The Metals in West Campus Tap Water

Method validation and comparative analysis using helium kinetic-energy discrimination

Research Hypothesis and Method Development Objectives

This project tests the hypothesis that measurable differences exist in the trace-metal composition of bottled water and municipal tap water in the West Campus area of Austin, reflecting variations in source water and treatment processes. A solution-mode ICP-MS method is being developed and validated to accurately quantify low-level elemental contaminants such as Pb, As, Cd, and Cr. The method development focuses on optimizing helium kinetic-energy discrimination (He-KED) to minimize polyatomic interferences, which will improve calibration at sub-ppb concentrations. Rigorous quality-control parameters will be established, such as spike recoveries, duplicates, and continuing calibration checks. The ultimate objective is to produce a validated analytical workflow capable of differentiating bottled versus tap water based on trace-metal profiles with defensible precision and accuracy suitable for environmental monitoring.