Copper determination in JBA water By Group 1

Chang Wei Lim Shaghayegh Pezzeshkpour Fagge Ibrahim Isah Chee Pui Har SGC 090038

Copper is a heavy metal found in natural deposits as ores containing other elements. It is widely used in household plumbing materials In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires EPA to determine safe levels of chemicals in drinking water.

These non-enforceable levels, based solely on possible health risks and exposure, are called Maximum Contaminant Level Goals

Drinking Water Standards: MCLG: 1.3 ppm Action level: 1.3 ppm

The Action Level for copper has also been set at 1.3 ppm because EPA believes, given present technology and resources, this is the lowest level to which water systems can reasonably be required to control this contaminant should it occur in drinking water at their customers home taps

Copper is an essential nutrient, required by the body in very small amounts. Health effects when exposed above the Action Level. - Short periods of exposure can cause gastrointestinal disturbance, including nausea and vomiting. -Exceed Action Level over many years could cause liver or kidney damage.

APHA 3111B Test Method Apparatus: Atomic Absorption Spectrometer Reagents: Air cleaned and dried thru filter to remove oil, water and foreign substances Acetylene standard commercial grade

Metal free water- use for preparing all reagents and calibration standards and as dilution water Conc. Nitric acid, HNO3 Copper stock solution dissolve 0.100g copper metal in 2ml conc. HNO3, add 10.0ml conc. HNO3 and dilute to 1000ml with water; 1.00ml =100 g Cu

Standard working solution 0.05 ppm pipet 1ml standard stock solution and dilute to 100ml water, again pipet 5ml and dilute to 100ml water 0.1 ppm pipet 1ml standard stock solution and dilute to 100ml water, again pipet 10ml and dilute to 100ml water 0.5 ppm- pipet 1ml standard stock solution and dilute to 200ml water

1.0 ppm pipet 1ml standard stock solution and dilute to 100ml water 2.0 ppm - pipet 2ml standard stock solution and dilute to 100ml water Sample solution Incoming JBA (Jabatan Bekalan Air) water

Air-Acetylene Atomic Absorption Spectrometer Setting

Procedures - Turn on instrument, apply to Cu hollow cathode lamp the current suggested - Let instrument warm up until energy source stabilizes - Readjust current as necessary after warm up - Optimize energy gain is obtained - Align lamp in accordance with manufacturers instructions

- Adjust burner head position - Turn on air and adjust flow rate to that specify by manufacturer to give maximum sensitivity for metal being measured - Turn on acetylene, adjust flow rate to value specified and ignite flame - Stabilize flame for a few minutes - Aspirate blank consisting of deionized water containing the same concentration of acid in standards and samples

- Zero the instrument - Aspirate a standard solution and adjust aspiration rate of the nebulizer to obtain maximum sensitivity - Adjust burner both vertically and horizontally to obtain maximum response - Aspirate blank again and rezero the instrument - Aspirate standard working solution of 0.05 ppm, 0.1 ppm, 0.5 ppm, 1.0 ppm and 2.0 ppm, record absorbance of these standards

- Aspirate blank and zero the instrument each time when each standard is aspirated - Prepare a Cu calibration curve by plotting on linear graph absorbance of standards versus their concentrations - Rinse nebulizer by aspirating water containing 1.5ml conc. HNO3/L - Aspirate blank and zero instrument - Aspirate sample and determine its absorbance

Calculations - Calculate concentration of Cu in ppm by referring to Cu calibration curve

Results
Working Standard Solution

Absorbance 0.007 0.014 0.063 0.115 0.215

0.05ppm 0.1 ppm 0.5ppm 1.0 ppm 2.0 ppm

JBA Water Sample Solution 1

Absorbance
-0.003

2 3

-0.001
-0.002

Evaluation of results
Parameters Test Methods Copper as Cu) APHA 3111B Results ND (<0.006) ppm Maximum Permitted Proportion 1.3 ppm (EPA) 1.0 ppm [Standard for water and packaged drinking water, Regulation 394 (1) and 360B(3) and WHO]

Conclusions Based on above analysis results, copper content in JBA water are within EPA, Standard for water and packaged drinking water, Regulation 394 (1) and 360B(3) and WHO specification

Method Validation of Cu using AAS