Representativeness is a common challenge in surface waterquality monitoring and is improved, for example, by analysing composite samples rather than grab samples. Freezing is a standard procedure to generate composite samples over time, which can preserve species integrity and prevent adsorption of potential toxic elements PTE. But to which extent is this procedure reliable in case of hard waters, given that low temperatures can trigger the precipitation of calcium carbonate and the subsequent co-precipitation of PTEs?
This study by Radmila Milačič et al., conducted in collaboration with Matthias Zessner and Ottavia Zoboli within the Danube Hazard m3c project, presents a targeted experiment design to understand the behaviour of PTEs during river water during storage at low temperatures.
The main outcome: to prevent co-precipitation of PTEs with CaCO3, samples should be filtered and acidified before freezing.
For more insights and details, check the openaccess article:
https://lnkd.in/exYzDzGu, opens an external URL