Water Soluble Phosphate Schiff-Base Complexes as Detectors for Selenate in Water Eric C. Gier and Latisha R. Jefferies Department of Chemistry & Chemistry Research Center, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 80840 Contamination of drinking water with selenium occurs through discharge of petroleum refineries/mines and erosion of natural deposits. While small amounts of selenium are necessary for cellular function, too much selenium can lead to hair/fingernail loss and circulatory problems. To address this issue, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a toxicity level for selenium of 50 µg/L in drinking water. While selenium has many oxidation states, the two which are most predominant in water are selenites (Se4+) and selenates (Se6+). Water treatment methods, such as precipitation with ferric hydroxide, are effective for removing selenites from water; however the more water soluble selenates are difficult to remove using current water treatments. This research aims to develop a technique to detect and possible remove toxic levels of selenate in water using water soluble Phosphate Schiff-base complexes as molecular sensors.

Water soluble phosphate Schiff-base complexes as detectors for selenate in water

255th National Meeting (2018)

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