Date of Award

6-1975

Document Type

Open Access

Degree Name

Masters of Science

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Robert W. Schaefer

Language

English

Abstract

This study was undertaken to examine the feasibility of using the lead selective electrode to determine the lead content of paint chips. There is a need today, for a fast, inexpensive method for screening large numbers of paint chip samples. Chips containing hazardous levels of lead, e.g., 10% by weight, should be identified, so that steps may be taken to make them inaccessible to children. A laboratory report is frequently required, in order to justify the costly job of complete removal of the paint or covering with paneling. The lead selective electrode, which operates in a manner similar to that of an ordinary pH electrode, offers the possibility of jus~ such a simplified analysis. In this study, various phenomena affecting electrode response were investigated, i.e., pH of sample solution, ionic strength of solution, and presence of interfering ions. Different ways of preparing paint chips for analysis were tried, in an effort to find the best way to get the maximum amount of lead ion into solution. As a result of the data obtained, a tentative method, using the lead electrode for such analyses, is proposed. Although the procedure is not nearly as simple as making a pH measurement, the method may, with further refinement, become a practical one.

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.