USGS-NWQL: I-3736: Sodium, total recoverable, atomic absorption spectrometric

Summary
Analytes
Revision
Data and Sites

Official Method Name

Sodium, atomic absorption spectrometric, direct-EPA

Current Revision

1977

Media

WATER

Instrumentation

Flame Atomic Absorption

Method Subcategory

Inorganic

Method Source

USGS-NWQL

Citation

Methods for the Determination of Inorganic Substances in Water and Fluvial Sediments, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations of the United States Geological Survey, Book 5, Chapter A1 Edited by Marvin J. Fishman and Linda C. Friedman

Brief Method Summary

Sodium is determined by atomic absorption spectrometry by direct aspiration of the filtered or digested and filtered sample into an air-acetylene flame (Fishman and Downs, 1966).
Effluent samples must undergo a preliminary nitric acid digestion followed by a hydrochloric acid solubilization.

Scope and Application

This method may be used to analyze water-suspended sediment containing from 0.1 to 80 mg/L of sodium. If the sodium concentration exceeds 80 mg/L, the sample solution needs to be diluted. The method is very sensitive and can be extended to much lower sodium concentrations.
For ambient water, analysis may be made on an aliquot of the acidified water suspended sediment sample.
For all other water, including domestic and industrial effluent, the atomic absorption procedure must be preceded by a digestion-solubilization as specified below. In cases where the analyst is uncertain of the type of sample, this procedure must be followed.

Applicable Concentration Range

0.01 to 80 mg/L

Interferences

None of the substances commonly occurring in natural water interfere with this method.

Quality Control Requirements

Calibrate instrument using calibration standards (CAL); quality control samples (QCS); and laboratory blanks (LB) analyzed at a minimum of 1 for every 10 samples.

Sample Handling

Container Description: 250 mL polyethylene bottle, nitric acid rinsed
Treatment and handling: Use unfiltered sample to rinse container, acidify sample with nitric acid to pH <2
Hot acid solubilization with nitric and HCl acids is required.

Maximum Holding Time

180 days

Relative Cost

Less than $50

Sample Preparation Methods

This method has 1 analyte associated with it.

Analyte	Detection Level	Bias	Precision	Pct False Positive	Pct False Negative	Spiking Level
Sodium(7440-23-5) Na Natrium Sodium	0.010 mg/L	N/A	N/A

Precision Descriptor Notes:	It is estimated that the percent relative standard deviation for total recoverable sodium is greater than 13 percent at 2.76 mg/L and greater than 5 percent at 96.9 mg/L.
Detection Level Note:	Reporting Level defined as smallest measured concentration of a constituent that may be reliably reported using a given analytical method.

Revision	PDF/Link
1977

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USGS-NWQL: I-3736: Sodium, total recoverable, atomic absorption spectrometric

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