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Determination of toxic metals in leather by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) with emphasis on chromium

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Abstract

The tanning industry is one of the largest environmental polluters due to high generation waste in all production processes, but the tanning is particularly worrisome due to the use of significant amounts of chromium. Cr is an element potentially toxic to both health and the environment, depending on the concentration and the oxidation state. Cr(VI) can come in contact with human skin when using leather goods, which can cause allergies and dermatitis, besides being carcinogenic. Considering that approximately 90% of the world production of leather is performed with Cr salts, the determination of this element in leather is necessary to avoid exposure to the risks that the element can provide. The main goal of this study was the development of an alternative analytical method for the determination of Cr in leathers (ovine and bovine leather tanned with Cr and vegetable tannin) using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) for direct solid analysis. Besides performing analysis of the chemical composition and determination of Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, Ti, and Zn in leather by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Principal component analysis (PCA) was also used in the evaluation of the WDXRF and ICP OES data sets. WDXRF calibration models for Cr presented satisfactory figures of merit and the analysis of the leathers revealed an alarming concentration of total Cr in the samples reaching 21,353 mg kg−1.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Analitica and Thermo Scientific for loan of ICP OES and WDXRF instruments.

Funding

This study was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation [FAPESP, process 2016/01513-0, 2015/14488-0, and 2011/51564-6], Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária [Embrapa, 02.03.1.16.00.08], and was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001 and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [CNPq, 506119/2008-4, 401074/2014-5, 160152/2015-1 and 305637/2015-0].

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  1. Grupo de Análise Instrumental Aplicada (GAIA), Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo State, 13565-905, Brazil

    Ariane Maciel Neiva, Marco Aurelio Sperança, Vinicius Câmara Costa & Edenir Rodrigues Pereira-Filho

  2. Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos, São Paulo State, 13560-970, Brazil

    Ariane Maciel Neiva & Manuel Antonio Chagas Jacinto

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  1. Ariane Maciel Neiva
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  2. Marco Aurelio Sperança
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  3. Vinicius Câmara Costa
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  4. Manuel Antonio Chagas Jacinto
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  5. Edenir Rodrigues Pereira-Filho
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Correspondence to Edenir Rodrigues Pereira-Filho.

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Neiva, A.M., Sperança, M.A., Costa, V.C. et al. Determination of toxic metals in leather by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) with emphasis on chromium. Environ Monit Assess 190, 618 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6990-y

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