EN
Tests For: High levels of iron (total) in natural and treated water
Tests Range: 0–10 mg/L
Reagent Chemistry Used: Thioglycollate
Method Detection Limit*: 0.04 mg/L
Limit of Quantification**: 0.12 mg/L
Iron occurs widely in nature and is found in many natural and treated waters. Iron is an objectionable constituent in both domestic and industrial water supplies. The presence of iron affects the taste of beverages and causes unsightly staining of laundered clothes, plumbing fittings, swimming pool surfaces and the like. The formation of insoluble iron deposits is troublesome in many industrial applications and in agricultural water uses such as drip feed irrigation. In industry iron salts occur through corrosion of plant and equipment, and from industrial processes.
Iron is therefore an important test for the monitoring of natural and drinking waters, for corrosion control in industry and for the checking of effluents and waste waters. The Palintest Iron HR test provides a simple test for the determination of high levels of iron in water over the range 0 – 10 mg/l Fe. The test responds to both ferrous and ferric iron and thus gives a measure of the total iron content of the water.
The Palintest Iron HR test is based on a single tablet reagent containing an alkaline thioglycollate. The test is carried out simply by adding a tablet to a sample of the water under test. The thioglycollate reduces ferric iron to ferrous iron and this, together with any ferrous iron already present in the sample, reacts to give a pink coloration.
The intensity of the colour produced is proportional to the iron concentration and is measured using a Palintest Photometer.
Iron Complexes
The test colour development will normally be completed within one minute. Continued colour development after this time is indicative of more strongly bound iron complexes in the water. In such cases the test solution should be stood for a longer period, 10 – 15 minutes, until colour development is complete.
In certain industrial applications strong complexing agents are added to act as corrosion inhibitors. Moreover, some samples may contain precipitated iron complexes or particles of metallic iron. These samples will require pre-treatment by a standard laboratory procedure if it is required to determine the total iron content. The usual method of pre-treatment is acidification – with or without boiling, depending on the nature of the sample.
To use the Palintest Iron HR test after such pre-treatment procedures, add the Iron HR tablet to the acidified sample, adjust to pH 6.0 – 9.0 using ammonia or sodium hydroxide, then take the photometer reading in the normal manner.
