Metals analysis

Our metals analysis services enable you to identify metals contamination of drinking water supplies as well as toxic effects to aquatic ecosystems.

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) list metals which have a health and/or aesthetic limit placed on them. There are also environmental guidelines published as the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality.

We provide over thirty metal analyses including Aluminium (Al), Antimony (Sb), Arsenic (As), Boron (B), Barium (Ba), Beryllium (Be), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Mercury (Hg), Lanthanum (La), Lithium (Li), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Selenium (Se), Silver (Ag), Tin (Sn), Strotium (Sr), Titanium (Ti), Thallium (Tl), Uranium (U), Vanadium (V) and Zinc (Zn).

Measuring the total amount of a metal is frequently sufficient to compare against a guideline value, there is sometimes extra value to be gained from looking at the speciation of a metal. Metals can be present in a truly soluble form, as colloids, chelated to organic molecules or attached to particles. In certain circumstances, the bioavailability of a metal will depend on what form or species it is. Consequently, we can analyse water samples for total, soluble (filterable through 0.45µm membranes), and acid hydrolysable and acid soluble.

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Limits of Reporting (LOR) are based on the limit of quantitation (LOQ) which is derived from an estimation of the Instrument Detection Limit (IDL) and Method Detection Limit (MDL) using the procedure in NATA Technical Note 17 (as modified 01 April 2009).

MetalLOR (mg/L) clean watersLOR (mg/L) saline waters
Aluminium (Al)0.0010.01
Antimony( Sb)0.00050.005
Arsenic (As)0.00030.003
Barium (Ba)0.00050.005
Beryllium (Be)0.00030.003
Boron(B)0.020.2
Cadmium(Cd)0.00010.001
Calcium (Ca)0.040.4
Chromium (Cr)0.00010.001
Cobalt (Co)0.00010.001
Copper (Cu)0.00010.001
Iron ( Fe)0.00050.005
Lanthanum ( La)0.00010.001
Lead (Pb)0.00010.001
Lithium (Li)0.00030.003
Manganese (Mn)0.00010.001
Magnesium (Mg)0.040.4
Mercury (Hg)0.000030.0003
Molybdenum (Mo)0.00010.001
Nickel (Ni)0.00010.001
Potassium (K)0.040.4
Selenium (Se)0.00010.001
Silicon (Si)11
Silver (Ag)0.000030.0003
Sodium (Na)0.040.4
Strontium (Sr)0.00010.001
Thallium (Tl)0.00010.001
Tin (Sn)0.00050.005
Titanium (Ti)0.00030.003
Uranium (U)0.00010.001
Vanadium (V)0.00010.001
Zinc (Zn)0.00030.003

Sample container
250ml HDPE (HDPE1)
Samples for mercury analysis require 250mL acid washed glass bottles

Label
HDPE1 - RO rinsed - none - no air gap, ice

Analytes & holding times
All water types
*All metals (28 days)
Includes cations calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium

Sampling requirements
No air gap

Storage and preservation
Iced or chilled to 4°C.
No preservative.

Notes
Container is pre RO rinsed.