Direct Determination of Thallium in Water by Pre-concentration with the PinAAcle 900H GFAAS

Introduction

Thallium (Tl) has been identified to be an environmentally significant element because of its toxicity. It is considered one of the most toxic heavy metals. The minimum lethal dose of soluble thallium salts is estimated to be 0.7 g to 1.1 g for adults with a body mass of 70 kg or 10 mg/kg to 15 mg/kg of body mass.¹ Thallium is considered a cumulative poison that can cause adverse health effects and degenerative changes in many organs.² The main threat to humans is through occupational exposure and environmental contamination.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been discouraging the use of thallium as a rodenticide and an insecticide since 1973, however it was widely used in the last century and is still in use in some underdeveloped countries.³ Plus, industry use of thallium is widespread, mostly in specialized electronic equipment and as an additive in glass to increase its refractive index and density, a catalyst or intermediate in the synthesis of organic compounds, and a component in high-density liquids for sink-float separation of minerals. Leaching from ore processing operations is the major source of elevated thallium concentrations in water.³ Because of thallium’s potential to cause adverse health effects in exposed people, a number of regulations and guidelines have been established by agencies around the world. According to U.S. EPA, the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for thallium in drinking water is at 0.002 mg/L.⁴ Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) regulated the guideline value for thallium in freshwater at 0.8 μg/L.⁵ The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) developed a Public Health Goal (PHG) of 0.1 μg/L for thallium in drinking water.⁶ In China, the thallium limit for drinking water and surface water is regulated at less than 0.1 μg/L.^7,8 This level in drinking water indicates estimated concentration that would pose no significant health risk to individuals consuming water on a daily basis over a lifetime.⁶

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