LaMotte AM-21 Water Pollution Detection Outfit - Manual (Page 31)

Iron Test
Most natural waters contain some iron. Its presence may vary from the
smallest trace to very large amounts in water which is contaminated by acid
mine wastes. For domestic use, the concentration should not exceed 0.2 ppm
and for some industrial applications, not even a trace of iron can be
tolerated. There are many means available for removing or reducing the iron
content of waters. Water softening resins are effective for removing small
amounts of iron and special ion exchange materials are selective for iron
removal. High concentrations of iron can be removed by such chemical
processes as oxidation and lime or lime-soda softening. Because of the many
means of removing or reducing the amount of iron in water, the particular
method employed will depend largely on the form of iron which is present
and the end use of the finished water. The chemical test for iron is based on a
very sensitive chemical reaction with bipyridal to produce a pink to deep red
color, depending upon the amount of iron in the water.
Field Test Method
Quantity Contents Code
15 mL *Iron Reagent #1 *4450-E
4.5g *Iron Reagent #2 *4451-S
1 Test Tube, 5.0 mL 0230
1 Spoon, 0.05 g 0696
1 Iron Comparator 7474
WARNING: Reagents marked with a * are considered to be potential health hazards.
To view or print a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for these reagents see MSDS CD
or www.lamotte.com. To obtain a printed copy, contact LaMotte by email, phone or fax.
Procedure
1. Fill test tube (0230) to the 5 mL line with sample water.
2. Add 5 drops of *Iron Reagent #1 (4450). Cap and mix.
3. Use the 0.05g spoon (0696) to add one level measure of *Iron Reagent
#2 Powder (4451). Mix until the powder dissolves. Wait 3 minutes.
4. If Iron is present in the water sample, a pink or red color will develop.
Insert the test tube into the Iron Comparator (7474). Match sample
color to a color standard.
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