Measurement of Lead in Drinking Water
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for hundreds of sites with potential drinking water contamination. The process of measuring lead contamination at these sites is both costly and time-consuming. The purpose of this Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) project was to validate the field performance of the Metalyzer 5000, a new instrument that measures lead concentrations in water. Use of the Metalyzer 5000 could reduce analytical costs, speed DoD compliance with drinking water standards, and permit a more rapid, thorough sampling procedure. The Metalyzer 5000 has been validated for lead and a new project is underway to validate its performance in detecting other metals. The Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center (NCCOSC) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDTE) Division demonstrated the Metalyzer 5000 for the measurement of lead in drinking water at the San Diego Naval Submarine Base (NSB) building 100 complex. The plumbing system for drinking water in this complex dates back to 1927, where copper piping was soldered using a high-content lead solder. The Metalyzer 5000 utilizes a Potentiometric Stripping Analysis (PSA) system and performs automated lead analysis on-site in semi-real time intervals. The system is designed to quickly and cost-efficiently determine the amount of lead, if any, in drinking water. In the future, the Metalyzer 5000 system will be modified to handle testing for other metals, such as chromium and mercury. The Metalyzer 5000 system comprises four major components: a computer, acquisition and analysis software, a computer-controlled potentiostat, and sample handling components.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA607341
Entities
People
- Mike Putnam
Organizations
- Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center