Proposal

Summary

Using ICP-MS, we expect to validate drinking water safety at UT Austin. We will test twelve buildings on campus to ensure that water quality is consistent. We will contact the relevant authorities if we find arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, nickel, or chromium levels that exceed EPA or ISO guidelines. If we do not find levels exceeding guidelines, we will know that the water is safe for human consumption.

Research Objective

Our primary objective is to test the levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, nickel, and chromium in the drinking water at UT Austin. Our secondary objective is to compare the EPA’s interference equation method with the ISO’s collision reaction cell method. Many agencies test and control drinking water standards; our goal is to test the efficiency of these processes to ensure that drinking water on campus is safe for consumption.

Significance

Each of the metals can have severe negative health consequences:

• Arsenic-contaminated water can cause skin and circulatory problems; cancer in the lungs, bladder, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate; pregnancy complications; and reduced cognitive function and premature death in young people (“Drinking Water Contaminants”).
• Prolonged low-dosage lead exposure can lead to a decline in cognitive function, hypertension, other heart conditions, and renal disease (Schwartz & Hu).
• Cadmium can damage the kidneys, skeleton system, and respiratory system, and it can cause cancer (“10 Chemicals of Public Health Concern”).
• Although limited amounts of copper are healthy, excessive copper exposure can lead to liver damage, abdominal pain, nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting (“Copper: Fact Sheet for Consumers”). Copper may also be linked to Cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. It can be especially harmful to people with certain pre-existing conditions. 
• Zinc is also healthy in limited amounts (“Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.”). However, like copper, excessive consumption can lead to negative health outcomes. These include nausea, dizziness, headaches, gastric distress, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Prolonged excessive zinc consumption can lead to deficiencies in Copper absorption. 
• Nickel exposure can cause allergies, cardiovascular and kidney diseases, lung fibrosis, and lung and nasal cancer (Genchi et. al.).
• Certain species of chromium can have harmful effects on the respiratory, skin, renal, gastrointestinal, hepatic, cardiovascular, hematological, reproductive, developmental, genotoxic, and carcinogenic effects (“Chromium (CR) Toxicity: What Are the Physiologic Effects of Chromium Exposure?”). 

This project is significant because results exceeding the maximum limits indicate that the UT Austin community is not safe from these health risks and concerns.

Literature Review

We will use the EPA’s Method 200.8 for ICP-MS analysis using interference equations (“EPA Method 200.8: Determination of Trace Elements in Waters and Wastes …”). This analytical method is designed to test for the presence of contaminants in drinking, ground, and surface water. The process can be used for all of the elements we are testing for. The recommended isotopes and elemental equations according to EPA 200.8 are as follows:

For our analysis of drinking water using collision reaction cells, we will use the ISO’s ISO 17294-2:2023 method (“ISO 17294-2:2023 Water quality – Application of ICP-MS– Part 2: Determination of selected elements including uranium isotopes.”). A previous analysis measured 28 elements in environmental waters, bottled water, and tap water using the ISO 17294-2 method with the Agilent 7850 (Kubota, Tetsuo, and Agilent Technologies, Inc). This paper used the previous version of this method, published in 2016, but it is still a useful guide for conducting our analysis using the current method. 

The ISO website offers a table of isotopes often used in water analysis of our listed elements. Our class handout lists common interferences for each of these.

Each sample will need to be diluted so that sodium and calcium levels do not interfere with the machine. According to the EPA method, nitric acid will be used for this dilution. Multielement stock standard solutions may be prepared by diluting 1.0 mL of each single element stock standard to 100 mL with a reagent water containing 1% nitric acid. Stock standard preparation procedures can be found in the EPA 200.8 method.

Materials and Methods

We will collect two samples each from twelve different buildings, at the top and bottom floors. This will help account for variation across campus and variation from floor to floor. We will test the following buildings: ETC, PMA, GLT, JGB, GSB, KIN, FAC, PAR, BUR, ART, SZB,  and JES.

We will use inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, also known as ICP-MS, to test for contaminants in the water. The water samples will be mixed with stability solutions to create liquid solutions, which will then be tested using ICP-MS technology. We will analyze the data according to the EPA standards for each respective element, using Method 200.8 from the EPA for ICP-MS.

Possible Outcomes: Similar or Different Results

For each metal, the two methods have the potential to show results that are either similar or different.

If they show similar results:

This would indicate that the two methods are both valid and produce relatively similar readings. It would be consistent with the hypothesis that both are good ways to find drinking water safety.

If they show significant differences:

This would indicate a flaw in one or both methods since both need to be sensitive to the listed metals. We could conclude that at least one of the methods is not a good way to measure drinking water safety. 

Possible Outcomes: Action

Each metal has the potential to exceed maximum standards or fall within a safe range. The EPA standard is legally enforced in the USA. The ISO, however, does not make enforceable regulations. They can only offer guides and recommendations. This means that the EPA standard is more relevant from a legal perspective, and only the EPA regulations are actionable. 

If a metal exceeds maximum EPA standards:

We will immediately contact the University of Texas at Austin Food and Drinking Water Safety Program, which ensures drinking water on campus is safe for consumption. It is their responsibility to test food and drinking water for possible contamination and to notify UT Austin community members of contamination risks. They will take steps to remove the contaminants and protect students and faculty.

If it does NOT exceed maximum standards:

This would indicate that the water meets the EPA water quality standards and is safe for consumption. The methods used to filter and clean the water are effective in removing contaminants.

If a metal exceeds ISO standards but not EPA standards, we can inform the public, but we cannot enforce a change in water purification practices. 

Timeframe and Budget

• All samples will be ready to analyze by November 2nd, 2023.
• The final website with all findings will be published by December 7th, 2023.
• We will be testing twelve buildings, with two samples per building for a total of twenty-four samples ($408).
  • List of Buildings: JGB, JES, PMA, ETC, GLT, GSB, KIN, FAC, ART, PAR, BUR, and SZB.