Quality assessment of drinking water with HCPTA

A simple and rapid extraction method for copper lead and cadmium with a new reagent 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-phenyl5-thiazoleacetic acid (HCPTA) in n-butyl acetate has been developed. The determination of metal ions was carried out with flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry subsequent to their preconcentration using this extraction method. Physicochemical parameters of extraction method have been optimized with respect to pH, extractant concentration, equilibration time and additional cations and anions. The quantitative extraction was observed at pH 8.2 within 10 minutes. The stoichiometric composition of the extracted complexes was determined to be [M(CPTA)2], where M = metal ion. The extraction constants (log Kex) of copper, lead and cadmium were found to be -10.3 9 ± 0.12, -9.7 ± 0.11 and -10.44 ±0.11 respectively. The developed procedure was applied the determination of these metals in samples of drinking water from Rawalpindi/Islamabad area and the results have been compared with the permissible levels of WHO.