Determination of total iodine concentration in aquatic environments using cathodic stripping voltammetry combined with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) oxidation

Sato, Yuhi; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi  ; Suzuki, Takashi  

An easy and fast method for determination of total iodine in environmental samples by cathodic stripping voltammetry combined with NaClO oxidation has been developed. Adequate conditions for NaClO oxidation of 40-50C over 2 h were determined, using three representative environmental samples (reference soil, seabed sediment, seaweed). By analyzing a mixture of thyroxin and a reference soil material, we obtained an overall recovery of more than 97% for total iodine in the concentration range of 1-7 mol g. This method was compared with alkaline extraction and combustion methods for solid and aqueous environmental samples. Alkaline extraction exhibited lower recovery of iodine compared with the NaClO oxidation method, indicating insufficient extraction and/or interference on determination. Combustion method also showed lower iodine recovery for some samples, probably due to a trapping efficiency and incomplete combustion of organic matter.