Comparison of Four Methods for Digestion of Sewage Sludge Samples for Analysis of Metals by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

1 July 1982

journal article
research article
Published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry

Vol. 12 (1) , 41-50
https://doi.org/10.1080/03067318208071569

Abstract

Four digestion methods were examined for the determination of cobalt, nickel, chromium, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium in sewage sludge samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The four methods examined were: (1) dry ashing followed by digestion with aqua regia, (2) digestion with aqua regia, (3) digestion with nitric acid, and (4) digestion with nitric acid followed by treatment of the residual by sulfuric acid and dry ashing. Based on results concerning observed metal concentrations, precision, recovery of digested standard solutions, recovery of metal standards added to sludge samples, time consumption and laboratory safety, digestion of sewage sludge with nitric acid is considered to be the best method for routine measurements of metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

Keywords

This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:

Schwermetalle in Klärschlamm und Müllkompost
Published by Springer Nature ,1981
Simplified method for the determination of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc in sewage sludge using atomic-absorption spectrophotometry
The Analyst, 1980
Comparison of flameless atomic absorption for the analysis of the metallic content of sewage sludge with flame atomic absorption and colorimetric methods
Science of The Total Environment, 1979
Comparison of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry of the metal content of sewage sludge with flame atomic absorption spectrometry in conjunction with different pretreatment methods
Analytica Chimica Acta, 1979
Comparison of a rapid flameless atomic absorption procedure for the analysis of the metallic content of sewages and sewage effluents with flame atomic absorption methods
Science of The Total Environment, 1979
The determination of heavy metals in domestic sewage treatment plant wastes
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 1973
A Study of the Atomic Absorption Determination of Some Important Heavy Metals in Fertilizers and Domestic Sewage Plant Sludges
Environmental Letters, 1973