Potentially toxic elements in some fresh water bodies in Ethiopia

A total of thirty three water samples were collected from Tinishu Akaki River, Lake Awassa, and Lake Ziway, Ethiopia. Multi-element determination of trace elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb) in water samples was carried out by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after acidification with 1% HNO₃. The concentration (in µg?L^?1) of the elements were in the range of 1.0–19, <0.42–83, 1.1–1580, <45–1760, <0.11–2.0, 0.43–13, 0.77–13, 6–300, <0.94–2.0, <0.3–1.5, <0.012–0.63, 0.13–4.8, <0.29, and 0.2–7.2 for V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb, respectively. The concentrations of all the quantified elements, with the exception of Mn, were in the range of the permissible limits of the Ethiopian, European Community, and World Health Organization for both drinking water quality guidelines and irrigation water guidelines. The accuracy of the method was validated by analyzing trace elements in water standard reference material (SRM 1643e). The measured values of trace elements in the SRM agreed well with the certified values at the 95% confidence level.     

Distribution of mercury in the sediments of some freshwater bodies in Ethiopia

Sediment samples were collected from Tinishu Akaki River (TAR), Lake Awassa, and Lake Ziway, Ethiopia for determination of mercury. The air-dried samples were analyzed for mercury with a differential atomic absorption spectrometer after thermal evaporation of bound mercury converting it to its atomic form. Certified reference materials (CRMs) of sediments and soils were used to validate the method. The recovery of mercury from CRMs and sediments was in the range of 95–100%. The limit of detection for the determination of mercury was 50?ng?kg^?1. The concentration of total mercury in the sediments varied from 3.9 to 110?µg?kg^?1 for TAR, 14 to 67?µg?kg^?1 for Lake Awassa, and 17 to 110?µg?kg^?1 for Lake Ziway. It was found that the total mercury concentrations in all samples were below the United States Environmental Protection Agency guideline of 200?µg?kg^?1.