Analysis of hydrosoluble organic chelating agents. Potentialities of capillary electrophoresis and ionic chromatography

Capillary electrophoresis and ion exchange chromatography are good techniques for the determination of organic chelating agents as mono or poly-carboxylates. Ion exchange chromatography allows to obtain very high sensitivities (a few μg/L). Capillary electrophoresis generates practically none analytical waste; this technique is then very interesting for nuclear industry. This microanalysis technique has been here carried out for the determination of organic chelating agents in leaching water of an old waste for which an important release rate of radio-toxic metals had been found. Thus, formate and especially acetate ions have been correlated with this unusual behaviour