US EPA

7493542 

Journal Article 

A rapid enrichment method for the analysis of traces of metals in aqueous solutions 

Scheubeck, E 

1980 

1 

Microchimica Acta
ISSN: 0026-3672
EISSN: 1436-5073 

Springer-Verlag 

74 

3-4 

283-290 

English 

10.1007/BF01196453 

For the determination of traces of heavy metals e. g. from distilled water, drinking water or waste water generally a suitable pretreatment of the samples is necessary. For this reason an enrichment method was developed which makes it possible to precipitate several metals together with carrier elements from aqueous solutions. To carry out the method, 10 to 500 ml of the sample are mixed with 1 ml of a diluted nitric acid to produce a weak acid starting state for the diverse samples. After addition of a reduction solution and the collector solution the metals are precipitated at a constant pH between 5.0 to 5.5 with diethylammonium-N,N-diethyldithio-carbamate. The precipitate can be collected by filtration on a membrane filter. It forms a thin layer on the membrane filter and adheres without any auxiliary products for a long time. The time required for the complete process is less than 15 minutes if the starting volume was about 100 ml. A special equipment is not necessary. In the determination of traces of metals from organic substances a special rapid decomposition method with the decomposition device BIOKLAV® was developed. By this method it is possible to convert the organic matter into an aqueous solution without addition of any chemicals. The BIOKLAV is a cylindrical pressure vessel with a safety rapid lock. A 20 g sample of organic material, e. g. meat or similar foodstuff, with a water content of 70-80% is pre-dried in the closed vessel and thereafter burnt in oxygen with elevated pressure. After this procedure all traces of metals present in the starting sample are contained in an aqueous solution consisting on the condensed water from drying and the burning products of the organic matter. The time required for the complete process is less than 30 min. From the obtained solution traces of metals are to enrich by precipitation with carbamate. The determination of the traces of metals is possible by a suitable method of analysis like atomic absorption, ICP or X-ray fluorescence. In various water samples, like drinking water and waste water, traces of Cr, Ni, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, Hg and Se in amounts of 5-100 μg were determined. The recovery rate was 80-90%. In organic substances Hg, Cd, Pb and As in amounts ranging from 50-250 ng/g resp. in amounts of 1-5 μg were detected with recoveries of more than 80%. © 1980 Springer-Verlag.