An automatic system for stepwise treatment of solid samples and application to pollution evaluation by measuring ion lixiviation rates in lichens

An automatic system for the stepwise treatment of solid samples is described. The system is controlled by a PC computer that is connected to a burette equipped with a three-way valve, to a peristaltic pump, and to a robot arm through two serial interfaces. In a cycle, the burette introduces a solvent volume in the sample cell, sonication is applied, and, after a fixed time, the pump carries the solvent to the vial selected by the robot arm. Measurements can be performed both in-line and off-line by analyzing the vial series. The program was written in Visual Basic 3. Lixiviation rates of several cations from the lichen Ramalina farinacea were measured by capillary zone electrophoresis using the vial series obtained in several experimental conditions. The automatic system gave better reproducibility than the manual procedure. Initial lixiviation rates were higher in the presence of ultrasounds. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lab Robotics and Automation 11: 121–126, 1999