Sulfate is a major anionic constituent of groundwater, although usually present in low concentrations. However, high sulfate levels can cause severe scaling in water fixtures and sulfate can be a problem in drinking water at concentrations &gt;250 mg/L (2.6 mM), the recommended secondary standard, at which level it can have a laxative effect.  Current sulfate measurement techniques, such as ion chromatography and turbidity, are primarily focused on measurement of low concentrations and require costly equipment and careful sample dilution techniques, while high sulfate concentrations are still frequently measured using gravimetric methods based upon precipitation of barium sulfate.  An alternative method for measuring sulfate at higher concentrations is conductometric titration.  This technique is simple and inexpensive, although time intensive if a large number of samples is to be analyzed.  Results from a number of well sites in central and west Texas compare favorably with those obtained by ion chromatography.<br/>

Conductometric titration as a method for measurement of elevated sulfate levels in groundwater

2019 Fall National Meeting

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