Measurement of Low Amounts of Metal Ions in Water and Waste Water Sewage Using the Method of Potentiometer Stripping

In sewages, various pollutants exist. So without refining, they should not return into life cycle. After refining, they result a mass of digested sediments, containing organic materials such as humic acid, fulvic acid and minerals such as heavy metal ions can be washed out by hydrochloric acid 2M. Heavy metal ions are determined, identified, and quantified using the method of potentiometer stripping. In the present research, digested sediments of filter stations and drinking water of some french cities, namely Aix les-bans, Annecy, Montpellier and Chambery were analyzed. Low amounts of heavy metal ions were measured by this technique with higer sensitivty and proper accuracy. Detection limit of Cu+2 was determined 3.2×10-8 M at optimal time of electrolysis 32 minutes. The amount of Cu+2 in digested sediments of filter station of Montpellier city was 5.2 mmol/kg dry materials and its amount in drinking water of this city was estimated as 2.82 ppb. Capacity of cationic exchange of these humic acid containing sediments was determined by method of potentiometer titration in addition to batch method. It was known that the sites of sampling were very different, despite being located in a single region.