Chemistry question #1563
Q:Hi, I am looking for a procedure that I can use for a science investigation. We are testing water for any metals and I am unable to find a procedure.
the answer
A:
Our analytical chemist volunteer reports there is no simple way for a teenage student to do this. The problem is that the metals occur in very low concentrations that are only detectable by very expensive instruments. A quick websearch on "Water testing metals" shows that you can obtain cheap test papers for copper and maybe iron. Trace amounts of heavy metals will be much harder and much more expensive to find.
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