Analysis of Iron and Manganese in Tap Water by Flameless Atomic Absorption Method

Introduction

Based on Japan’s Water Supply Act, water quality standards for tap water have been established for 51 items, among which 14 are metals. In the water quality inspection methods that provide inspection methods for those items, the flameless atomic absorption method (flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry) introduced in this article can be used in determinations of 11 elements. In cases where the number of measured elements or samples is small, the flameless atomic absorption method enables measurement of 1/10 of the standard values of many target elements without concentration, and running costs are low, as the argon gas flow rate is about 1/10 that in ICP. Here, iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in tap water were measured by the tap water quality inspection method using the flameless atomic absorption method. Fe and Mn mainly cause discoloration, foul odor, and water scale, and in many cases, a certain amount of these elements is also found in ground water, which is used as a source of tap water and in beverage-type drinking water products. This article introduces the results of a validity evaluation of an analysis of these elements based on Validity Evaluation Guidelines for Tap Water Quality Inspection Procedures.

October 21, 2020 GMT