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4500-F Fluoride
4500-F Fluoride
4500-F⫺ FLUORIDE*
4500-F⫺ A. Introduction
A fluoride concentration of approximately 1.0 mg/L in drink- TABLE 4500F⫺:I. CONCENTRATION OF SOME SUBSTANCES CAUSING 0.1-
⫺
ing water effectively reduces dental caries without harmful ef- MG/L ERROR AT 1.0 MG F /L IN FLUORIDE METHODS
fects on health. Fluoride may occur naturally in water or it may Method C Method D
be added in controlled amounts. Some fluorosis may occur when (Electrode) (SPADNS)
the fluoride level exceeds the recommended limits. In rare in-
stances the naturally occurring fluoride concentration may ap- Conc Type of Conc Type of
Substance mg/L Error* mg/L Error*
proach 10 mg/L; such waters should be defluoridated.
Accurate determination of fluoride has increased in impor- Alkalinity 7 000 ⫹ 5 000 ⫺
tance with the growth of the practice of fluoridation of water (CaCO3)
supplies as a public health measure. Maintenance of an optimal Aluminum (Al3⫹) 3.0 ⫺ 0.1† ⫺
fluoride concentration is essential in maintaining effectiveness Chloride (Cl⫺) 20 000 7 000 ⫹
and safety of the fluoridation procedure. Chlorine 5 000 Remove
completely
with
1. Preliminary Treatment
arsenite
Color & turbidity Remove or
Among the methods suggested for determining fluoride ion compensate
(F⫺) in water, the electrode and colorimetric methods are the for
most satisfactory. Because both methods are subject to errors due Iron 200 ⫺ 10 ⫺
to interfering ions (Table 4500:F⫺:I), it may be necessary to Hexametaphosphate 50 000 1.0 ⫹
distill the sample as directed in Section 4500-F⫺.B before mak- ([NaPO3]6)
ing the determination. When interfering ions are not present in Phosphate 50 000 16 ⫹
excess of the tolerance of the method, the fluoride determination (PO43⫺)
may be made directly without distillation. Sulfate 50 000 ⫺ 200 ⫺
(SO42⫺)
2. Selection of Method * ⫹ denotes positive error
⫺ denotes negative error
Blank denotes no measurable error.
The electrode methods (C and G) are suitable for fluoride † On immediate reading. Tolerance increases with time: after 2 h, 3.0; after 4 h,
concentrations from 0.1 to more than 10 mg/L. Adding the 30.
prescribed buffer frees the electrode method from most interfer-
ences that adversely effect the SPADNS colorimetric method
and necessitate preliminary distillation. Some substances in in- Fluoride also may be determined by the automated complex-
dustrial wastes, such as fluoborates, may be sufficiently concen- one method, Method E.
trated to present problems in electrode measurements and will Ion chromatography (Section 4110) is an acceptable method if
not be measured without a preliminary distillation. Fluoride weaker eluents are used to separate fluoride from interfering
measurements can be made with an ion-selective electrode and peaks or fluoride can be determined by capillary ion electro-
either an expanded-scale pH meter or a specific ion meter, phoresis (Section 4140).
usually without distillation, in the time necessary for electrode The flow injection method (G) is a convenient automated
equilibration. technique for analyzing large numbers of samples.
The SPADNs method (D) has a linear analytical range of 0 to
1.40 mg F⫺/L. Use of a nonlinear calibration can extend the 3. Sampling and Storage
range to 3.5 mg F⫺/L. Color development is virtually instanta-
neous. Color determinations are made photometrically, using Preferably use polyethylene bottles for collecting and storing
either a filter photometer or a spectrophotometer. A curve de- samples for fluoride analysis. Glass bottles are satisfactory if
veloped from standards is used for determining the fluoride previously they have not contained high-fluoride solutions. Al-
concentration of a sample. ways rinse bottle with a portion of sample.
For the SPADNs method, never use an excess of dechlorinat-
ing agent. Dechlorinate with sodium arsenite rather than sodium
* Approved by Standard Methods Committee, 1997.
Joint Task Group: 20th Edition (4500-F⫺.G)—Scott Stieg (chair), Bradford R. thiosulfate when using the SPADNS method because the latter
Fisher, Owen B. Mathre, Theresa M. Wright. may produce turbidity that causes erroneous readings.
