hg and Cd uptake and storage by the plant from<br />contaminated waters was also evaluated to be approximately equal to 10.32 and 30.90 mg/kg, respectively.<br />The relative recoveries of Hg and Cd were 97.50% and 92.37%, respectively.