Impact/Purpose:

Under this task a low cost multi-analyte method will be developed for the determination of the following analytes: Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, V, Zn, and silica in drinking water and raw water drinking supplies. This list of analytes can be subdivided into groups of primary contaminants: As, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, and Se; secondary contaminants: Ag, Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn; elements on the drinking water Contaminant Candidate List: B, Sn and V; elements without a maximum contaminant level (MCL), but require routine monitoring: Mg, Na, and Ni; and finally, analytes that must be measured when an action level is exceeded: Ca and silica. The objective of this work is to provide an alternate multi-analyte procedure to the slower and more costly single analyte graphite furnace atomic absorption technique. This work will provide precision and recovery data at critical analyte concentrations such as the established or proposed MCLs, < the MCL, and 10X the method detection limit (MDL) or 100X the MDL, whichever is most appropriate.

Description:

The purpose of this task is to develop a low cost multi-analyte method for the determination of toxic and corrosive elements in finished drinking water and raw water drinking supplies. The objective of this work is to provide an alternate multi-analyte procedure to the slower and more costly single analyte graphite furnace atomic absorption technique: a standardized reference inductively coupled axial plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICAP-AES) method will be developed and evaluated as an alternative. Currently, the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) has listed eleven trace elements as primary contaminants including arsenic which has been designated by the Office of Research and Development as a research area of high priority. Of the eleven elements only five (Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, and Cu) can be determined by conventional or radial ICP-AES for compliance monitoring. The availability of a standardized reference multi-analyte ICAP-AES method for the determination all primary and secondary trace element contaminants excluding thallium, but including the major constituents water quality elements (Ca, Mg, and Na) and silica, would reduce the analytical cost of compliance monitoring.

Record Details:

Record Type:PROJECT

Start Date:10/01/1997

Completion Date:06/01/2003

Record ID: 18290

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Project Information:

Progress :Research under this task has been completed with the development of U.S. EPA Method 200.5 (Revision 4.2) entitled "Determination of Trace Elements in Drinking Water by Axially Viewed Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry". The method was peer reviewed by two independent external reviewers and three EPA reviewers including one reviewer representing OGWDW. All comments and suggestions of the reviewers have been reconciled, and the method has been completed. It will be delivered to OGWDW in June, 2003.

Method 200.5 was developed to extend the sensitivity of the inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometric (ICP-AES) technique for drinking water compliance monitoring. The method includes four primary contaminants (As, Pb, Sb and Se) not currently approved for determination by ICP-AES as well as elements (Al, B, Na and V) listed on the Contaminant Candidate List. The method can be used for the determination of all primary metal contaminants except mercury and thallium. However, a portion of the prepared sample for use with Method 200.5 can be analyzed for thallium by stabilized temperature graphite furnace atomic absorption, thus eliminating additional sample preparation. The method can be used for the analyses of secondary contaminants and water matrix elements for the determination of water quality parameters. The method will benefit the analytical community by providing a sensitive, lower cost multi-element ICP-AES analytical method.

Relevance :The method developed under this task, and the compliance monitoring and/or the occurrence data gathered with it, will provide critical information to be used in creating better EPA regulations and policies for protecting humans from chemical contaminants in U.S. drinking water supplies. Arsenic, which has been designated by the Office of Research and Development as a research area of high priority, is included in this task. Compliance monitoring of arsenic is required under the Safe Drinking Water Act and a new lower MCL has been proposed. Using the ICAP-AES method, multi-element compliance monitoring can be accomplished for arsenic and other analytes (Hg, Pb, Sb, and Se) currently not approved for analysis by ICP-AES.

Boron, vanadium, and tin have been listed by the Office Ground Water and Drinking Water on the Candidate Contaminant List with an indicated need for occurrence data. ICAP-AES will provide a low cost analytical technique for collecting occurrence data in both ground water and surface water drinking water supplies. Currently, boron can only be determined by either ICP-AES or a slower more labor intensive colorimetric procedure. ICAP-AES will provide greater sensitivity and a lower limit of detection over presently approved atomic emission methods. The same is true for vanadium and inorganic tin. Occurrence data for these analytes can be simultaneously collected during routine compliance monitoring, thereby, not adding significant cost to the survey. In addition, the digestion procedure and analytical conditions described in the ICAP-AES method may allow for the collection of occurrence data of non-speciated organotin compounds extracted from water and preconcentrated prior to analysis.

Clients :Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water

Research Component :CCL (CHEMICAL)

Risk Paradigm :EXPOSURE

Project IDs:

ID Code :none

Project type :ORD-DW Plan

ID Code :1956

Project type :OMIS