Determination of As, Se and Hg in Waters by Hydride Generation/Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

Contamination of industrial and municipal water supplies with arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and mercury (Hg) can occur from natural deposits, industrial discharge, runoff from mining, landfill and agricultural operations. Consumption of contaminated water can cause skin damage (As), kidney and nervous system damage (Hg) and numbness in the fingers and toes (Se).1 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) have guidelines on the concentration of As, Se and Hg for the protection of marine and freshwater aquatic life and the protection of agriculture.1,2 Due to the low levels of these guidelines for As, Se, and Hg, it is important to have analytical measurements that are precise and accurate with low amounts of noise.