Comparison of flameless atomic absorption for the analysis of the metallic content of sewage sludge with flame atomic absorption and colorimetric methods

Abstract

Determination of the metallic content of sewage sludge is of increasing importance in order to assess the suitability of these sludges for disposal to agricultural land. The methods currently used for the determination of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc can be time-consuming. A rapid flameless atomic absorption procedure utilising homogenisation as the only pretreatment is described. This method is compared with flame atomic absorption and colorimetric methods in a statistically designed experiment. The precision of the rapid flameless atomic absorption procedure compares well with flame atomic absorption and is superior to colorimetric methods. Time saved by the use of this method is substantial and it could be used advantageously for routine analysis.