Drinking water, lead analytical methods

For the determination of lead concentrations in drinking water, the analytical methods are atomic absorption spectrometry - electro-thermal atomization (AAS-ETA or AAS-fiimace), inductively coupled plasma with detection by atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) or detection by mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Laboratories are free to use their own chosen analytical techniques. More attention will be required to achieve the necessary analytical accuracy at the lower limit for lead. 

Suppose you are asked to develop a way to determine the concentration of lead in drinking water. How would you approach this problem To answer this question it helps to distinguish among four levels of analytical methodology techniques, methods, procedures, and protocols. ... 

How much lead is in your municipal drinking water Is platinum present in the urine of a chemotherapy patient Can plants purify water through cadmium uptake Can the amount and location of zinc ions be detected in neurons The detection of trace amounts of metal ions is a central analytical method in environmental and biological chemistry. Often, a reagent that can coordinate to a metal ion of interest is added to a sample solution and the resulting metal complex is detected using analytical instrumentation. Electrochemical and fluorescence detection are two of the most sensitive methods. 

With the aim of complying with the parametric value for lead of 10 pg/1, it is important to have satisfactory analytical methods for the detection of lead in drinking water. These methods need to be reviewed on the basis of requirements for the trueness and precision in measming lead concentrations. Laboratories are allowed to use their... 

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