A green microextraction method in a narrow glass column for copper in artificial saliva extract of smokeless tobacco products

•The total and artificial saliva extracted copper (Cu2+) in a SLT was accomplished.•A novel and rapid non-dispersive ionic liquid based microextraction was used.•Long narrow glass column used to provide more contact area between two media.•The artificial saliva extracted Cu2+ corresponds to 30–50%, of total contents of Cu2+ in SLT.•Lack of knowledge about Cu2+ in SLT need to investigate.

A green non-dispersive ionic liquid based microextraction (ND-ILμE) method was proposed for the preconcentration of trace levels of copper (Cu2+) in artificial saliva extract (ASE) of smokeless tobacco products (SLT). A 100 cm long, narrow glass column containing aqueous solution of Cu/ASE was used to increase phase transfer ratio by providing more contact area between two medium, which drastically improve the recovery of Cu-PAN complex into ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C4mim][PF6]. At optimum experimental conditions, the detection limit and the enhancement factor were found to be 0.042 μg L−1 and 85, respectively. This method was successfully applied to real samples.

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