Spectrophotometric Determination of Nitrite and Nitrate in Water Using Tris, 1-10-Phenanthroline – Iron (Iii) Complex

Salama B. Salama*, Fakhr Eldin O. Suliman and Samia Al-Belushi

Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khod (123), (Sultanate of Oman)

A simple, sensitive and rapid colorimetric method for the determination of nitrite ion is described, it depends on the formation of ferroin from the oxidation of the nitrite ion with tris, 1-10 phenanthroline-Fe(III) complex and measurement of the absorbance at 512 nm. Beer's law in obeyed over the concentration range 0.20-3.0 ppm with a molar absorptivity of 2.1x104 L mol-1 cm-1. The optimum condition (pH and time of heating) and interfering ions effects been studied. Nitrate is determined by its reduction to nitrite using copper-cadmium column.

Nitrite and nitrate determination, tris 1;10 phenanthroline-iron(III); spectrophotometry