FLUORIDE (4500-F⫺)/Preliminary Distillation Step 4-83
1. Discussion
c. Add Ag2SO4 to the distilling flask at the rate of 5 mg/mg 5. Interpretation of Results
Cl⫺ when the chloride concentration is high enough to interfere
(see Table 4500-F⫺:I). The recovery of fluoride is quantitative within the accuracy of
d. Use H2SO4 solution in the flask repeatedly until contaminants the methods used for its measurement.
from samples accumulate to such an extent that recovery is affected
or interferences appear in the distillate. Check acid suitability peri-
odically by distilling standard fluoride samples and analyzing for 6. Bibliography
both fluoride and sulfate. After distilling samples containing more
than 3 mg F⫺/L, flush still by adding 300 mL distilled water, BELLACK, E. 1958. Simplified fluoride distillation method. J. Amer.
redistill, and combine the two fluoride distillates. If necessary, Water Works Assoc. 50:530.
repeat flushing until the fluoride content of the last distillate is at a BELLACK, E. 1961. Automatic fluoride distillation. J. Amer. Water Works
minimum. Include additional fluoride recovered with that of the first Assoc. 53:98.
distillation. After periods of inactivity, similarly flush still and ZEHNPFENNIG, R.G. 1976. Letter to the editor. Environ. Sci. Technol. 10:1049.
discard distillate.
The fluoride electrode can be used with a standard calomel a. Expanded-scale or digital pH meter or ion-selective meter.
reference electrode and almost any modern pH meter having an b. Sleeve-type reference electrode: Do not use fiber-tip refer-
expanded millivolt scale. Calomel electrodes contain both me- ence electrodes because they exhibit erratic behavior in very
tallic and dissolved mercury; therefore, dispose of them only in dilute solutions.
approved sites or recycle. For this reason, the Ag/AgCl reference c. Fluoride electrode.
electrode is preferred. d. Magnetic stirrer, with TFE-coated stirring bar.
The fluoride electrode measures the ion activity of fluoride in e. Timer.
solution rather than concentration. Fluoride ion activity depends
on the solution total ionic strength and pH, and on fluoride 3. Reagents
complexing species. Adding an appropriate buffer provides a
nearly uniform ionic strength background, adjusts pH, and a. Stock fluoride solution: Dissolve 221.0 mg anhydrous so-
breaks up complexes so that, in effect, the electrode measures dium fluoride, NaF, in distilled water and dilute to 1000 mL;
concentration. 1.00 mL ⫽ 100 g F⫺.
b. Interference: Table 4500-F⫺:I lists common interferences. b. Standard fluoride solution: Dilute 100 mL stock fluoride
Fluoride forms complexes with several polyvalent cations, no- solution to 1000 mL with distilled water; 1.00 mL ⫽ 10.0 g F⫺.
tably aluminum and iron. The extent to which complexation c. Fluoride buffer: Place approximately 500 mL distilled water
takes place depends on solution pH, relative levels of fluoride, in a 1-L beaker and add 57 mL glacial acetic acid, 58 g NaCl,
and complexing species. However, CDTA (cyclohexylenedi- and 4.0 g 1,2 cyclohexylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CDTA).*
aminetetraacetic acid), a component of the buffer, preferentially Stir to dissolve. Place beaker in a cool water bath and add slowly
will complex interfering cations and release free fluoride ions. 6N NaOH (about 125 mL) with stirring, until pH is between 5.0
Concentrations of aluminum, the most common interference, up and 5.5. Transfer to a 1-L volumetric flask and add distilled
to 3.0 mg/L can be complexed preferentially. In acid solution, F⫺ water to the mark. This buffer, as well as a more concentrated
forms a poorly ionized HF 䡠 HF complex but the buffer main- version, is available commercially. In using the concentrated
tains a pH above 5 to minimize hydrogen fluoride complex buffer follow the manufacturer’s directions.
formation. In alkaline solution hydroxide ion also can interfere
with electrode response to fluoride ion whenever the hydroxide
ion concentration is greater than one-tenth the concentration of * Also known as 1,2 cyclohexylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid.
FLUORIDE (4500-F⫺)/SPADNS Method 4-85
4. Procedure at the bottom of the graph. Plot millivolts on the abscissa. From
the potential measurement for each sample, read the correspond-
a. Instrument calibration: No major adjustment of any instru- ing fluoride concentration from the standard curve.
ment normally is required to use electrodes in the range of 0.2 to The known-additions method may be substituted for the cal-
2.0 mg F⫺/L. For those instruments with zero at center scale ibration method described. Follow the directions of the instru-
adjust calibration control so that the 1.0 mg F⫺/L standard reads ment manufacturer.
at the center zero (100 mV) when the meter is in the expanded- Selective-ion meters may necessitate using a slightly altered
scale position. This cannot be done on some meters that do not procedure, such as preparing 1.00 and 10.0 mg F⫺/L standards or
have a millivolt calibration control. To use a selective-ion meter some other concentration. Follow the manufacturer’s directions.
follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Commercial standards, often already diluted with buffer, fre-
b. Preparation of fluoride standards: Prepare a series of stan- quently are supplied with the meter. Verify the stated fluoride
dards by diluting with distilled water 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mL of concentration of these standards by comparing them with stan-
standard fluoride solution to 100 mL with distilled water. These dards prepared by the analyst.
standards are equivalent to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg F⫺/L.
