Method Development and Validation of Total Mercury Content in Effluent Wastewater by Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Abstract
The presence and concentration of ambient mercury contamination in our natural environment and workplaces will continue to be closely monitored and regulated as it imposes grave implications and serious risks to human health. Ongoing quantitative analysis has already become a routine part of industrial chemical plants’ in-process and end-stage testing. Mercury contamination in waste generated by these chemical processes can present substantial operational hurdles, as compliance must be demonstrated by treatment, accurate measurement, and timely reporting of waste materials against stringently low limits before release into natural bodies of water or the municipal water supply.
An accurate and reliable low-level method of analysis for the chemical detection and quantitation of total mercury content in effluent wastewater from an industrial chemical plant has been validated and deemed suitable for its intended use. The method validation parameters included an assessment of selectivity, linearity (range), accuracy, precision, and robustness. Acceptable system suitability and sample results for all experiments were demonstrated according to current acceptable practices and limits laid forth in a pre-determined validation plan.
