DETERMINATION OF ELEMENTS IN DRINKING WATER AS PER BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS 10500, 14543 & 13428 USING THE AGILENT 5110 ICP-OES

Importance of the topic

Demand for precise monitoring of trace and toxic elements in drinking water has grown with increased awareness of health risks posed by heavy metals. National standards such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) IS 10500, IS 14543 and IS 13428 set stringent limits on contaminants. A robust, high-throughput analytical approach is essential for routine compliance testing in environmental and water quality laboratories.

Study objectives and overview

This work evaluates a complete solution for quantifying major, minor and trace elements in tap water, packaged drinking water and natural mineral water according to BIS regulations. The aim is to replace multiple atomic absorption methods and pre-concentration steps with a single-platform ICP-OES approach using the Agilent 5110 Synchronous Vertical Dual View system.

Methodology and instrumentation

The Agilent 5110 ICP-OES was operated in synchronous vertical dual view (SVDV) mode, combining axial and radial plasma views. A Multimode Sample Introduction System (MSIS) facilitated hydride generation for elements As, Se, Sb and Hg, while other elements were introduced via a cyclonic spray chamber and seaspray nebulizer. Calibration employed NIST-traceable single- and multi-element standards. Hydride-forming elements were reduced with NaBH4 and NaOH in 6% HCl, then analyzed without pre-concentration. Operating parameters included a 1.20 kW RF power, 12 L/min plasma flow and replicate read times of 5 s.

Main results and discussion

Method detection limits (MDLs) ranged from 0.1 µg/L for Ba and Mn to 10 µg/L for Na. Analysis of NIST SRM 1643d demonstrated excellent recoveries (93.7–106.5%) and precision across 17 elements. These results confirm that the 5110 ICP-OES meets or exceeds BIS detection requirements without sample pre-concentration, delivering rapid throughput and low gas consumption.

Benefits and practical applications of the method

• Single-instrument workflow replacing FAAS, GFAAS, hydride and cold-vapor AAS.
• Reduced sample prep time and reagent use.
• High precision, linear dynamic range up to eight orders of magnitude.
• Capability to analyze major and trace analytes in one run.

Future trends and possibilities

Emerging applications include automated on-line sampling, miniaturized plasma sources for field deployment and hyphenation with separation techniques for speciation analysis. Advances in detector technology and software algorithms will further improve sensitivity, reduce analysis time and broaden screening capabilities for emerging contaminants.

Conclusion

The Agilent 5110 SVDV ICP-OES with MSIS offers a comprehensive, cost-effective solution for drinking water analysis under BIS standards. It provides robust performance, excellent detection limits and simplified workflows, enabling laboratories to increase sample throughput while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Used instrumentation

• Agilent 5110 Synchronous Vertical Dual View ICP-OES
• Multimode Sample Introduction System (MSIS)
• Single-pass glass cyclonic spray chamber and seaspray nebulizer
• SPS 4 autosampler
• VistaChip II CCD detector

References

1. BIS IS 10500 (2012) Drinking Water specifications.
2. BIS IS 14543 (2004) Packaged Drinking Water standards.
3. BIS IS 13428 (2005) Natural Mineral Water guidelines.
4. Cauduro J., Ryan A. Ultra-fast trace element determination in water using Agilent 5100 ICP-OES, 5991-4821EN.
5. Drvodelic N. High throughput environmental analysis per US EPA 6010C with Agilent 5100 ICP-OES, 5991-5921EN.