Indirect potentiometric determination of metal ions by flow-injection analysis with a copper electrode

A copper-wire electrode is shown to give reproducible response when metal ion solutions in the concentration range 6.0‚àöv=10-5-1.0‚àöv=10-3M are injected into a phosphate buffer stream containing EDTA. Injections of Mg, Ca, Pb, Co, Cu, Ni, Mn, Ba, and Zn give peak heights dependent on both the metal ion and EDTA concentrations, allowing determination of either single metals or possibly multi-element determination after HPLC separations.