On-line determination of residual aluminium in potable and treated waters by flow-injection analysis

A portable, automated, flow-injection-based solid-state spectrophotometric field monitor for the determination of residual dissolved aluminium in potable and treated waters is described. Aluminium is determined by complexation with pyrocatechol violet to form a colloidal lake with a maximum absorbance at 580 nm. Interference from iron(III) is masked by reduction to iron(II) and complexation with 1,10-phenanthroline. The monitor operates on a 30-min analytical cycle, i.e., with 48 results per day, and each cycle includes an autocalibration step. Over the course of a 3-month field trial the reliability was greater than 90%. The performance conforms to industry specifications for both overall accuracy (bias < ± 10%) and repeatability (relative standard deviation < ± 10%), the linear range is 0–1000 μg l^?1 and the practical limit of detection is 45 μg l^?1.