Evaluation of an electrothermal atomisation procedure for the determination of lead in potable water

Abstract

An electrothermal atomisation procedure using a lanthanum-impregnated tube was investigated for its suitability for the routine determination of lead in potable water. The precision and bias were found to be acceptable but to ensure adoption of the procedure for routine use a detailed comparison was made between the results and those obtained using two other common methods involving concentration followed by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. The first involved concentration by evaporation and the second extraction of the ammonium tetramethylenedithiocarbamate complex into isobutyl methyl ketone. A statistical comparison of data from all three procedures was made.