5. Calculation
c. Treatment of standards and sample: In 100-mL beakers or
other convenient containers add by volumetric pipet from 10 to g F⫺
25 mL standard or sample. Bring standards and sample to same mg F⫺/L ⫽
mL sample
temperature, preferably room temperature. Add an equal volume
of buffer. The total volume should be sufficient to immerse the 6. Precision and Bias
electrodes and permit operation of the stirring bar.
d. Measurement with electrode: Immerse electrodes in each of A synthetic sample containing 0.850 mg F⫺/L in distilled
the fluoride standard solutions and measure developed potential water was analyzed in 111 laboratories by the electrode method,
while stirring on a magnetic stirrer. Avoid stirring before im- with a relative standard deviation of 3.6% and a relative error of
mersing electrodes because entrapped air around the crystal can 0.7%.
produce erroneous readings or needle fluctuations. Let electrodes A second synthetic sample containing 0.750 mg F⫺/L, 2.5 mg
remain in the solution 3 min (or until reading is constant) before (NaPO3)6/L, and 300 mg alkalinity/L added as NaHCO3, was
taking a final millivolt reading. A layer of insulating material analyzed in 111 laboratories by the electrode method, with a
between stirrer and beaker minimizes solution heating. With- relative standard deviation of 4.8% and a relative error of 0.2%.
draw electrodes, rinse with distilled water, and blot dry between A third synthetic sample containing 0.900 mg F⫺/L, 0.500 mg
readings. (CAUTION: Blotting may poison electrode if not done Al/L, and 200 mg SO42⫺/L was analyzed in 13 laboratories by
gently.) Repeat measurements with samples. the electrode method, with a relative standard deviation of 2.9%
When using an expanded-scale pH meter or selective-ion and a relative error of 4.9%.
meter, frequently recalibrate the electrode by checking potential 7. Bibliography
reading of the 1.00-mg F⫺/L standard and adjusting the calibra-
tion control, if necessary, until meter reads as before. FRANT, M.S. & J.W. ROSS, JR. 1968. Use of total ionic strength adjust-
If a direct-reading instrument is not used, plot potential mea- ment buffer for electrode determination of fluoride in water sup-
surement of fluoride standards against concentration on two- plies. Anal. Chem. 40:1169.
cycle semilogarithmic graph paper. Plot milligrams F⫺ per liter HARWOOD, J.E. 1969. The use of an ion-selective electrode for routine
on the logarithmic axis (ordinate), with the lowest concentration analysis of water samples. Water Res. 3:273.
1. General Discussion alizarin methods. The selection of dye for this rapid fluoride
method is governed largely by the resulting tolerance to these
a. Principle: The SPADNS colorimetric method is based on the ions.
reaction between fluoride and a zirconium-dye lake. Fluoride reacts b. Interference: Table 4500-F⫺:I lists common interferences.
with the dye lake, dissociating a portion of it into a colorless Because these are neither linear in effect nor algebraically addi-
complex anion (ZrF62⫺); and the dye. As the amount of fluoride tive, mathematical compensation is impossible. Whenever any
increases, the color produced becomes progressively lighter. one substance is present in sufficient quantity to produce an error
The reaction rate between fluoride and zirconium ions is of 0.1 mg/L or whenever the total interfering effect is in doubt,
influenced greatly by the acidity of the reaction mixture. If the distill the sample. Also distill colored or turbid samples. In some
proportion of acid in the reagent is increased, the reaction can be instances, sample dilution or adding appropriate amounts of
made almost instantaneous. Under such conditions, however, the interfering substances to the standards may be used to compen-
effect of various ions differs from that in the conventional sate for the interference effect. If alkalinity is the only significant
4-86 INORGANIC NONMETALS (4000)
interference, neutralize it with either hydrochloric or nitric acid. c. Color development: Use a 50.0-mL sample or a portion
Chlorine interferes and provision for its removal is made. diluted to 50 mL with distilled water. Adjust sample temperature
Volumetric measurement of sample and reagent is extremely to that used for the standard curve. Add 5.00 mL each of
important to analytical accuracy. Use samples and standards at SPADNS solution and zirconyl-acid reagent, or 10.00 mL acid-
the same temperature or at least within 2°C. Maintain constant zirconyl-SPADNS reagent; mix well and read absorbance, first
temperature throughout the color development period. Prepare setting the reference point of the photometer as above. If the
different calibration curves for different temperature ranges. absorbance falls beyond the range of the standard curve, repeat
using a diluted sample.
2. Apparatus
5. Calculation
WEINSTEIN, L.H., R.H. MANDL, D.C. MCCUNE, J.S. JACOBSON & A.E.
HITCHCOCK. 1963. A semi-automated method for the determina-
tion of fluorine in air and plant tissues. Boyce Thompson Inst.
22:207.
4500-F⫺ F. (Reserved)
1. General Discussion