An analytical method for the detection of methylantimony species in environmental matrices: methylantimony levels in some UK plant material

We report, using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) derivatizing agent with purge and trap quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (QF-AAS), a method for the detection of methylantimony compounds from environmental matrices and samples. The generation of trimethylantimony as a standard compound has also been examined using (CH3)3SbCl2. This method has been reported previously to produce not only (CH3)3Sb but mixtures of (CH3)2SbH, CH3SbH2 and SbH3 when solutions of (CH3)3SbCl2 were derivatized. Rigorous exclusion of oxygen combined with rapid purging of reduced analytes into a cold trap has reduced these by-products to undetectable levels. These results are of importance in view of the increasing importance of the role of organoantimony species in the natural environment, which depends on the reliability of speciation produced by the hydride generation method. Levels of methylantimony found in some UK plant samples are in the 100–200 ng g–1 range. This is the first report of methylantimony species from the UK natural environment.