Analysis of Wastewater by ICP-MS

Modern high-temperature nickel alloys used in the aviation industry and engine building are doped with different elements to the maximum and thus have a complex chemical composition. Production of these alloys can result in contamination with wastewater dumped into centralized sewerage system. Therefore, an important task is to control the chemical composition of wastewater produced at industrial enterprises. In this work, the contents of aluminum, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in wastewater samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The technique of dissolving the sample and preparing it for analysis is given. Spectral interference was addressed using a reaction-collision cell and a mathematical correction. The range of determined concentrations was 0.0001–50 mg/dm³, the relative standard deviation did not exceed 20%.