A simple and rapid method for in situ preconcentration of iron(II) in environmental water samples has been developed, based on solid phase extraction using Sep-Pak C18 cartridges. Iron(II) in water samples, which was taken into a graduated syringe to prevent oxidation of iron(II) by air, was converted into a colored cationic complex with ferrozine (C20H12Na06S2Na2) at pH 4.5 immediately after sample collection. The Iron(II)-ferrozine complex was adsorbed on Sep-Pak C18 as an ion-pair with

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... e ion. The complex was stable on Sep-Pak C18 for at least 3 weeks. The adsorbed complex was eluted with a mixture of acetone and 0.1 M hydrochloric acid. The color intensity due to the complex was measured at 562 nm. The proposed method is applicable to brackish and sea waters as well as fresh water. Keywords Preconcentration, Iron(II), in situ method, environmental water Iron(II)-ferrozine complex, Sep-pak C18, spectrophotometry,