Coupling of purity assessment and quantitative analysis of heavy metals in Central Eastern Desert of Egypt

• Published in: International journal of environmental science and technology (Tehran) Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 2049 - 2058
• Main Authors: Abdallah, A. S. M., Daher, A. M., Abbas, S. S., Essam, H. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2024
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Original Paper; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Groundwater pollution; El-Missikat area; Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 1735-1472; 1735-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/s13762-023-05105-2

In the compositional analysis of various types of environmental pollution, selecting the appropriate instrumentation is essential. This involves ensuring that the chosen method is suitable for the intended purpose and that the results are valid. In this study, an analytical method using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of eight heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, Co, As, Cu, U, and Th) in groundwater. The validation of the method was based on several parameters of the International Conference on Harmonization, including linearity, accuracy, precision, and sensitivity, expressed by the limit of detection and quantification. The linearity of the method was acceptable over the selected concentration range, with a correlation coefficient of > 0.999. The detection limit for each heavy metal (Cr, Cd, Pb, Co, As, Cu, U, and Th) was determined to be 0.180, 1.718, 1.201, 0.142, 7.030, 2.632, 0.205, and 2.201 μg/L (ppb), respectively. The developed method is non-destructive, simple, accurate, precise, and selective for determining eight heavy metals in groundwater. It can be used to determine these metals in real liquid samples, such as ground, surface, wastewater, aqueous extracts from plants, digested soil, and rock samples. All analyzed groundwater samples showed concentrations of heavy metals within predetermined limits, except for some samples that showed slightly higher values. The primary source of heavy metal leaching in groundwater is enclosed soil materials derived from the surrounding granite rocks and mining activities.