Single-sweep polarographic techniques useful in micropollution studies of ground and surface waters

Abstract

Single-sweep polarography offers many advantages to the chemist who is faced with the control and analysis of water quality today. Some of these such as a technique that can characterize soluble species; a highly sensitive (parts-perblllion) method suitable for fleld operation, automation, and continuous monltoring; and direct analyses, with preconcentration or separation of the micropollutant from the water sample many times unnecessary, and matrix problems of interference minimized, are discussed. Single-sweep polarographic procedures have been developed in these laboratories that have proved useful In detecting and analyzing for a number of micropollutants of river water, well and spring water, tap water, sea water, and effluent waters from many sources. Potential methods of analysis are discussed for chromium (Crl and Cr), arsenic (As111 and AsV) and iodine (I- and 103-) soluble ionic species. Some uranium, selenium, lead, cadmium, tellurium, thallium, manganese, copper, nickel, and zinc ionic species were also studied and techniques are presented for thelr analysis. Techniques for the single-sweep polarographic analysis of traces of explosives and plasticizers in water, such as nitroglycerine, 1,2-propylene glycol dlnitrate, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3-5-hexahydrotrlazlne (RDX), diethyl phthalate, and dibutyl sebacate are also presented and discussed. Single-sweep polarography (1 ) is a simple, rapid, and inexpensive method of trace element analysis that offers many advantages in the surveillance and control of micropollutants that may find their way into our ground and surface water supplies. It is the purpose of this research to present and describe some useful single-sweep polarographic techniques that have been developed and used in this laboratory (2, 3) for detecting and measuring directly extremely low levels of cationic and anionic species as well as some organic micropollutants in natural water. These techniques require little or no prior concentration of the pollutant and only a few milliters of sample is needed for the analysis.