USE OF SODIUM TETRAETHYLBORATE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TRIMETHYLLEAD SPECIES IN ARTIFICIAL RAINWATER AND A NATURAL ROAD DUST SAMPLE

Several artificial rainwater samples and a natural sample of road dust have been analysed for trimethyl-lead under the aegis of a European U nion Measurement and Testing (Bureau of Community Reference - BCR) int ercomparison exercise, using a new and simplified purge and trap ethyl ation technique. Levels of trimethyllead found have been similar to th ose reported at lower levels from the natural environment. The method has been successful in the presence of excess amounts of inorganic lea d, even for organic lead levels one tenth of those recently reported f or the natural environment.