Lead assay

Abstract

Process for metering lead in a sample of original water, in which is placed a sample of the water of which at least a substantial portion of the colloidal and organic material is passed in solution (sample of pretreated water), having: a first stage, starting from a sample of pretreated water with an adjusted pH, the lead is concentrated and the other parasitic ions are at least partially eliminated to obtain a sample of water that is concentrated with lead and substantially lacking in other parasitic ions (sample of lead-concentrated water); and a second stage in which, starting from the sample of lead-concentrated water, the sample of lead-concentrated water is mixed with a selective, lead-sensitive fluorescent probe whose fluorescence intensity/lead metering function is known; then, the thus produced water/fluorescent probe mixture is excited by the light, and the fluorescence intensity of the thus excited water/fluorescent probe mixture is collected optically; finally, starting from the thus detected fluorescence intensity, the lead metering of the sample to be metered is determined based on the fluorescence intensity/lead metering function.