Total Copper Analyzer for Rapid In Situ Characterization of Effluent Discharges
Abstract
Copper (Cu) is a high-profile ubiquitous contaminant found in numerous point and nonpoint source effluents, including those generated by activities from the Department of Defense (DoD). Because Cu is highly toxic to larval organisms, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers this heavy metal a priority pollutant, and its discharge is under regulatory control (U.S. EPA, 1980, 1985). Water quality criteria (WQC) for dissolved Cu in receiving bodies of water includes a freshwater criterion maximum concentration (CMC), also known as acute value, of 13 micrograms per liter ( g/L-1) or parts per billion (ppb), and a freshwater criterion continuous concentration (CCC), also referred to as chronic value, of 9 g/L-1. For saltwater, those criteria are a CMC of 4.8 g/L-1 and a CCC of 3.1 g/L-1 (U.S. EPA, 2003). While concentrations in ambient waters are regulated as the dissolved fraction (i.e., filtered through 0.45 m pore-size), regulation of effluents is done on the total recoverable fraction (i.e., unfiltered, acidified to pH 2 and digested). A rapid, in-place, characterization of total recoverable Cu in effluents can be accomplished by the Total Copper Analyzer (TCA) shown in Figure 1. This in-place characterization will allow for the rapid separation of the effluent between that in compliance and that in need of treatment, thus reducing the costs of operation, since the volume of water sent for treatment can be minimized. This characterization will also provide important information for the management of sources of Cu within the installation. The demonstration and validation of the TCA is important because there is no other known instrument capable of measuring total recoverable Cu, either in situ or at near-real-time (i.e., within 5 minutes). Conventional characterization of effluents is performed off-site with laboratory tests, with the associated costs and turnaround time, often taking weeks for processing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA607015
Entities
People
- Ignacio Rivera
- Mike Putnam
Organizations
- Environmental Security Technology Certification Program