FIELD SCREENING OF CHROMIUM, CADMIUM, ZINC, COPPER, AND LEAD IN SEDIMENTS BY STRIPPING ANALYSIS

Stripping analysis (SA) was successfully employed for field verification of metals contaminants in soils and sediments at hazardous waste sites. Microwave digestion procedures were tailored to meet the needs of field activities and electrochemical measurements. An adsorptive stripping voltammetric (AdSV) scheme was used for monitoring total chromium and for chromium speciation, while conventional anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) were used for measuring cadmium, zinc, copper, and lead. The results demonstrate that SA is capable of on-site identification of contaminated layers in soils and sediments. Concentration values measured by SA correlated well with those obtained by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved atomic or mass spectroscopy methods. The remarkable sensitivity, portability, low-power need, and low cost of SA make it an attractive choice for on-site analysis of selected metals during site characterization and remediation activities.