IJSRST196664 | Received 01 Dec 2019 | Accepted : 20 Dec 2019 | November-December-2019 [ 6 (6) : 296-305 ] © 2019 IJSRST | Volume 6 | Issue 6 | Print ISSN: 2395-6011 | Online ISSN: 2395-602X Themed Section: Science and Technology DOI : https://doi.org/10.32628/IJSRST196664 296 Determination of Arsenic, Chromium and Lead in titanium dioxide pigments by ICP- OES with Concomitant Metals Analyser Beena Sunilkumar*, S. B. Singh Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India Begumpet, Hyderabad, Telangana, India *Corresponding author: - beena.amd@gov.in ABSTRACT A simple method has been developed for the determination of trace toxic elements like arsenic, lead and chromium in titanium dioxide pigment samples by ICP OES attached with a Concomitant Metals Analyser. Open mineral acid decomposition was used for sample dissolution employing a mixture of nitric and hydrofluoric acids. The continuous online generation of hydrides into the plasma was achieved through a concomitant metals analyser. The recovery of arsenic, lead and chromium and the matrix effects of titanium on these elements have been studied with spiking experiments. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of arsenic and other elements in titanium pigment samples. The continuous hydride generating system, Concomitant Metals Analyser (CMA) improved the sensitivity of analysis nearly five times in pigment samples. The precision of the measurements was found to be less than 10% RSD. Keywords : Titanium pigment, CMA-ICP OES, Arsenic, Chromium, Lead I. INTRODUCTION Titanium dioxide plays an important role in many fields of modern industry. It is mainly used as a white pigment in paint industry. The pigments finds use in paint industry owing to its colour, finish, protect the surface from corrosion and weathering as well as helping to hold the paint together [1]. Besides the use in paint industry, titanium dioxide is also used in food industry, medicine, pharmacy, cosmetics, textile industry, in ceramics, tooth pastes and other various fields in modern technology due to its brilliant whiteness and resistance to colour change. The metal impurities in TiO2 like As, Cr, Pb, Fe, V, Zr and Cu affect its properties by changing the colour, electrical properties, increasing the toxicity etc. Due to the wide use of titanium dioxide pigment in different industries, it is very essential to determine the trace toxic elements like lead, chromium, arsenic, antimony etc. in pigments. Lead (Pb) is routinely determined toxic element in paints due to its critical environmental toxicity especially to children and all the countries have been taking steps to phase out the lead from paints [2]. There were many standard test methods reported in literature for the determination of Pb in paints and pigments by wet chemical methods [3]. Arsenic is also toxic and carcinogenic and the toxicity depends on the chemical speciation and oxidation state of As. Studies reported earlier revealed that the trivalent arsenic is about 60 times more toxic than the pentavalent state. The sulfhydryl groups present in human body react with arsenite, whereas arsenate does not react with it [4-5]. The toxicity of As increases in the order of arsenobetane, arsenosugar,