Total Iron Test

Muhammad Afif Rusydi bin Md Khalil1, Muhammad Efendi bin Asmat2, Muhamad
Suhainizam Bin Muhamad Saini3, Amirol Zaiery bin Nazari4, Nur Ezzati Emalia Bt
Azahar5

ABSTRACT

The aim of the total iron test is to determine the concentration of total iron in a number of
different samples by spectrophotometry. Two water samples were prepared, the first sample
(Sample 1) being water taken from a river and the second sample (Sample 2) taken from a lake,
both from an area around Bestari Jaya. Four 10 mL solutions were then prepared inside a
cuvette, the first and second solutions being blank solutions which are solutions of Sample 1
and 2, without adding phenantroline respectively. The third and fourth solutions are solutions
of Sample 1 and 2, with added phenantroline respectively. The blank solution was first tested
with the spectrophotometer to blank the spectrometer reading, then followed by the solution of
Sample 1 and 2. Results show that the concentration of iron in solution Sample 1 and 2 to be
0.98 mg/L and 0.08 mg/L respectively. The standard iron concentration for drinking water is
less than 0.3 mg/L, and concentrations higher than that are noticeable and may cause health
problems if consumed. The reason solution Sample 1 showed a higher concentration of iron
compared to solution Sample 1 may be because the sample was taken from a polluted river,
while the reason solution Sample 2 showed lower concentration of iron compared to solution
Sample 1 may be because the Sample was taken from a well-managed lake.

Introduction

Iron is a common metallic element found in nature. Water percolating through soil and rock
dissolves iron, and these minerals subsequently enter groundwater supplies. Usually, surface
water does not contain high concentrations of iron. This is because the oxygen-rich water of
surface water enables the iron to come out as sediments. Surface water, usually to be of pH in
between 6 to 9, is normally present in low concentrations (less than 1.0 mg/L). However,
groundwater, especially those in contact with iron bearing minerals, have higher iron
concentration (up to 10 mg/L or more).
 In deep wells and springs, water containing dissolved iron may appear colourless. This
is because the oxygen content and pH tend to be low in these areas. But when exposed to air,
the dissolved iron will react with oxygen and convert into a coloured, solid material that settles
out of the water. This process is called oxidation. Iron changes to white, then yellow, and finally
to a reddish-brown. In rivers, iron concentration is usually 0.7 mg/L.

Iron is a chemical with characteristic staining properties and may also give a metallic
taste to drinking water at high concentrations. Therefore, iron content is regulated by secondary
drinking water standards for public water supplies. The standard drinking water usually has
iron concentrations of 0.3 mg/L or part per million (ppm) or less. Iron concentrations of higher
than 0.3 mg/L are usually noticeable in terms of colour or taste (metallic taste) and may cause
health problems to the human body if consumed regularly.

Materials and Method

The apparatus used in the experiment is a spectrophotometer (Figure 1) and cuvettes. The
reagent used to be mixed with the samples in the experiment is phenantroline. The samples for
the solution is taken from a river and a lake. The function of the spectrophotometer is for
measuring how much a chemical substance absorbs light by measuring the intensity of light as
a beam of light passes through the sample solution. The basic principle is that each compound
absorbs or transmits light over a certain range of wavelength. This measurement can also be
used to measure the amount of a known chemical substance. The cuvettes are used to contain
the solutions to be inserted into the spectrophotometer for measurement. The phenantroline
functions by complexing the iron ions, forming orange/red colour.

Figure 1: Spectrophotometer
 The method used is the Phenantroline Spectrophotometric Method. This method relies
on the fact that iron, when converted to its ferrous state by reaction with acidified
hydroxylamine, forms a colour-stable complex with phenantroline. The orange/red coloured
complex formed can then be measured with a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 510 nm.

The samples used for the solution were taken from two sources, a river and a lake
located in Bestari Jaya, each labelled as Sample 1 and Sample 2 respectively. Sample 1 was
filled into two cuvettes, 10 mL each. No reagents were added into the first cuvette and labelled
as Solution 1 (blank solution). Phenantroline was added into the second cuvette and then
labelled as Solution 3. The same step was repeated with Sample 2, the blank solution labelled
as Solution 2 and the solution mixed with phenantroline labelled as Solution 4. For proper
mix/absorption of the reagent with the sample, 5 minutes were waited before testing the
solutions with the spectrophotometer. Also, the cuvettes were wiped clean of possible dust or
fingerprints with a cloth before testing to avoid reading errors. First, the blank solution Solution
1 was placed into the holder of the spectrometer to blank the spectrometer reading. Then,
Solution 3 (with phenantroline) was tested with the spectrometer. The reading was recorded.
The same step was repeated for Solution 2 and Solution 4. Solution 2 (blank solution) was
tested first to blank the spectrometer reading and then followed by Solution 4 (with
phenantroline) to obtain an actual reading. The reading was then recorded.

Results and Discussion

Based from the experiment conducted, the readings obtained for Sample 1 (river water) and
Sample 2 (lake water) were a total iron content of 0.98 mg/L and 0.08 mg/L respectively.

The standard drinking water has a total iron content of 0.3 mg/L. Any concentration
above 0.3 mg/L will show obvious signs such as metallic taste or distinct colour change. The
river water sample in this experiment showed a reading of 0.98 mg/L which is more than the
standard drinking water. This means that the water has a high iron content and is not suitable
for drinking. This may be because the river water sample was taken from a river that was not
well maintained and polluted. Polluted water may be mixed with external minerals that may
have increased the iron content. On the other hand, the lake water sample showed an iron
content of 0.08 mg/L, which is lower than the standard drinking water. This means the lake
water sample has an iron content low enough to be suitable for drinking. This may be because
the lake water sample was taken from a well maintained lake. The lake didnt show sign of
pollution, which may have been the reason the iron content is low.

However, for both samples, the samples taken were only on the surface of the water
because of lack of equipment gather water samples from different depths. Surface water usually
shows lower iron content compared to deeper depths. This means that the readings obtained
for both samples werent the real average iron content for the respective sources, but just the
surface water. This also means that the average iron content for both sources wouldve been
higher than the one obtained.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the results obtained of 0.98 mg/L iron content from the river water sample and
0.08 mg/L iron content from the lake water sample was as expected. This is because the river
showed obvious signs of pollution which increase the iron content in water, while the lake
was well maintained which would mean a low iron content in the water. Although the
readings obtained werent the actual average iron content of the water sources due to only
taking the samples on the water surface, the readings obtained were as expected from the
sources. Based on the standard drinking water iron content, it can be said that the lake water
sample is suitable for drinking, while the river water is not suitable for drinking.

Recommendation

A few recommendations could be implemented in order to obtain more accurate readings for
the experiment. In order to obtain an actual average iron content for the water samples, it is
necessary to obtain water samples at different depths. So, it is recommended to use a suction-
lift pump to obtain samples from different depths. Take samples from three different depths
and then obtain the average reading. For more accurate readings, take more samples at three
depths from the same source. For example, take samples at three depths at three points from
the same river or lake. By doing so, and then determining the average, a more accurate
reading can be obtained. Besides that, it is recommended to use well maintenance equipment
or spectrophotometer for testing the samples, because the equipment used for this experiment
was not under regular maintenance which could have affected the readings.
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