Lead and its inorganic compounds – method of determining in workplace air
Journal Title: Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy - Year 2016, Vol 32, Issue 3
Abstract
Lead is a soft, flexible and grey metal. In industry, it is used as an ingredient of many alloys, jacketing cables, screens protecting against ionizing radiation and battery plates. Lead and its compounds are highly toxic. Lead can cause damage to the nervous, hematopoietic and circulatory systems, and kidneys. It accumulates in bones. It can cause harm to an unborn child and is reprotoxic. The exposure limit values for lead and its inorganic compounds in the working environment, based on Pb for inhalable fraction, are NDS 0.05 mg/m3. The aim of this study was to develop a method for determining concentrations of lead and its inorganic compounds (in inhalable fraction) in workplace air in the range from 1/10 to 2 NDS values in accordance with the requirements of Standard No. EN 482. This method involves collecting lead and its inorganic compounds (contained in air in the inhalable fraction of aerosol) on a membrane filter, filter mineralization with concentrated nitric acid and dihydrogen dioxide, and determining lead in a solution prepared for analysis with flame atomic absorption spectrometry with atomization in air-acetylene flame (F-AAS).This method enables determination of lead in the concentration range 0.25–10.00 μg/ml. The obtained calibration curve has a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 1.0000). The detection limit for lead (LOD) is 0.02 μg/ ml and the limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.07 μg/ ml. Determined coefficient of recovery is 0.99.The developed method enables determination of concentrations of lead and its inorganic compounds in the inhalable fraction in workplace air in the concentration range 0.0035–0.139 mg/m3 (for a 720-L air sample), which represents 0.07–2.8 of NDS and 0.0052–0.208 mg/m3 (for a smaller air sample of 480-L), which represents 0.10–4.2 of NDS. The method is accurate, precise and it meets the requirements of Standard No. EN 482 for procedures for determining chemical agents. The method of determining lead and its inorganic compounds has been recorded as an analytical procedure (appendix).
Authors and Affiliations
Jolanta Surgiewicz
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