Determination of Trace Elements in Bouregreg River Water by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper describes a method for the multielement determination of Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, As, Rb, Sr, Ba, Th, and U in water from the Bouregreg River (Morocco) by use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The distribution of trace elements in water samples of the Bouregreg River and its tributaries was determined by measurements at 10 sampling sites. The data obtained show that the spectrum of normalized concentrations with regard to concentrations found at the reference station (site AGL1) have rather identical forms for sites located downstream in the river, wheres a certain dispersal was observed for sites situated upstream in the river (BLH, KSK1, KSK2, and AGL2). The concentrations of most elements are particularly low at the reference station (site AGL1). The elements Co, As, and Rb show a maximum concentration at the site AGL2 situated downstream of Aguelmous and close to a public discharge; this is explained by an anthropogenic origin for the concentrations of these elements.