Abstract In three water works investigations were performed on the formation of halogenated hydrocarbons resulting from chlorination and the results are given. There were exclusively detected halogenated methane compounds with concentrations below 25 μg/1 and therefore agreeing with values already reported. Trichloronitromethane was detected, too; its concentration correlates with the nitrite content of water.
The development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 317.0 is initiated to provide a sufficiently sensitive and fundamental technique for the compliance monitoring of trace levels of bromate in drinking water. After a comparative evaluation of Method 317.0 and elimination of a chlorite interference, this method is tested by a collaborative study in order to determine the precision and bias of the method and evaluate its potential role as a future compliance-monitoring method for inorganic disinfection by-products (DBPs) and trace bromate. This technique provides a practical method for future compliance monitoring for all of the inorganic oxyhalide DBPs including trace concentrations of bromate.
Because of its toxicity and the potential for adverse health effects, lead has attracted widespread interest in its occurrence in the environment, drinking water, and many comestibles, including alcoholic beverages. Its accurate analysis at very low levels in complex matrices such as beer is subject to many difficulties from interferences and demands specialized equipment and techniques. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry has been successfully used for the analysis of lead in biological samples and has previously been applied to beer. In recent times, the reassessment of lead's human health implications has prompted North American regulatory agencies to lower the acceptable levels of lead contamination in the environment and, particularly, in drinking water. Consequently, this has renewed the requirements for lower detection limits and improved accuracy in analyses. Earlier studies have shown that with modern-day standards for equipment and materials used in beer production and packaging, beers contain only trace levels of lead and generally were below the newly established guidelines for drinking water. There is need, however, for improved accuracy in lead determinations. This method achieves that by combining an appropriate matrix modifier, platform atomization, peak area integration, Zeeman background correction, insertion of a cool-down step before atomization, and the use of the alternate wavelength (283.3 nm) for lead. The method has a limit of detection of 0.87 μg/L and a limit of determination of 2.1 μg/ L.
Abstract 110 samples from two swimming‐pools were gas‐chromatographically investigated for halogenated hydrocarbons. In spite of varying chlorine concentrations between 0.1 and 2.5 mg/l Cl 2 the bacteriological results were unobjectionable. The total of the haloforms was between 1.2 and 182 μg/l, with the average value of 90 μg/l. Besides CHCl 3 , CHBrCl 2 , CHBr 2 Cl and CCl 3 NO 2 there were observed other, still unidentified compounds in the chlorinated bathing water which clearly are successive products of disinfection, too. The water treatment by flocculation and filtration does not bring about any elimination of trihalomethanes. Of special importance is the occurrence of trichloronitromethane in concentrations of 0.13 … 1.2 μg/l, whose LC 50 in the Daphnia test is 189 μg/l, at a threshold concentration of 160 μg/l. To limit the pollution of water and air to a minimum, specific conditions must be adhered to in the operation of indoor swimming‐pools.
An ion chromatographic method for the analysis of cations in beer was evaluated to determine if a single analysis could provide results similar to those obtained via atomic absorption spectroscopy for the four major cations in beer (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium). Modification of the mobile phase used for the analysis of cations in water and a combination of two analytical columns yielded excellent separation of the four cations. Spike recoveries of 89–98.5% were recorded in beer. The results obtained by ion chromatography were comparable with those obtained by standard flame atomic absorption spectroscopic methods.
Various graphite furnace techniques were evaluated in order to develop an accurate, reliable method for the analysis of aluminum in beer. Both normal off-the-wall and platform atomization employing either direct concentration mode or method of additions resulted in inconsistent but always high recoveries for aluminum added to beer. Incorporating matrix modification, peak area integration rather than peak height measurement, use of the alternate wavelength 396.2 nm, and deuterium background correction in conjunction with platform atomization led to consistent recoveries of added aluminum (99–110%). These values were verified by the method of additions. A reliable atomic absorption method has been developed for the analysis of aluminum in beer.
