Simultaneous atomic absorption Spectrometry for cadmium and lead determination in wastewater - A laboratory exercise

Undergraduate organic chemistry students identified potential cadmium and lead pollution sources among four industries that discharge pretreated wastewater into the river. The experiment was carried out in two parts. First, the instrumental parameters were optimized. Second, cadmium and lead were simultaneously determined under the optimized conditions by SIMAAS. In the pilot study, students did not encounter difficulties following guided discussion with the instructor. Results indicate that the students assimilated the principles of SIMAAS, the role of the chemical modifier, the procedures to perform trace element analysis, and the advantages of simultaneous techniques.