Possibilities of High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry in the Determination of Trace Elements in Environmental Materials

Table 5

Threshold concentrations in the determination of Zn, Sb, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Cr, U, and Ba in soil (μg g⁻¹) [29] (column 2) and the maximum permissible concentrations of potentially toxic elements in sludge-treated soils (𝜇g g⁻¹ dry soil) in EC member states and US [30] (column 3), maximum permissible concentrations for U [31] (column 4), and true detection limits obtained by the present ICP-OES method (μg g⁻¹) (column 5).

Selected prominent lines, wavelength 𝜆, nm	Threshold concentrations for soils, (μg g^−1) Bulgarian legislation [29]	Maximum permissible concentrations in sludge-treated soils (in μg g^−1) in EU member states [30]	Maximum permissible concentration for U (in μg g^−1) [31]	True detection limits obtained by the present ICP-OES method (μg g^−1)
Zn II 202.54	88 ÷ 180	250 ÷ 300	no data	0.12
Sb I 206.838	no data*	no data	no data	1.5
Cd II 214.438	0.4 ÷ 1.0	1 ÷ 3	no data	0.12
Cu I 324.754	34 ÷ 70	100 ÷ 140	no data	0.07
Mn II 257.610	no data	no data	no data	0.07
Pb II 220.353	26 ÷ 50	80 ÷ 100	no data	0.65
Cr II 267.716	65 ÷ 130	200	no data	0.12
U II 409.014	34 ÷ 70	100 ÷ 140	0.3 ÷ 11.7	0.75
Ba II 455.403	no data	no data	no data	0.06

∗The values are not given in the corresponding documents.