Information Last Revised: 19 July 1993
TTP Reference Number: RL321112
1. Technical Name of Technology: Absorptive Stripping Voltammetry (ASV)
2. Common Name of Technology: ASV
3. PI and Telephone No: Khris S. Olsen, 509-376-4114, Fax: 509-376-5368.
4. Affiliation: Environmental Assessment Division, Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and New Mexico State University
5. Technology Category: Characterization
6. Developers: Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory & New Mexico State University Chemistry Department
7. Application
7.1. Where (in-situ/ex-situ): Ex Situ
7.2. Media: Soils and Sediments
7.3. Targeted Contaminants: chromium, uranium, lead, cadmium, copper, nickel, zinc, and cobalt
8. Scope of project (feasibility study, treatability, bench, pilot, field):
Field
9. Integrated Demonstration (ID) Need/Requirements:
Field Screening Characterization Technologies
10. Objective
10.1. Objective of technology (e.g., This technology will destroy VOCs in groundwater.):
Objective of technology is to develop the capability to measure the concentrations of selected trace metals in soils and sediments in the field during characterization and remedial activities.
10.2. Baseline (baseline technology to which it is compared):
Sample/Offsite Analysis (Offsite Analysis)
11. Process Description:
Sediment samples are dried and digested in a microwave digestion system. Nitric acid is used as the leachate in the digestion process. Leachate (or digestate) solutions are diluted to 100 ml with distilled or deionized water and analyzed by stripping voltammetry for one or more of the elements of interest. Results are reported as ppm of dry weight for the metal of interest.
11.1. Input:
Sediment samples are dried and digested in a microwave digestion system. Nitric acid is used as the leachate in the digestion process. Leachate (or digestate) solutions are diluted to 100 ml with distilled or deionized water and analyzed by stripping voltammetry for one or more of the elements of interest.
11.2. Output:
Results are reported as ppm of dry weight for the metal of interest.
12. Summary of Technology Advantages (relative to the baseline: faster, better, cheaper, safer):
Stripping voltammetry is well suit for field screening support. The system is compact, requires minimal electricity (1 amp at 120 VAC), and produces high quality data in a short period of time. In fact, for trace metals, ASV is an even more sensitive technique than lab analysis. Significant cost saving are anticipated using SV to support characterization activities. This cost savings should arise from the ability to screen sediment samples concurrent with field teams' sampling activities. For example, the results from SV can be used to identify when contamination has been encountered during drilling of boreholes. In addition, field screening efforts can be used during a removal action to help delineate when a cleanup level has been achieved for a contaminant of concern. Thus, cost savings occur because samples sent to the lab for testing can be prioritized in the order of importance. Additionally, ASV will reduce analytical costs by significantly reducing the net number of samples that must be sent to the lab for testing.
13. Limitations of Technology (relative to the baseline: faster, better, cheaper, safer):
The technique is not well suited for initial screening at hazardous waste sites for metals. The contaminants of concern must be first be identified before ASV is employed for characterization. The technique is limited to specific metals of concern and except for a few specific needs is limited to the measurement of one or two elements during a single analysis.
14. Major Technical Challenges:
None
15. Technical Effectiveness:
15.1. Performance
15.1.1 Remaining Contamination: (contamination mobility reduction, volume reduction, toxicity reduction)
Summary (20 words or less): Not Applicable; Stripping voltammetry is a characterization method.
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15.1.2. Process Waste
15.1.2.1. Status of waste (mobility, volume, hazard, recyclability)
Summary (20 words or less): Small quantities of nitric acid waste and elemental mercury are generated during digestion and analysis.
Further Description (unlimited length): Nitric acid is used to digest sediment samples. Aqueous solutions of dilute nitric acid are used to clean digestion vessels. Stripping voltammetry deposits small quantities of elemental mercury (0.00005 liters/analysis) into the sample being analyzed. Small quantities of carcinogens are also used as specific complexing agents in the analytical process. Specific complexing agents are dependent on the metal of interest being analyzed.
15.1.2.2. Treatment (needed, available)
Summary (20 words or less): Mercury can be reclaimed and recycled.
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15.1.2.3. Decontamination / Decommissioning
Summary (20 words or less): Not applicable
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15.1.2.4. Disposal (needed, available)
Summary (20 words or less): Available
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15.1.3. Practicality
15.1.3.1. Foreclose Future Options
Summary (20 words or less): No future options are foreclosed.
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15.1.3.2. Reliability
Summary (20 words or less): SV is a very reliable analytical method in the laboratory. This project demonstrates that it can also be very reliable as a field screening tool.
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15.1.3.3. Failure Control
Summary (20 words or less): Only impact is loss of data
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15.1.3.4. Ease of Use
Summary (20 words or less): Procedures are easy to use and require little training. Can easily be used by laboratory technician. Some background in chemistry is required.
Further Description (unlimited length): The microwave digestion procedures are available from the manufacturer. Stripping voltammetry methods are accessible in the open literature.
