The concentration of trace metals, cadmium and lead, were determined in potable water samples that were collected along the northern coast of Manabí, Ecuador, one year following a major earthquake. The samples (100-mL aliquots) were stabilized at a pH of 2 with concentrated nitric acid (50 µL), transported to the University of North Alabama, and analyzed using a microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (MP-AES). Most analytical methods for detection of low concentration of trace metals in aqueous samples employ Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) instrumentation. The MP-AES was chosen because of the low operating cost of using nitrogen for the plasma compared to the ICP, which requires a large amount of argon to operate. The MP-AES has been effective in analyzing low concentrations of trace metals in other matrices, but for drinking water, the MP-AES has not been utilized as much as its counterparts, AA and ICP. The samples collected in Ecuador were employed in the determination of the method using the MP AES. The atomic emission lines of the aqueous samples were analyzed at wavelengths of 228.802 nm for cadmium and 405.781 nm for lead. The detected intensities yielded concentrations ranging from the 1.4 µg/L to 84 µg/L for cadmium and 2.5 µg/L to 35 µg/L for lead.  The higher concentrations are much greater than the acceptable values of the World Health Organization (WHO), which is cause for further evaluation for the health of the citizens of Manabí.

Direct method for determining the concentrations of trace metals in aqueous samples using microwave plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

255th National Meeting (2018)

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