A New Convenient Method for Determining Arsenic(+3) in Natural Waters

Abstract
A convenient method for the determination of arsenic(+3) in natural waters based on a simple modification of the silver diethyldithiocarbamate “Standard Method” for inorganic arsenic has been developed. In practice the technique was found to detect an average of 96% of the As(+3) present in samples. Less than 1% of any As (+5) present was analyzed as As (+3) by the method. The analytical procedure was used successfully to investigate surface waters, ground waters, and simulated reservoir waters. In combination with the current “Standard Method”, the newly developed procedure allows an easy sorting of the inorganic arsenic in the waters into As(+3), arsenite, and As(+5), arsenate.