Novel Approach for Determination of Potentially Toxic Elements via ICP-OES in Aqueous Solutions of Building Materials with Industrial Byproduct Addition

Abstract

New global tendencies for waste materials reusing in building materials are imposing the request for improved performances of chemical analysis methods and the improvements of matrices used. A new method for optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) is developed and validated for the chemical analysis (35 elements: Al, Be, Cd, So, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Mo, Zn, Pb , Bi, Si, Zr, W, As, Se, Sb, Sn, Ti, Ba, B, Ag, Mg, Ca, K, Na, S, P, Ga, In, Li) in leachate of fly ash. Validation performances and the uncertainty of measurement were resolved. Uncertainty of measurements were resolved by three routes: validation procedure, participation in proficiency testing (PT) schemes and standard method. The obtained method is a new simple and effective analyzing route for determination of undesired trace elements and their quantity comprised in leachates of fly ash, and leachates of building materials with addition of fly ash (cement binders and mortars). In order to prove its accuracy and precision, the developed method was employed on laboratory samples of cement binders and mortars. Results were compared with limit values provided in the standard. Multivariate analyses, i.e. cluster analysis and principal component analysis, were applied to establish interrelations between analyzed samples, and to certify the developed ICP-OES method.