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Identification of Copper Contamination in Sediments by a Microscale Partial Extraction Technique
Author(s) -
Mesuere Karel,
Martin Rachel Edelstein,
Fish William
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1991.00472425002000010017x
Subject(s) - extraction (chemistry) , contamination , sediment , microscale chemistry , environmental chemistry , copper , environmental science , sample preparation , cadmium , surface runoff , environmental remediation , chemistry , stormwater , chromatography , geology , ecology , mathematics education , paleontology , mathematics , organic chemistry , biology
A H 2 O 2 /HNO 3 microscale extraction procedure is described for the partial removal of metals from sediments. The procedure is carried out at room temperature for approximately 24 h, and requires only 50 mg of dried sample and 1 mL of extraction solution for a single extraction. The characteristics of the procedure were investigated in detail for Cu‐contaminated sediment samples taken from stormwater runoff detention ponds and a background soil sample. The H 2 O 2 /HNO 3 microextraction was compared to a more commonly employed HCl extraction. Taken collectively the data indicate that the procedure extracts Cu in excess of native levels in a systematic way over the range of total Cu concentration investigated. Copper concentrations derived by this method appear to be useful indicators of anthropogenic contamination provided an appropriate background sample is used to determine native levels of Cu.