ABSTRACT
The aim of this research was the development of rapid analytical test methods for arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium(VI), copper, nickel, and zinc to classify waste materials into waste classes and assess contaminated soils for purification purposes. In order to estimate the danger potentials of contaminated soils, a rapid ecotoxicological method was developed (A. Götzl, H. Malissa, W. Riepe, FACT 3 (6) (1999) 329.). These rapid analytical and ecotoxicological tests offer an instrument to comprehensively assess soils and wastes. The developed rapid methods are suitable for the elution of different soils and wastes, the analysis of the eluates and also for waste waters with concentrations greater than 0.1 mg l(-1) arsenic, 0.5 mg l(-1) lead, 0.01 mg l(-1) cadmium, 0.1 mg l(-1) chromium(VI), 0.3 mg l(-1) copper, 0.5 mg l(-1) nickel and 0.1 mg l(-1) zinc in the eluate. Our developed rapid analytical test methods described below can be implemented on site, are of low cost and are not time-consuming (about 30 min). They also do not need to be carried out by highly qualified specialists only, they can also be easily applied by persons with some experience. The comparability of results obtained using the developed rapid test method and standardised methods was tested with various matrices.
ABSTRACT
A colorimetric method to determine mercury >20 ng (absolute) in eluates of soils, wastes and waste water was developed. For the elution and the analytical determination only 40 min are needed and the determination can be carried out on site. Due to the low Austrian and German regulatory limit levels of mercury (0.01 mg/1000 g solid phase) it needs to be enriched three times before such low concentrations can be detected. This is done by means of SPME (solid phase micro extraction: Z. Zhang, M.J. Yang, J. Pawliszyn, Anal. Chem. 66 (17) (1994) 844; C.L. Arthur, L.M. Killam, S. Motlagh, M. Lim, D.W. Potter, J. Pawliszyn, Environ. Sci. Technol. 26 (1992) 979; R. Eisert, K. Levsen, J. Chromatogr. A 733 (1996) 143), liquid-liquid extraction and by concentrating the coloured mercury complex in a dot on a TLC-plate. This method was developed as a field method for monitoring set limit levels on site. The interference of non-analytes was determined by adding non-analytes to standard solutions. Mercury contents in soil samples were determined with the developed SPME-spot test and by a standardised method (cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry). Results were comparable.
