New resin gel for uranium determination by diffusive gradient in thin films technique

A new resin gel based on Spheron-Oxin® chelating ion-exchanger with anchored 8-hydroxyquinoline functional groups was tested for application in diffusive gradient in thin film technique (DGT) for determination of uranium. Selectivity of uranium uptake from model carbonate loaded solutions of natural water was studied under laboratory conditions and compared with selectivity of the conventional Chelex 100 based resin gel. The affinity of Spheron-Oxin® functional groups enables determination of the overall uranium concentration in water containing carbonates up to the concentration level of 102 mg L−1. The effect of uranium binding to the polyacrylamide (APA) and agarose diffusive gels (AGE) was also studied. Uranium is probably bound in both gels by a weak interaction with traces of acrylic acid groups in the structure of APA gel and with pyruvic and sulfonic acid groups in the AGE gel. These sorption effects can be eliminated to the negligible level by prolonged deployment of DGT probes or by disassembling probes after the 1–2 days post-sampling period that is sufficient for release of uranium from diffusive gel and its sorption in resin gel.