Determination of Metals in Industrial Wastewaters by Microwave  Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry

 Elevated levels of metal and metalloid contaminants in the environment pose a risk to human health and are a source of considerable concern to agricultural, livestock and aquatic industries. Industrial wastewaters are the main source of these contaminants, which can persist indefinitely in the environment as they do not degrade with time, and have the potential to pollute not only farm and urban land but also surface and ground waters used for agriculture and drinking. Consequently, the determination of metals in wastewaters is an important aspect of environmental monitoring.