FIELD SCREENING OF CHROMIUM, CADMIUM, ZINC, COPPER, AND LEAD IN SEDIMENTS BY STRIPPING ANALYSIS

Stripping analysis (SA) was successfully employed for field verificati on of metals contaminants in soils and sediments at hazardous waste si tes. Microwave digestion procedures were tailored to meet the needs of field activities and electrochemical measurements. An adsorptive stri pping voltammetric (AdSV) scheme was used for monitoring total chromiu m and for chromium speciation, while conventional anodic stripping vol tammetry (ASV) and potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) were used f or measuring cadmium, zinc, copper, and lead. The results demonstrate that SA is capable of on-site identification of contaminated layers in soils and sediments. Concentration values measured by SA correlated w ell with those obtained by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- approved atomic or mass spectroscopy methods. The remarkable sensitivi ty, portability, low-power need, and low cost of SA make it an attract ive choice for on-site analysis of selected metals during site charact erization and remediation activities.