An assessment of the feasibility of using diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) procedures to measure trace metals and radionuclides in rivers
The aims of the research were to develop diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) into a practical device and to establish its feasibility for measuring several metals in freshwater, including cadmium and mercury.
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The development of quality standards and risk assessments protocols for the impacts of metals in contaminated waters is hampered by the absence of a simple chemical diagnostic for potential metal toxicity. Measurements of total metals are inappropriate because toxicity depends on the availability of the metal to the biota, and hence the amount of free or weakly bound metal. There is a requirement for a device capable of acting as a surrogate for bioavailable metal.