15.1.3.5. Infrastructure
Summary (20 words or less): ASV only needs sediment samples which can be taken during the process of drilling. No special infrastructure required.
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15.1.3.6. Versatility
Summary (20 words or less): SV, with minor modifications is capable of measuring most EPA Priority Metals.
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15.1.3.7. System Compatibility
Summary (20 words or less): ASV is a technique that works independent of other systems.
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15.1.3.8. Off-the-Shelf (procurement ease)
Summary (20 words or less): All equipment is "off-the shelf".
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15.1.3.9. Maintainability
Summary (20 words or less): Minimal maintenance is required of all equipment.
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15.1.3.10. Safety Measures
Summary (20 words or less): Standard laboratory safety procedures.
Further Description (unlimited length): Microwave digester requires external venting. Fume hood is recommended during preparation of complexing solutions for SV analysis.
15.1.4. "Works" (functions as intended):
Summary (20 words or less): Clearly demonstrated as very successful at the Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration Project. Functions as intended.
Further Description (unlimited length):
15.2. Cost
15.2.1. Start-Up Cost
Summary (20 words or less): Stripping voltammetry system costs range from $5,000 for single element measurements to $37,000 for multielement, multisampling capabilities.
Further Description (unlimited length): In both cases, a microwave digestion system is needed whose estimated cost is $12,000. Start-up costs depend on analytical requirements.
15.2.2. Operations and Maintenance Cost
Summary (20 words or less): Minimal, $1000 to $2000 for chemicals and supplies.
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15.2.3. Life-cycle cost
Summary (20 words or less): From $20,000 to $50,000
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15.3. Time
15.3.1. Years Until Available
Summary (20 words or less): All systems are currently available.
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15.3.2. Speed/Rate
Summary (20 words or less): Total chromium analysis: 8 min./sample. Other elements to be determined during FY 1993 activities.
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15.3.3. Years to Finish
Summary (20 words or less): Immediate. Twelve samples can be tested in four hours.
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16. Environmental Safety and Health
16.1. Worker Safety
16.1.1. Exposure to Hazardous Materials/Hazards
Summary (20 words or less): Electrical and chemical hazards.
Further Description (unlimited length): Chemical hazards from elemental mercury, and complexing agents used during SV analysis.
16.1.2. Physical Requirements
Summary (20 words or less): Requires 10 sq. ft of bench space in field operations
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16.1.3. Number of People Required
Summary (20 words or less): Two
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16.2. Public Health and Safety
16.2.1. Accidents
Summary (20 words or less): Little risk to public
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16.2.2. Routine Releases
Summary (20 words or less): Little or no environmental releases.
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16.2.3. Transportation
Summary (20 words or less): Little or no risk.
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16.3. Environmental Impacts
16.3.1. Ecological Impacts
Summary (20 words or less): None
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16.3.2. Aesthetics
Summary (20 words or less): Not applicable
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16.3.3. Natural Resources
Summary (20 words or less): Not applicable
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16.3.4. Energy Demands
Summary (20 words or less): 1 amp at 120 VAC
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17. Socio-Political Interests
17.1. Public Perception
17.1.1. Proponent Reputation
Summary (20 words or less): New Mexico State University is the leading expert on the subject of ASV.
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17.1.2. Familiarity/Understandability
Summary (20 words or less): Easily understood.
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17.2. Tribal Rights / Future Land Use
17.2.1. Capacity for Unrestricted Use (terrestrial, aquatic)
Summary (20 words or less): Not applicable
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17.3. Socio-Economic Interests
17.3.1. Economic Impacts
Summary (20 words or less): Unknown
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17.3.2. Labor Force Demands
Summary (20 words or less): Minimal
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18. Regulatory Objectives
18.1. Compatibility with Cleanup Milestones
Summary (20 words or less): Can aid in meeting cleanup milestones.
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18.2. Regulatory Infrastructure / Track Record
Summary (20 words or less): None yet
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18.3. Regulatory Compliance
Summary (20 words or less): Unknown
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19. Industrial Partnerships
19.1. Company Names:
New Mexico State University and Sandia National Laboratories
9.2. Rationale:
19.3. Contract Mechanism:
19.4. Other Potential Companies:
19.5. International:
20. Intellectual Property
20.1. Patent Ownership:
None
20.2. Other Owners:
20.3. Patent Number:
21. Cost Sharing:
None
22. Background on this technology (Where did the idea come from? Who else is doing similar work? What have the results been to date? What is the most significant competitor to this technology?):
The idea originated with Dr. Joseph Wang. No others known to be doing similar work.
23. Reference Documents:
Wang, Joseph. "Anodic Stripping Voltammetry as an Analytical Tool." Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. Vol. 16. 1982. p.104a.
Wang, Joseph. Stripping Analysis: Principles, Instrumentation and Application. Deerfield Beach, FL: VCH, 1985.